Inverkeithing, Heriot Street, 'st Heriot's Well'
Holy Well (13th Century)
Site Name Inverkeithing, Heriot Street, 'st Heriot's Well'
Classification Holy Well (13th Century)
Alternative Name(s) St Erat's Well
Canmore ID 50982
Site Number NT18SW 6
NGR NT 1308 8299
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/50982
- Council Fife
- Parish Inverkeithing
- Former Region Fife
- Former District Dunfermline
- Former County Fife
NT18SW 6 1308 8299.
(NT 1308 8299) St Heriot's Well (NR)
OS 6" map (1854)
In the pavement of Heriot Street, Inverkeithing, in the recess on the S side of the front garden of Moffat Cottage, there is a well which is referred to in a charter of 1219.
Popularly known as Eriot's Well it is called St Erat's in a sasine of 1588. The form St Herriot appears in 1686.
W Stephen 1921
The well, though now covered up, is still intact under the pavement in Heriot Street. It is rectangular and constructed of ashlar, the stones being large in size.
W Stephen 1938
St Heriot's Well. As stated by Stephen, this well is still intact under the pavement in Heriot Street. The site is marked by a large flagstone. (c/f NT18NW 5 and NT18NW 5.1 ).
Visited by OS (AC) 12 March 1959
Publication Account (1981)
An early well existed on the east side of the church in Heriot Street at a point identified -by Ordnance Survey investigators as NT 1308 8299 (Ordnance Survey Record Cards, reference NT 18 SW 6). This well was referred to in a charter of 1219, but it is not identified until a Sasine of 1588 where it is called Eriot's Well, a form which later became St. Heriot's Well (Stephen, 1921, 229). The well is still intact, although covered up with a large flagstone. Another early well, St. John's Well (NT 1305 8314) is located on the west side of Chapel Place (Ordnance Survey Record Cards, NT 18 SW 7).
Information from ‘Historic Inverkeithing: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1981).
