( in
Flintshire , north
Wales , lying south of the
Estuary of the
River Dee .
The town is known for
St Winefride's Well , a
Holy Well surrounded by a
Chapel . The well has been known since at least the
Roman period, and has been a site of
Pilgrimage since about
660 when
Saint Winefride is said to have been beheaded there. The town bills itself as ''The
Lourdes of Wales''.
More recently, the town grew around the
Lead Mining and
Cotton Milling industries.
Holywell hosted an unofficial
National Eisteddfod event in
1869 .
Actor
Jonathan Pryce was born in Holywell.
