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St Thomas a Becket's Well is a medieval water source located in Kent, England, traditionally associated with Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century Archbishop of Canterbury. The well represents a common type of pilgrimage monument, one of numerous sites across England that claimed connection to the murdered archbishop in the centuries following his canonisation in 1173. Wells dedicated to Becket often became focal points for local veneration and were believed to possess curative properties, attracting pilgrims to the region. The physical structure reflects the typical form of medieval wells, serving both practical and devotional functions within the local community.
St Thomas a Becket's Well is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1005152. View the official record →
St Thomas a Becket's Well is a medieval water source located in Kent, England, traditionally associated with Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century Archbishop of Canterbury. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1005152.
St Thomas a Becket's Well is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1005152.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Otford Palace (0.2 km), Otford Roman villa (0.5 km), Bowl barrow at Otford Mount (0.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of St Thomas a Becket's Well's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
St Thomas a Becket's Well stands on Grey Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Cenomanian. The rock here is chalk.