This unassuming little building is thought to have been a leech house. Leeches were stored here, using water from the beck to keep them clean/alive until one of the local doctors sent for some for a blood letting. In the small market town of Bedale in North Yorkshire, it stopped being used in the early 1900s.
I don’t think I would be too keen on having them on me but I believe they are still used occasionally in some surgery – as are maggots, which I find even more stomach churning.
—Stephen—
Stephen G Hipperson 
Stomach churning, but at the same time it’s a cool little building!…and great photo 🙂
Thank you!
I reckon it’s just about the right size to make a small darkroom!
Haha, yes!!!
Depend on individual interests and needs to choose such house
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As long as I don’t need such things as leeches I’ll be happy! 😉
Even I don’t need such houses with leeches 😉 because it creeps me
I’m glad we live in modern times!!
🙂
Me and my family were subject to some serious bloodletting albeit unintentionally when we went into a forest north of Malaysia. My daughters were little and horrified at the sight of them stuck on my husband’s legs with blood streaking down!!!!!
What a lovely picture that must have been! Parents trying to stay calm in front of their youngsters while the parents themselves are somewhat nonplussed? 🙂 I trust there were no long term ill effects suffered by anyone.
I don’t think the leeches have any therapeutic value as the guide seemed to suggest in a bid to calm us all down… i ended up with terrible fever and what not upon my return a fortnight later… i think its a myth and quite the opposite of that maybe true! If you really wanna know 🙂
🙂 – I’m sad to hear of your illness. Sometimes it’s the smallest critters that can cause us the most harm! I don’t encounter leeches in my countryside walks but always wary of the dreaded ticks that live in the long grass.
the vagaries of living and loving the wild I suppose 🙂 good luck hope the critters faint when you go walking!
I like the way that the builders thought it worth giving the leeches their own castellated parapet!
Aren’t leeches used as little suction pumps in wounds etc. where the circulation is blocked – sucking out the stagnant blood and therefore drawing fresh blood into the compromised area to improve healing and preventing the damaged area from going nasty? I hope they would be raised in aseptic conditions, before attaching to NHS patients 🙂
Yes, I’m sure they are ‘sterile’ and I suspect they are disposed of once they have been used the single time (I doubt any will get a long service medal)
Didn’t think about that one. Multi-use leeches … eeuw.
🙂
Fascinating!
🙂