[This bath appears to have been formerly used as a baptistery,
which in the early British churches was erected outside of the
western entrance, where it continued until the sixth century, if
not later (Bingham, book viii. c. vii.). Blomefield, in his
_History of Norfolk_, vol. v. p. 1190. fol. 1775., has the
following notices of this building: "At the west end of the
churchyard are the ruins of a very ancient baptistery, over which
was formerly a small chapel, dedicated to St. Withburga. At the
east end of the baptistery there is now remaining a curious old
Gothic arch, from which runs a spring of clear water, formerly
said to have had many medicinal and healing qualities. The
fabulous account is, that this spring took its rise in the
churchyard from the place where St. Withburga was first buried. In
the year 1752 it was arched over, and converted into a cold bath."
In the notices of the early churches of Cornwall, Wales, and
Ireland, frequent mention is made of these baptisteries or holy
wells, which we do not remember to have seen fully discussed in
any work, and of which some account would be interesting alike to
the divine, the topographer, and the antiquary. The learned
Leland, in his _Itinerary_, iii. 30., in a description of Falmouth
harbour, says, "there is a praty village or fishar town with a
pere, cawlid S. Maws [Machutus], and there is a chapelle of hym,
and his chaire of stone, and his _welle_." Again, speaking of the
church of St. Germochus in Cornwall, he says, "it is three miles
from S. Michael's Mont by est south est, and a mile from the se;
his tomb is yet seene ther. S. Germoke ther buried. S. Germoke's
chair in the chirch-yard. S. Germoke's _welle_ a little without
the chirch-yard." (_Itin._ iii. 16.) Some further notices of these
holy wells will be found in _The Chronicles of the Ancient British
Church_, pp. 136-140.]
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