Edinburgh, Holyrood Park, Queen's Drive, St Margaret's Well

193. St. Margaret's Well, King's Park.

In 1855 the attention of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was drawn to the deplorable condition of St. Margaret's Well, which stood at Restalrig on a site occupied by part of St. Margaret's railway depot (1), and a committee was appointed to investigate the matter. Meanwhile Dr. David Laing, then one of the Secretaries, warmly advocated the adoption of a proposal made by Hugh Miller that the superstructure of the well should be rebuilt over a similar spring which existed in the Queen’s Park, near St. Anthony's Chapel (2). In its report, issued in the following year, the Committee recommended that the structure should be rebuilt near the E. entrance to the demesne, where St. Anthony's (now St. Margaret's) Loch was shortly to be formed (3). The report was unanimously adopted, and the Society entered upon negotiations with the railway directors and other interested parties. In February 1860 the Secretary was able to report that the reconstruction had been effected by H.M. Commissioners of Works, the Society having guaranteed part of the expense. The site advocated, however, had proved unsuitable, and another had accordingly been chosen on the N. slope of Salisbury Crags, close to a spring formerly called St. David's Well (4).

The well-house thus rebuilt is a miniature Gothic cell of the 15th century, evidently based on and herefore rather later than its quondam neighbour, St. Triduana's Well at Restalrig Church (No. 220 [NT27SE 103]). On plan it is hexagonal with sides 4 ft. 4 in. long and a diameter of 7 ft. 6 in. The height, measured from the floor to the soffit of the ridge-ribs, is.6 ft. 2½ in. Round the walls there returns a diminutive bench 6½ in. wide. The entrance, which faces N., is 2 ft. 8 in. wide, and has splayed jambs and a semicircular head. There are no other openings. The roof is a ribbed vault constructed like that of St. Triduana's Well with foliaceous bosses at the rib-junctions. The ribs spring from wall-corbels in the angles, and rise to a central circular pier which, bears on its N. face a grotesque human head much restored in plaster and provided with a modern spout supported on an iron bracket. Masons' marks are found on the ribs and central pier, while an arrow-head is wrought on the outer face of each, corbel. The structure is in use and is in good repair.

RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941

(1) P.S.A.S., ii (1854-7), p. 102. (2) Ibid., pp. 143-7 (3) Ibid., pp. 218-9. (4) Ibid., iii (1857 -60), pp. 365-7.

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.

The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

Bell shaped cobbled area framed by curved rising sandstone(?) wall with framed arch in centre (now boarded up). Projected counter in front of arch contains inset round drinking bowl made of square pinkish granite. Metal workings below at front now missing leaving gap at front. Wall surmounted by plain railings.

Inspected By : A. Taubman

Inscriptions : On plaque (raised letters, upper and lower case):

This unique well house dates from the / late 15th century. It originally stood at / Restalrig, close to the church, and its / design is a miniature copy of St. Triduana's / Aisle there. In 1860 it was removed from / its first site, which was then encroached / upon by a railway depot, and was / reconstructed in its present position near / a natural spring.

Signatures : None Visible

Design period : late 15th century

Year of unveiling : 1860

Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0989)

Graffiti in the form of letters written in black marker pen are visible on the right-hand side of the sandstone surround to the entrance to the well.

Visited by HES Survey and Recording (JRS) 19 November 2017.