History

LEGENDS OF THE SILVER WELL

Cindy Chant & John Drabik

There is something very special and reassuring about the gift of water, the giver of life, rising from the depths of Mother Earth. Just as the Cerne Abbas giant is a symbol of male fertility, so the gently flowing spring nestled at the base of the hill, is considered a symbol of feminine energy and has become a peaceful place for ritual and healing. For centuries this sacred well has attracted a variety of pilgrims and is still used as a sanctuary for prayer, meditation, petition, or prophecy. Some visitors maintain the old traditions while others toss a coin into the mystical waters and make a wish.

The spring, known as ‘St Augustine’s Well’ or ‘Silver Well’, gives the impression of a natural outdoor chapel. It is guarded by two solemn upright stones which may have come from the ruins of St. Catherine’s Chapel once standing high on the nearby hill. One has a clearly visible eight-spoked St. Catherine’s wheel neatly carved on it. Tradition has it that maidens placing their hand on this stone on May Day, or Midsummer Day, while partaking of the water, would be delivered a suitable husband. Others would pray to St. Catherine, donate a gift of scented petals and rotate three times, both clockwise and then counter clockwise, and await their husband to be.

‘St Catherine, St Catherine O lend me thine aid And grant that I never May die an Old Maid A husband St Catherine A good one St Catherine But ar-a-one better than Nar-a-one, St Catherine’

St. Catherine is also considered a healer for eye complaints, so it is customary for those suffering to take some laurel leaves to the well, use them to create a cup and scoop up some water to bathe the eyes.

It is said that St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, once visited here. He was sent by Pope Gregory in 596AD to convert the Saxons to Christianity. While taking their rest and to quench the thirst of his band of missionary monks, he dug his staff into the ground crying ‘Cerno El’, and up sprang a fountain of crystal-clear water. Another legend states,

he asked some local shepherds whether they would prefer beer or water to drink. The temperate lads asked for water, and so St. Augustine struck the ground with his staff, and created an everlasting flow of water.

Maintaining their pagan beliefs, the irate local inhabitants did not take too kindly to the preaching emissaries so, after tying cow and fish tails to their garments, drove them away. In turn Augustine cursed the villagers and vowed, whosoever spoke against him would grow tails themselves.

The well became a holy shrine, and a chapel dedicated to St. Augustine was built over it, but later destroyed during the Dissolution. It is not difficult to imagine baptisms by total immersion being performed here, and one story suggests that new-born babies would benefit by dipping them into the waters, as the sun’s rays first touched them. This, more than likely, is rooted in pagan ritual.

The other name, ‘Silver Well’, originated from the story of St. Edwold (b.835), brother of the East Anglian king, Edmund, who was killed by the Danes. He became a wandering hermit and had a vision of the spring. On his travels he asked some local shepherds for bread and water, and, in return for some silver coins, they showed him the well which he immediately recognised as being the one in his dream. He built a hermitage nearby and remained there until his death.

The abbey was founded in 987, and the Benedictine Monks utilised these stories and generated a huge income from the tourists of the Middle-Ages. An ageing parish priest, one of the abbey brethren, severely ill and on his deathbed, dreamt that St. Augustine came to him magnificently dressed in his ecclesiastical fineries. He told him to go to the well and repeat the ‘Fiftieth psalm’ three times, and each time to dip himself into the water. The priest duly obeyed and was miraculously rescued from the jaws of death and restored to good health.

Drinking the water was said to be a cure for a number of ills and very helpful for those who wish to become pregnant. A more morbid superstition is that on Easter Day, if you face away from the well and look over your shoulder, you will see in the reflection, the faces of all who will die that year.

There is no denying, the well, an outdoor chapel full of peace and tranquility, is rich in folklore. Should you perchance visit this sacred place, please respect it, say a prayer in your own way and take some of its peace with you, but we do not recommend you drink the water!

Specialist Matthew Denney will be in the Sherborne area on Thursday 26th August to value your objects & antiques

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LOST DORSET NO. 14 CERNE ABBAS

David Burnett, The Dovecote Press

Amongst the country pubs to have finally reopened is the Giant Inn, once the Red Lion Hotel, and the only remaining free house in a village once famous for its beers and 14 inns. The original Red Lion was destroyed by a fire in 1898 and rebuilt by Groves Brewery, hence the Victorian leaded windows. The more recent closure of rural pubs was mirrored in the late 19th century as well. The agricultural depression of those times halved Cerne Abbas’s population, leading to the loss of its fairs and silk mills, partly a knock-on response to being overlooked by the railway network. A cause of much concern by the leading townsfolk at the time, the railway’s absence has helped preserve Cerne Abbas as one of Dorset’s loveliest villages. The two boys are sitting on the ‘chute’, a hole in the street that once carried drinking water from St Augustine’s Well to the main streets.

Lost Dorset: The Villages and Countryside 1880-1920, by David Burnett, is a large format paperback, price £12, and is available locally from Winstone’s Books or directly from the publishers.

dovecotepress.com

OBJECT OF THE MONTH THE UTILITY WAISTCOAT

Elisabeth Bletsoe, Curator, Sherborne Museum

This 1940s waistcoat has a classic design, in a dark grey wool mix with satin twill backing, six buttons fastening the front, and four jetted pockets. It is lined with cream coloured fustian featuring a subtle grey pinstripe. Careful examination reveals a small label sewn into the inside right, with a motif that looks like two grey cheeses: the ‘CC41’ designed by Reginald Shipp of Hargreaves label makers. The figure 209 printed on the label refers to ‘medium weight wool’.

The CC41 is one of the most iconic symbols in the history of clothing, demonstrating that the item met with the government austerity measures in place at the time. Military requirements created new demands at the start of the Second World War, which led to a sharp increase of 25% in the price of civilian clothing within the first two years. In 1941, Oliver Lyttleton, President of the Board of Trade, introduced clothes rationing which, as with petrol and food, sought to distribute limited supplies more fairly across the population and prevent wastefulness among the upper classes. Raw materials had to be conserved and manufacturers needed to become more efficient in their working practices. The Utility Clothing Scheme largely succeeded in these aims, where the government took control of imports and supplied cloth to manufacturers who were encouraged to produce a limited range and longer runs of ‘utility’ material. Style was also subject to austerity regulations, restricting how much cloth was used. The public were given added incentive to buy such clothes as they were tax-free.

Ration books were supplied to each household with originally 66 coupons for each adult (this number decreased as the war progressed). Since a woman’s winter coat might be as much as 18 coupons, a man’s overcoat 13, while a warm dress required 11, the scheme allowed for approximately one new outfit per person a year. Our waistcoat reflects one of the many ways in which a global event like war could have an impact on everyday life in a community in Britain.

The clothes were mass-produced to specific guidelines and were affordable for the working person, durable enough to last a number of years. Perhaps understandably there was a backlash of opinion particularly when there was a ban on trouser turn-ups and limitations put on waistcoat design; fears grew that everyone would begin to look identical. The word ‘utility’ also seemed to have negative connotations. Public information films, however, showed how different colours and prints could still provide variety and the Make Do and Mend initiative encouraged people that items could still be altered or remade into new ones. There is some hand stitching around the back vent of our waistcoat which bears testimony to this.

Material shortages were still experienced immediately after the war and clothing rationing continued until 1949, with the CC41 utility scheme lasting until 1952. One interesting consequence of the emphasis on durability is that many utility items have survived and they are now eagerly sought after by vintage enthusiasts due to their classic style, well-made quality and a physical connection to the past which adds to their desirability.

sherbornemuseum.co.uk

Sherborne Museum remains closed for the immediate future allowing vital repairs to be carried out.