The mystery of Kensington Gardens: how a fictional saint and Peter Pan gave a name and glory to an ancient source (9 photos)

This ancient spring in central London is mentioned in the story of Peter Pan.





While natural springs in central London seem unbelievable, several still make a modest appearance in the urban landscape. One such spring is located near the southwest corner of Kensington Gardens.



It is often referred to simply as the ancient spring, but it was only given its official name, the Holy Govor Spring, in 1856 by Benjamin Hall, an engineer and politician who later became Baron Llanover.





Hall chose the name after a 6th-century hermit who was considered the patron saint of the church in Llanover, Wales. Other than this connection to Hall's homeland, the source has no connection to the saint.



The original 19th-century structure on the site was a shallow hole in the ground lined with stone. On one side there were steps leading down to a tap above the basin. The current cylindrical structure with the inscription dates from 1976.



Mamie Mannering is a literary precursor to the character Wendy Darling in the later story "Peter and Wendy"

Notably, the spring is mentioned in one of the chapters of the book "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens". In that chapter, a little girl named Mamie tries to meet Peter Pan, who lives in the garden with the fairies. In order to stay in the park after it closes and the fairies come out, Mamie hides in St. Govor's Well. This scene is illustrated in some older editions of the book.





In 1912, a bronze sculpture of Peter Pan by George Barrie was installed in Kensington Gardens Frampton