Talk:Woolpit

St. Mary's Church
The second paragraph in the section on "St. Mary's Church" is as follows:


 * "A well, which like the church is dedicated to Mary, is found in a meadow near the eastern end of the church. Local tradition held that there was once a chapel next to the spring. The perpetual spring, bricked and about two feet deep, is the source of cold and "beautifully clear water". An early 19th-century description states that "weakly children" and people with poor eyesight are immersed in the water."

The first sentence mentions a well which is located in a meadow near the church. The second sentence mentions a chapel that used to be "next to the spring". The third sentence refers again to the spring. It is not clear whether the well and the spring are one and the same source of water. The second sentence says "the spring", presumably referring to a spring that has already been mentioned. But, since no spring has been mentioned, the reader is left wondering, "Is the spring the well which was mentioned in the first sentence?" It would be nice if someone could clarify this. – CorinneSD (talk) 03:07, 21 October 2013 (UTC)


 * It's a spring, but it's called 'Our Lady's Well'. I wouldn't have said it's in a 'meadow' - it's hidden away in a copse of trees hiding a moated site in a field to the NE of the church. Only 'weakly children' were immersed - those with poor eyesight "resorted" to it - presumably to bathe their eyes. The local tradition about a chapel near the spring is first mentioned in 1778 - it may be confusion with the actual chapel of Our Lady that was part of the church, which held a statue of the Virgin Mary that was visited by pilgrims - the statue was probably removed in 1538, the chapel was destroyed in 1551.


 * I'll change 'well' to 'spring', but more tidying up is needed.John O&#39;London (talk) 11:30, 21 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your informative reply. I will try to incorporate the information you have provided into the text.  Feel free to modify it.CorinneSD (talk) 16:58, 21 October 2013 (UTC)


 * The most authoritative source is Paine, Clive. “The Chapel and Well of Our Lady of Woolpit.” Proceedings of Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History 38.1 (1993) 8-12 - I've got a copy of the article and if I can find time will add references to it. John O&#39;London (talk) 09:15, 22 October 2013 (UTC).
 * That would be great.CorinneSD (talk) 15:03, 22 October 2013 (UTC)
 * New section added. John O&#39;London (talk) 10:42, 24 October 2013 (UTC)