Saint Withburga: Dereham's Own Saint

Much of the celebrated history in Dereham revolves around their very own saint: Saint Withburga.

One of the most notable events in the town's early history was when Saint Withburga founded a monastery there in the seventh century, after having had a vision of the Virgin Mary. This event is still commemorated today, with a town sign across the marketplace, as well as the Saint's grave in the local Churchyard.

The town of Dereham, historically known as East Dereham, lies on the original site of this monastery. Many legends surround Saint Withburga. Her body was once stolen from the town by monks from Ely, at which point a holy well in the town began to flow. The monks had come to take her body to rest with her sisters, though legend states they came up the river. Maps prove that no river actually exists at Dereham, though rivers can be navigated from Ely to West Dereham. However, Dereham is still considered the home and final resting place of Withburga.

The Town Sign

The town sign was first erected in 1954. It was originally designed to mark the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the first Christian Church in the town. The story goes that, at the time, Saint Withburga confronted a malicious administrator who had tried to stop her plans.