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West Linton, Main Street, Public Well And Clock Tower
Clock Tower (19th Century), Market Cross (19th Century), Well (19th Century)
Site Name West Linton, Main Street, Public Well And Clock Tower
Classification Clock Tower (19th Century), Market Cross (19th Century), Well (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) 'Market Cross'
Canmore ID 50263
Site Number NT15SW 8
NGR NT 14996 51766
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/50263
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Linton (Tweeddale)
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Tweeddale
- Former County Peebles-shire
NT15SW 8 14996 51766.
(NT 1499 5176) Cross Well (NAT)
OS 25" map (1856)
Clock Tower (NAT)
OS 25" map (1898)
To commemorate his wife and family, James Gifford, a Linton laird, in 1666 erected a statue on top of the village well (C Rogers 1872) where it served as the Market Cross. The pedestal was rebuilt in 1861 and bears the inscription "The Lady Gifford's Well, Erected 1666, Renewed 1861." However, the ONB states that the well is known as the 'Cross Well' from a large stone cross erected on it about 200 years ago by a person named Gifford who carved the likeness of his wife, with two children on each side of her, on it. The ONB also states that the cross was knocked off its pedestal and broken (some time ago) and never replaced.
J W Buchan and H Paton 1927; J W Small 1900; Name Book 1856
This well is now combined with an octagonal stone clock tower which bears the inscription quoted above. No local information was found regarding it being called 'Cross Well' or having been used as a Market Cross, but its position is the logical one for a Market Cross.
A print of 1882 (in possession of R Walker, off Main St, West Linton) shows the 'Cross Well' to be a square structure exactly as depicted by Small. It is clear that the present clock tower has replaced the well since Small's illustration, and incorporated some of the stones, including the figure.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 19 February 1970
