St. Milburga's Well, Stoke St. Milborough, Shropshire. A Holy Well is a spring or other body of water, revered usually in a Christian or pagan context. Saint Milburga (or Milburgh) (d.715) was the Benedictine abbess of Wenlock Abbey. She was a daughter of Merewalh, King of the Mercian sub-kingdom of Magonsaete, and Saint Ermenburga. Saint Mildrith and Saint Mildgytha were her sisters. She was supposed to have had remarkable abiities such as levitation and power over birds. Her feast day is 23 February. The well is a spring with an old stone basin, on the east side of Stoke village. It was first mentioned in 1321. It later became a clothes-washing place. Stories of its miraculous origin were recorded in the mid-19th century. The water was said to be good for sore eyes. It was covered and altered in 1873 and 1906 and by 1945 its water was piped to six houses 固opFoto / Fortean