48 becket's well, derby. 



joined than the more recent work which they support. This 

 latter is of the Cromwellian period ; we know this because there 

 is the date of its erection carved on the lintel over the entrance 

 The date, though much weathered, is plainly 1652, though 



a writer in the Derby Mercury of August 28th, 1889, says it 

 is 1632. We, however, took a rubbing of this date so have 

 no hesitation in stating that the former is correct. Besides the 

 date, there are on each side of the door various initials in panels, 

 namely, on the right I T ■ R B, and on the left side R P • I B. 

 Doubtless these are initials of names of those who had to do with 

 raising this part of the structure, what had been there before 

 having altogether disappeared. 



Being a holy well, it would probably have a building over it, 

 possibly a small chapel. There is a beautiful little conduit 

 chapel, St. Mary's, at Lincoln, date early i6th century. Might 

 not Becket's chapel have been over or near the well ? Simpson is 

 not at all clear about it : he seems only to have known of it by 

 hearsay ; at any rate, wherever the site of the chapel may have 

 been, nothing whatever now remains. We may mention here 



