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Stonehenge Sacred Symbolism - Ancient Beliefs in Britain and Northern Europe

Stonehenge Sacred Symbolism - Ancient Beliefs in Britain and Northern Europe

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<< Text Pages >> Lady Well (Dover) - Holy Well or Sacred Spring in England in Kent

Submitted by HOLYWELL on Monday, 28 February 2011  Page Views: 6914

Springs and Holy WellsSite Name: Lady Well (Dover)
Country: England County: Kent Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Nearest Town: Dover
Map Ref: TR317417
Latitude: 51.127688N  Longitude: 1.310010E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
2 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Holy Well or Sacred Spring in Kent

Lady Well despite being little known outside the town, is locally well recorded. Originally the water source was for the brethren of Maison Dieu hospital, which was founded in 1203. It was then situated in their courtyard or rather farmyard, close to the Lady Chapel. Maps indicate that it may have originated as a moot or meeting point from pre-Norman times and perhaps pre-historic times, being along the parish boundary. Local historian Bavington Jones (1907) gives its location as:
“to the Lady Chapel, which stood near where the sessions court is, and the water of it being of a chalybeate character, probably had some curative properties, which in the days of superstition, were exaggerated as miraculous.”
Local historian Horsey (1892) describes as being very beneficial in the cures of sickness and was said to ‘work many miracles’. After the Reformation, the Maison Dieu, became a navy store. The well was then built into an alcove on the public side of the new store yard wall. Bavington Jones (1907) describes it as:
“..a nook in the Maison Dieu wall, with two or three steps for people to go down and dip their water vessels.”
When the Corporation purchased the Maison Dieu, they used the northern portion of this for prison purposes. The dip well was then closed over, and a pubic pump erected over it. In 1858, this pump was repaired by the Corporation, and a ladle was attached for the benefit of 'wayfarers', making it one of Dover's first drinking fountains. Its supply then becoming an important source of fresh water, before the Dover waterworks were built and was used across the town.
Indeed Bavington Jones (1907) quoting Horsey (1892) mentions Teakettle Tom, as one of the Dover hawkers from whom such supplies of water could be bought. The old people regularly bought a pennyworth of Ladywell water to brew their afternoon beverage. However, he is erroneous, as according to Horsey (1892), it was, ‘Old Ned (who carried two pails of ‘Pure Ladywell water’ about the town.)’
Obviously, with the prison on one side, and closely packed human habitations on the other, it was for some time suspected that the spring, which ran very near the surface from a westerly direction, could be contaminated. Finally, in 1866, a Mr. Alexander Bottle made an analysis of the water and found that the:
“...the long celebrated Ladywell water was not fit for human consumption, whereupon the pump was removed and the well finally closed.”
In 1883, a new addition to the town hall was built and this, the Connaught Hall, now covers the site of the well. Plans of the Town Hall show its position beneath the stars. Despite being a comparatively well documented, sadly no sketch or photo survives showing the well. Although a drawing, circa 1800, of the north side of this courtyard may show the well at a distance. Nothing, other than this street, is left to remember it today

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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TR3141 : Dover, Bowling Green by Helmut Zozmann
by Helmut Zozmann
©2012(licence)
TR3141 : J C Rook & Sons, Biggin Street by John Baker
by John Baker
©2015(licence)
TR3141 : Taylor Meats, Biggin Street by John Baker
by John Baker
©2016(licence)
TR3141 : 28, Biggin Street by John Baker
by John Baker
©2019(licence)
TR3141 : 9, Biggin Street by John Baker
by John Baker
©2021(licence)

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