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Weem, St David's Well

Well (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Weem, St David's Well

Classification Well (Period Unassigned)

Canmore ID 25672

Site Number NN84NW 9

NGR NN 8427 4999

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/25672

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Perth And Kinross
  • Parish Weem
  • Former Region Tayside
  • Former District Perth And Kinross
  • Former County Perthshire

Archaeology Notes

NN84NW 9 8427 4999.

(Name: NN 843 499) St David's Well (NR)

OS 6" map, Perthshire, 2nd ed., (1901)

St David's Well lies in a deep recess at the base of an overhanging precipice, the well forming an oblong, 3' x 2' and from 1'6" - 2' deep with an outlet 9" - 10" from the top. The bare rock forms one side and one end, and a large flat stone the other side and end.

A quantity of bones was found in front of the deep recess (Hunter 1897). St David is said to have been a former laird of the place, turned monk, who had a chapel at the base of the rock called Craig-an-Teuapail (Creag an t-Seapail) at NN 843 501.

M Ferguson 1891; T Hunter 1897.

St David's Well is situated at NN 8427 4999 at the base of a crag beneath an overhang of rock forming a rock shelter c. 7.0m x 3.5m x 2.5m high. The well is a sub-rectangular cavity measuring 1.4m x 1.0m x 0.6m deep. It is kept filled by a spring which issues into it from the base of the crag. Although it is possible that the well basin was formerly enlarged from the natural rock, it does not now appear to be artificial. According to a notice board in the Old Kirk of Weem, St Cuthbert instituted an oratory and cistern at Chapel Rock, said to be the existing St David's Well, and erected a cross there. The dedication is probably to Sir David Menzies (1377 - 1449) a laird who became a Cistercian monk and eventually rector of the parish in 1440. There are two weathered fragments of a cross shaft in the Old Kirk, found, according to Miss Clark (E I Clark, Fasgadh, Weem) by a local man recently in the vicinity of St David's Well.

Well surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (J M) 11 December 1974.

No change to previous field report.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (J R L) 1 December 1978.

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