44 becket's well, derby. 



England, and may be seen in museums, or in private possession. 

 There used to be a very fine one in the conservatory at Branksea 

 Castle, Dorset.* On ancient marbles of Greece are representa- 

 tions of maidens coming from the well, wilh vases on their heads, 

 to be met by their swains, who relieve them of their burdens. It 

 is also stated that Bacchic dances were celebrated round the wells 

 of Callichorus. Times and manners changed, and then the wells 

 begin to have, in many instances, curative properties attributed to 

 their waters. The waters of some left a red deposit (iron), others 

 a yellowish green sediment (sulphur) ; some were always cold, 

 but never frozen ; others slightly warm. These waters were used 

 externally and internally. The Romans appear to have first made 

 use of the warm springs in this country as baths ; and the baths 

 of Matlock, Buxton, Bath, and others, have continued to be used 

 for curative and hygienic purposes down to the present time. 

 Having written thus far on biblical and classic wells, we come 

 now to consider wells such as that which gives a title to these 

 remarks. 



There are scattered over the United Kingdom a very large 

 number of ancient wells, many of them termed holy wells. The 

 whole subject becomes interesting now these wells are fast being 

 destroyed. It is far from unlikely that some of these old wells, 

 near the Roman roads, were made at first by the Romans, and 

 have been handed on for some two thousand years ; if so, Becket's 

 Well may be of such an origin. Not a few of our wells date back 

 to an early period of English history. One of the earliest of these is 

 that which takes its name from the Saxon king of Northumbriai 

 Oswald, who was slain by Penda, king of Mercia. The venerable 

 Bede says people carried away the earth, to which miraculous 

 virtue was attributed, until a hole was formed, and this became a 

 well, the water of which had also miraculous powers. But the 

 worst of it is there are twq_ wells both making the claim that they 

 occupy the site of Oswald's death. One is at Winwick, near 



* There is a fine Venetian well-head of this class, richly sculptured, and said 

 to be of twelfth century date, in the courtyard of Wilton House, near 

 Salisbury. It was illustrated in the Reliquary, vol. i. (new series), p. 231. 



