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Dundee, Bell St, St Francis's Well
Well (Medieval)
Site Name Dundee, Bell St, St Francis's Well
Classification Well (Medieval)
Canmore ID 33553
Site Number NO43SW 9
NGR NO 4006 3050
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/33553
- Council Dundee, City Of
- Parish Dundee (Dundee, City Of)
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District City Of Dundee
- Former County Angus
NO43SW 9 4006 3050
(NO 4008 3051) St Francis's Well (NR) (Covered) (NAT)
OS 1:500 plan, Dundee, Forfarshire, (1871)
St Francis's Well is covered by the outside wall of the Public Seminary and is near the NW corner. A spring formerly issued from this spot.
Name Book 1858; Information from J Scott, town architect and J Jack, surveyor and assessor to OS, c. 1858.
St Francis's Well, sometimes called the Friars' Well, stood on the site of James' United Presbyterian Church, Bell Street, and was named from the Franciscan friars, having been used to supply the monastery (NO4SW 11). After the dispersion of the friars, this well had fallen into a ruinous condition, and in 1562-3 the council ordered it to be repaired. In 1591, it had again fallen into disrepair, and the council decided to close it.
A C Lamb 1895.
Well (NR)
OS 6" map, Forfarshire, 2nd ed., (1920).
NO 4006 3050. The OS site of this well is erroneous. Wood's plan (J Wood, Plan of Dundee, 1821) agrees with Lamb's siting and J D Boyd (curator, Dundee Museum) also agrees. A modern office block now occupies the site.
Visited by OS (J L D), 17 April 1958.
Publication Account (1988)
St Francis Well or Friar's Well stood in the Meadows to the north of the Greyfriars monastery, and probably served as the water supply for the Franciscans. After the Reformation is would appear to have fallen into disrepair and one James Petrie was ordered by the town council to 'big and repair the well as weill it wes of before with lime mortar'. Within thirty years, however, its state was such that the council again instructed that St Francis well be of new biggit and made close, so that na common access be had thereto'.
NOTES
1. DDARC, Council Minute Books ii (7 March 1587 to 25 Jan 1603), Oct 12, 1591.
Information from ‘Historic Dundee: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1988).
