Saint Withburga (then just Withberga) founded a nunnery in Dereham in the 7th century but during the building process a famine struck the area. According to legend, Withburga was troubled because all she could give the men working on her nunnery was dried bread, so she prayed for a solution and her prayers were answered by two does, who came to the nunnery and gave milk. News of the two does spread quickly and it wasn’t long before a local bailiff decided to hunt them down. As he tried to kill them, divine retribution was exacted and he himself was killed. This story is commemorated in an unusual town sign at the entrance to the market place.
When Withburga died she was buried in the church until a suitable shrine could be built to honour her. Some fifty-five years later when they opened her coffin to move her to her final resting place, they found her body totally unaltered from the moment she had died.
During the Danish invasion all the Dereham nuns fled, though the church and shrine remained in tact. In 870 King Edgar restored all the monasteries that fell into disuse during the Danish occupation, some time after this it was suggested that Withburga should be moved to Ely cathedral to lie with her sisters.
The people of Dereham resisted this strongly so in the end the monks of Ely had to take her body by stealth. The townsfolk gave chase but never caught up, so they returned forlornly to the desecrated chamber only to find a spring of holy water, which they felt sure was a sign from the much loved saint. The well still flows today and is to be found on the west side of St. Nicholas’ Church, which was built on the site of the original nunnery.
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