Survey of English Place-Names

Etymology

( 2 ½ ″ ) , a holy spring and well dedicated originally to St Anne , cf. Ancell Crosse 1550Pochin , Annwell Crosse , Anncell Cross (e ), Annsell Crosse 1561 (17) Surv , ' the cross at St Anne's Well ' , v. wella , cros . St Anne , a patroness of wells , was believed to intercede for the childless and thus the well may once have been a site of fertility rituals , v. Ru liii . The cross is probably not to be identified with le Wite Cros listed with f. ns . ( b ) infra .