Even now, natural hot springs inspire wonder in most people - whether it be the bubbling pools and fountains of Iceland's Geysir, or the tough love of a Japanese Onsen. It is easy then to understand why such a feature would stand out in the British landscape. All the more amazing then that our author didn't try to attribute it to a supernatural cause.

It is certainly true that in subsequent eras, such springs picked up tales of supernatural visitations. Indeed, Chris Thomas* has suggested the mist that forms around warm springs on a cold night might be responsibly for the stories of ghosts that seem to collect around them¹.