St. Withburga's Well
St. Withburga's Well
St. Withburga's Well
3.5
About
In 654 St Withburga set up a religious community in the town. St Withburga died and was later re-buried in the abbey church she had built. Legend records how her body was found to be uncorrupted when moved into the church. The abbey became a place of pilgrimage until the Danish invasions in 870, when it was destroyed. A century later holy places were rebuilt and Dereham fell under the control of Ely Abbey. In 974 monks from Ely visited Dereham and took the opportunity to make away with her body to bury it alongside her sisters. Legend says a spring of water came forth with purest water with healing properties. In 1752 the ruins of the tomb were repaired and converted into a bathhouse. The building was an offence to the Revd Benjamin Armstrong who records, ‘Sanction given, at my request, to pull down the ugly called the Bath House over St Withburga’s Well’. 9/4/1855.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
4 reviews
Excellent
0
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2
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2
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John Kitching
Greater London, UK1,198 contributions
Jul 2020
Withburga was an Anglian princess who died in the middle of the 8th century and when her body was dug up after 50 years it had not decayed and this was considered a miracle. The well apparently sprung up after the body of St Withburga was removed from Dereham back to Ely. Originally the body had been buried at Ely. It is a pleasant well in the graveyard of the church and worth a visit if in Dereham but not worth a journey to see unless you have a keen interest in wells or the history of the Anglian kingdom.
Written July 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Considered Review
Norwich, UK1,290 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
A superb site to spend a few minutes at. Free to see and located just behind the main church in Dereham, this delightful historical grotto is place to ponder and let the past live again on your imagination.
I like the understated nature of the site, but it seems a shame it doesn't have more of a fanfare, a celebration of its existence, than is the case. A lovely place.
I like the understated nature of the site, but it seems a shame it doesn't have more of a fanfare, a celebration of its existence, than is the case. A lovely place.
Written March 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harnser48
Norfolk, UK170 contributions
Sept 2021
This could be a realplace of pilgimage but it is porrlymaintained. The water there started flowing when monks from Ely stole the body of St Withburga
Written October 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harnser48
Norfolk, UK170 contributions
Aug 2019
St withburga was a local to Dereham to whom miracles were attributed. It was a site of pilgrimsge for many in the middle ages but the mortsl remains were acquired by monks jealous of the financial benefits the Saint brought. The well continued to be credited with healing powers after this bough today is a mere trickle and puddle
Written August 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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