St.
Bernard's well can be found on the
Water of Leith walkway between Deanhaugh
Street and the Dean Bridge in the estate
originally known as St. Bernard's.
It was believed by some in the eighteenth
century that the mineral spring which
trinkled into the river had medicinal
qualities. A well house had existed
here since 1760.
In 1789
the owner, Francis Garden of Troup
(Lord Gladstone) was convinced the
waters eased his rheumatism and commissioned
Alexander Nasmyth to build a new
pump room on the site.
Building
started by Johnn Wilson in the same
year and St. Bernard's Well is in
the form of a Doric temple based
on Sybil's Temple at Tivoli with
a domed roof supported by ten surrounding
collumns.
The statue
in the centre is Hygeia the Greek
godess of health sculpted from Coade
stone by D.W. Stevenson. The snake
and the challis are ancient symbols
of medicine.
The interior
of the pump room below has domed
ceiling decorated with an ornate
mosaic ceiling and a guilded sun
face with pierced ventilation holes.
Access
to the small pump room is only available
to the public at certain times of
the year, including Open Doors day.
Details
of opening times will be published
here as they become available.
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