The town of Dereham is just one of the shimmering beacons in the lovely county of Norfolk. At just fifteen miles from Norwich and twenty five miles from King's Lynn Dereham is nestled snugly in an area that has plenty of commerce and modern day amenities yet still possesses plenty of gorgeous natural landscapes and beauty. Dereham has a healthy population of over fifteen thousand people and most of these citizens are more than happy to be a part of this adorable community.
Many of the residents of Dereham, however, are not aware of just how old this town is. Dereham originally rose to prominence during the days of Saxon rule and it is rumored that the city in fact got its name from the massive amounts of deer that once roamed the area. Deer are still prevalent around the outside of the town and one can only imagine how many there were in the days of market squares and castles. At any rate, Dereham had grown up rather healthily throughout its existence and it had countless beautiful buildings and houses that evoked the many different architectural styles that waxed and waned throughout the many years that Dereham had been around. Unfortunately, the residents and visitors in Dereham are no longer able to see the vast majority of these great edifices because of a massive fire that blazed through the town, destroying everything in its wake. The fire occurred in 1581 and less than a hundred years later another enormous blaze swept through Dereham and took even more historic buildings with it. Luckily, a few of the buildings that predate the 1500s can still be seen in the city. These include the famed St. Nicholas Church and Bishop Bonner's cottage. It may be a paltry consolation but many people still marvel at the few buildings from that era left standing.
Many people claim that Dereham was founded by none other than the famed Saint Withburga. Withburga did in fact set up the original monastery in the area that allowed people to begin living there around the year 700 and her legacy is shrouded in mystery and wonder. There was a well that still stands to this day and it is known as Withburga's Well. It is rumored that after her death the monks of the area took her body and attempted to bury it elsewhere but the well began to start oozing water even though there had never been water in it before. Scholars and skeptics doubt this story, though, and not just for the supernatural undertones. It is said that the monks who took her body were trying to reach Ely by water and there is no way that that could have been done given Dereham's landscape. At any rate, popular opinion still places Withburga's remains squarely in Dereham and the residents of Dereham are more than happy to share their home with the lovely saint. If you have yet to pay a visit to this pristine burg it is recommended you do so as soon as possible whether you believe in the magic powers of the well or not.
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