Dr. Walter Bayley and his works, 1529-1592 / by D'Arcy Power.

  • Power, D'Arcy, 1855-1941.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. Walter Bayley and his works, 1529-1592 / by D'Arcy Power. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    20/44 (page 430)
    plentifully bestowed uppon this little soile of England, since the prosperous reigne of our most gratious Sovereigne, wherein the gospele hath sincerely and freely beene preached: in whose time many and strange events have happened to the great benefit of the countrie. . . . And it is not altogether a vaine conjecture to tliinke that God in these daies miraculously revealed wels and springs of medicinall waters never knowen before to work effects strange and marvellous in our sights, therein to induce all men to forsake such puddle pits which man’s devise hath digged and drinke onely of the cleere fountaines of liis word, thence only to fetch remedy for our diseased soules. The baths of Bathe and Buckstan for their antiquitie and long proofe in times past, are of great fame and no doubt as of more efficacie than others may justly be most accounted of: nevertheless manic other waters in England of late yecres discovered have the testimony of experience. . . . Amongst the which the wels in Warwickshire nigh a village called Newnam Regis1 have most credit, by the use of which great numbers of people have found helpe beyond their expectation.” The discovery of the baths : “ It happened not long 1 I visited Newnham Regis, or King’s Newnhain as it is now called, last Whitsuntide. It is a small hamlet with a population of about 100 people near Church Lawford, which is situated on the high road between Rugby and Coventry, and about three miles from Rugby. A few enquiries led to the information that the bath still existed at “Rainbow’s cottage ” on the banks of a small stream nearly a mile away from the hamlet. The cottage is old-brick with a tiled roof. The bath forms an annexe with an entrance from the cottage as well as from the outside. The main bath measures about fifteen feet by six and is five or six feet deep. It is entered from one end by a broad flight of steps, and over it is a beam to which a rope has been fixed for the assistance of cripples taking the water. In another room is a smaller bath which has had a hot water supply. Both the baths are now empty and are falling into decay. All round the cottage are the remains of lime-kilns which are in ruins. The spring is situated a few hundred yards away, and discharges straight into the small river flowing past the cottage. It still yields a perennial supply of water which is clear, hard and tasteless, as in the time of Dr. Walter Bayley.