Holy Well (lost): OS Grid Reference – ST 231 243
Also Known as:
- Fons George
Archaeology & History
This once important holy well seems to have been lost or covered over. It was mentioned several times in Edward Jeboult’s (1873) huge survey of the county and he located it “to the south of the church” of St. George in Wilton where, in his day, a spring of water could be seen. He told that, in the parish of Taunton,
“was formerly a noted spring called Fons George, or St. George’s Well, to which the afflicted were accustomed to resort, and which tradition reports to have worked many marvellous cures. The site of this well seems now uncertain.”
In Ethelbert Horne’s (1923) survey, it seems he couldn’t locate the site as he gave no description of the well, but merely echoed the account given by Mr Jeboult. Does anyone know what happened to it?
References:
- Horne, Ethelbert, Somerset Holy Wells and other Named Wells, Somerset Folk Series: London 1923.
- Jeboult, Edward, A General Account of West Somerset, Somerset & Bristol Steam Press: Taunton 1873.
© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian