Wells and Springs: A Fascinating History
From time to time, we hear of water supply disruptions caused by burst pipes or contamination. Affected users are sent to collection points to get free bottled water to use until the issue is resolved. This usually only lasts a maximum of a few days. In the past, however, our ancestors would always have to go to fetch water from a collection point, most often a well or spring, as they did not have water piped to their homes. Towns and villages grew up around wells and springs as water was needed for everyday tasks and for personal cleanliness.
Well Dressing
The tradition of well-dressing is practised in parts of England throughout the summer. What is well-dressing? It’s a tradition in which wells, holy wells and springs are decorated with natural materials attached to wooden frames placed around and over them. Flowers, mosses, cones and seeds are used to create a decorative design which will be of religious significance at the holy wells. The custom is most relevant in the Peak District of Derbyshire. Many of the towns which take part in the custom owe their existence to the reliable water supply provided by the well or spring. The village well or spring would have once been a focal point for the community because most households had to visit them regularly. Well dressing may have started out as a pagan custom or a celebration of the water’s purity for those who survived the Black Death. There are local legends surrounding many of the wells suggesting that taking the waters could bring good health, good luck or happiness. Up until the late 18th century, the decorations were limited to bows and simple floral garlands, but the decorations became more elaborate in the 19th century, and nowadays there is also an emphasis on using only sustainable decorations.
Edinburgh wells and springs
Here in Scotland, there is no tradition of well dressing, but there is no shortage of wells and springs. Several holy wells and mineral springs can be found in Edinburgh.
St. Bernard’s Well – This grand well can be found beside the Water of Leith between Stockbridge and the Dean Village. It was discovered in the 18th century and developed a reputation for having restorative properties. It was designed to resemble the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, and although it is now rarely opened to the public, it is still in working order.
St. Margaret’s Well – This well is situated in Holyrood Park, where at one point there were seven holy wells. Most of them have dried up or are lost, but St Margaret’s Well, which was moved to its current position in 1859 to avoid railway works, still contains water.
Balm Well – Situated in Liberton, this well is known for an oily substance that coats the top of the water. The area was known for being the location of a leper colony and may have been chosen due to its proximity to the well as the oily substance could be applied to open wounds to help relieve them. Although the well has been used for many centuries, the current structure is believed to be from the 19th or 20th century.
Penny Well, The Grange – Situated at the east end of Grange Loan on the north side of the road, you will find a marker stone for the Penny Well. It is thought to be one of Edinburgh’s holy wells. The name may arise from people dropping pennies into it in the hope of gaining good health from the spirit of the water. It fell into disrepair, and a drinking fountain was installed sometime between 1830 and 1850. This was then replaced with a more ornate drinking fountain complete with a cup on a chain. Now all that remains is a deteriorating plaque on the wall where the fountain stood.
Nor Loch
What is now known as the Old Town of Edinburgh grew up around Edinburgh Castle. With no loch or river to supply water, the locals collected rainwater for their needs. The Nor Loch below Edinburgh Castle was created in 1460 by damming the Tummel Burn, but was polluted and did not provide drinking water for the growing population. Later, as the population grew further, so did the need for a more plentiful and fresh supply of water. In 1624, an act of parliament allowed fresh water to be brought into the city for the first time. This was done using pipes made of hollowed-out tree trunks which were connected to springs in the Pentland Hills to the south of Edinburgh, creating a gravity-fed system. The water was collected in a reservoir on Castlehill at the top of the Royal Mile, then flowed to twelve wells around the Old Town. Some can still be found, and two of them are still in their original locations in the Grassmarket and outside John Knox’s House .
Comiston Springs
Comison Springs Wellhouse, which sits on Cockmylane in the suburb of Comiston, was built to guard the four springs in the area which helped to provide the fresh water supply to Edinburgh. Inside it pipes from the springs poured into the collection tank, which filtered out debris before the water flowed down to Edinburgh. Originally there were four main springs which were all given the name of an animal – fox, swan, hare and peewit (lapwing). A model of each animal was used to mark the pipe from that spring flowing into the collecting tank. Fox Spring and Swan Spring still survive on the map as street names, and all the models can be found in the Museum of Edinburgh . Around Comiston square stone structures can be found which covered vital spring water that bubbled up from the ground. They are no longer in use but remain in various locations, some in residents’ gardens! Listen carefully, and you can still hear water running underneath. Now Edinburgh’s water is supplied by several reservoirs situated in the Pentland Hills, so although the method of delivery is different, the source is still the same as it has been for hundreds of years. Next time you turn on the tap, just think about how easy it is and how lucky we are to have a reliable supply of clean, fresh water at our fingertips.
Edinburgh Napier University
Water remains an important area of study at Edinburgh Napier University today. Through its civil and environmental engineering programmes, students examine topics such as water resource management, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), wastewater management and the resilience of water infrastructure in the face of climate change. As increasing pressure is placed on water supplies through population growth, ageing infrastructure and extreme weather events, the University’s work reflects the continuing need to understand, manage and protect this vital resource.
Find lots of great information on Librarysearch.napier.ac.uk
By Vivienne Hamilton
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