Lancashire | Lincolnshire
IN the western suburbs of the town of Leicester, by the side of the ancient
Via Vicinalis, leading from the Roman Ratæ to the
Vosse Road, and about seventy yards beyond the old Bow Bridge (so
romantically associated with the closing scenes in the eventful life of
Richard III.), rises a constant spring of beautifully limpid water, and
known as St. Augustine's, or more commonly, St. Austin's Well. It
derived its designation from its vicinity to the Augustine monastery,
situated immediately on the opposite side of the river Soar. The well is
three-quarters of a yard broad, and the same in length within its
enclosure; the depth of its water from the lip, or back-edging on the
earth, where it commonly overflows, is half a yard. It is covered with a
millstone, and enclosed with brick on three sides; that towards the Bow
Bridge and the town is open. The water from this well was formerly in
great repute as a remedy for sore eyes, and since the well has been covered
and enclosed many applications for water from the pump erected in the
adjoining ground have been made for the same purpose. As an instance of
the strange metamorphoses which proper names undergo in the oral traditions
of the people, on making some inquiries a few years ago of the oldest
inhabitant
of the neighbourhood respecting St. Augustine's Well, he
at first pleaded ignorance of it, but at length, suddenly enlightened,
exclaimed: Oh, you mean Tostings's Well!
--Choice Notes
and Queries, 204. See also Nichols' H. of Leicester,
vol. i. 300.
In addition to the above holy well, there is also another in the town, called St. James's Well ; but I am not aware that there is any legend connected with it, except that it had a hermitage adjoining it, or that any particular virtue was attributed to it.--Ibid., 205.
We have on Charnwood Forest the well giving its name to Holy-Well-Haw, and the spring on Bosworth Field, illustrated in [87] Hone's Every Day Book, ii. 1100, rendered famous by the tradition of Richard III. having drunk at it during the battle, and which is surmounted by an inscription to that effect from the pen of the learned Dr. Parr.--Ibid., 205.
There is a well here known as St. Mary's Well, or more commonly as Our Lady's Well ; it still supplies most excellen[t] water to all the neighbourhood.
At Ratby, four miles north-west of Leicester is a place called the Holy Well; the waters are anti-scorbutic.