Hidden East Anglia:

Landscape Legends of Norfolk & Suffolk

Home

Gazetteer

Landscape Features

Themes

East Dereham:

St. Withburga's Well

"The ruins of a tomb which contained the remains of Withburga, youngest daughter of Anna, King of the East Angles, who died in AD 654. The Abbot and Monks of Ely stole this precious relique and translated it to Ely Cathedral, where it was interred near her three royal sisters, AD 974". 

Thus runs the inscription on the stonework of St. Withburga's Well (TF987134), a sunken vault at the west end of East Dereham churchyard. Her 'three royal sisters' (Ethelburga, Sexburga and Etheldreda) were also saints, as was her brother Jurmin.
Withburga founded and became abbess of a nunnery at Dereham in her old age, and was buried in the nunnery ground, now the churchyard. Some years afterward it was decided to move her remains into St. Nicholas' church itself, and it was then discovered that her body had not corrupted. The miracles wrought at her tomb attracted pilgrims from all over the country for the next 300 years, making Dereham a wealthy foundation.

Then abbot Brihtnoth of Ely Cathedral in about 974 decided to take possession of the body for himself, her three sisters already being interred at Ely. He and his monks stole the body, and although pleased with the extra money rolling in, was bitter to learn that, soon after the theft, a spring gushed from Withburga's former grave that had such healing powers that pilgrims flocked to Dereham in even greater numbers than before. The waters still have a reputation for curative properties.

Source:

M. R. James: 'Suffolk & Norfolk' (Dent & Sons, 1930), p.14.

The tower that flew away

St. Nicholas' church has a tower detached from the building. It's said the bells were originally hung in the 13th century lantern tower rising from the centre, but they became too heavy for the structure and were removed to the bell-tower in the churchyard, specially built in the 16th century. In 1797 it was used as a temporary gaol for French prisoners on their way from Great Yarmouth. One tried to escape by hiding in a tree, but was shot and buried in the graveyard (his memorial is near St. Withburga's Well.)

By tradition the tower was once attached to the church, but the builder forgot to use the proper mortar and it was never watertight. The parson ordered the tower to be pitched all over, but while it was still hot and sticky, all the birds of Dereham (some say a flock of starlings) flew over to see what the fuss was. They landed on the tower, but on finding their feet stuck, kicked up a commotion and fluttered their wings so hard that they flew away with the tower. But before they'd flown far, their feet came unstuck and the tower fell where it stands.

Sources:

R. H. Mottram: 'East Anglia' (Chapman & Hall, 1933), pp.179-80.

Noel Boston & Eric Puddy: 'Dereham' (G. A. Coleby, 1952), pp. 148-9.

The Christmas bells

According to legend, the bells of St. Nicholas ring by themselves once a year, on Christmas morning.

Source:

W. B. Gerish: 'Norfolk Folklore Collections', Vol.4 (unpublished, 1916-18, compiled by William de Castre), p.71.

East Harling:

Pilgrim's Meadow pit

Here was a field known as Pilgrim's Meadow, and in it a deep pit that has now been filled. Legend says that a 'golden cradle' lay buried at the bottom of the pit.

Euston:

Secret tunnel

In the writer W. G. Clarke's day, rumours abounded of a tunnel beneath the park grounds at Euston, not far from Thetford. Euston Hall (TL898786) dates basically from around 1670, and was built for Lord Arlington. In 1748 a 'Grecian Temple' or summer-house was erected in the park, and then the legend of a tunnel between the two arose. But as far as Clarke was concerned, the 'tunnel' was no more than a covered passageway that led to an ice-house.

Source: