Books by Phil Cope

The Golden Valley is an exploration and a celebration of a small south Wales valley. The site of ancient tombs and settlements, its rural life was for just over a century taken over by the brutal occupation of coal mining before abandonment once more to nature. In well-chosen words and stunning photographs this is the story of one place, and many.

Author and photographer Phil Cope takes his camera on a journey through the sacred wells of Scotland from the Borders to the Orkney Islands. On his way he discovers wells in city centres and, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere - on mountainsides, in deserted valleys, on the coast, in sea caves. They include healing wells, cursing wells, and wells named for saints, Satan, witches, angels, fairies, friars, nuns, hermits, murderers and hangmen, even a well of the dead. His luscious and atmospheric photographs are accompanied by folk tales, myths and legends, conversations with well-keepers and poems inspired by Scottish wells.

A lavishly illustrated guide to sacred wells in the contested lands between England and Wales from prehistoric times to today, pagan to Christian, with diversions into the Roman occupation and the commercial spas of modern times.