St Cuthbert's Well, known locally as Cuddy's Well, is an ancient

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its gua ...

in the village of Bellingham, adjacent to St Cuthbert's Church, an eleventh-century church associated with the cult of the seventh century

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

and

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite ( adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a C ...

St Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Nor ...

. Three miracles at Bellingham, connected with the mediaeval cult of St Cuthbert, are recorded in the twelfth century ''Libellus'' of

Reginald of Durham Reginald of Durham (died c. 1190) was a Benedictine monk and hagiologist, a member of the Durham Priory and associated with Coldingham Priory in Scotland.Victoria TudorColdingham, Reginald of (d. c.1190) Oxford Dictionary of National Biogr ...

. They concern Sproich, a poor but pious man employed as a bridge-builder by the

Almoner An almoner (} ' (alms), via the popular Latin '. History Christians have historically been encouraged to donate one-tenth of their income as a tithe to their church and additional offerings as needed for the poor. The first deacons, mentioned ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

.In the first miracle, after Sproich's daughter Eda stays away from church to sew a dress on the feast day of

St Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman ...

, her left hand becomes paralysed, clutching the dress. She is miraculously cured by an apparition of St Cuthbert after drinking water from the well. In the second, on the occasion of Eda's marriage, Sproich's cow is seized in payment by a bailiff of the local lord and placed with another tenant. whose house is later struck by lightning. The cow is miraculously spared. In the third, a thief called Walter of Flanders and his accomplice, who have stolen Sproich's axe, are fatally attacked by the head and the handle of the axe. The well, in a lane next to St Cuthbert's Church, is now directed through a Georgian

conduit Conduit may refer to: Engineering systems * Conduit (fluid conveyance), a pipe suitable for carrying either open-channel or pressurized liquids * Electrical conduit, a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables * Conduit curre ...

, known locally as a ''pant''. The water is still used for baptisms. According to local tradition St Cuthbert originally discovered the source of the well.For the miracle on

Farne The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. The group has between 15 and 20 islands depending on the level of the tide.

of Cuthbert producing water from dry land by his prayers, see .

Notes

References

* *, definition of ''pant'' *, "A Norwegian in Durham: Anatomy of a Miracle in Reginald of Durham's ''Libellus de admirandis beati Cuthberti''" by H. Antonsson, S. Crumplin and A. Conti (for a summary of the three miracles) * (for a paraphrase of the first miracle from Reginald of Durham's ''Libellus'') * * * (for a discussion of the role of Reginald of Durham's ''Libellus'' in the cult of St Cuthbert)

External links

*
St Cuthbert's WellHeritage Centre BellinghamSt Cuthbert's Well
Listed buildings in Britain
St Cuthbert's Church
Bellingham
Healing water of Cuddy’s Well performed miracle

Hexham Courant The ''Hexham Courant'' is a weekly newspaper serving primarily the area known as Tynedale in Northumberland. First published in 1864, it now reaches around 45,000 people every week. The paper focuses on local issues and people and provides news f ...

, November 2008. {{coord, 55, 8, 34.397, N, 2, 15, 21.708, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title History of Northumberland Grade II listed buildings in Northumberland

Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Hiberno-Scottish mission, Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monastery, monasterie ...

Christian holy places Bellingham, Northumberland