St Murdoch's Well, Brechin

Dedication: Saint Murdoch

Location: Brechin

Coordinates: 56.701190N, -2.680830W

Grid reference: NO584568

Heritage designation: none

Little is known about the mysterious St Murdoch. He was certainly local to this particular area of Angus, as evidenced by the existence of a now ruined chapel that was dedicated to him, which is located only ten miles from the well, in Ethie. Possibly the chapel and the well had, many centuries ago, some connection, maybe through a local abbey or ecclesiastical establishment that owned the land.

In fact, there was once a chapel located extremely close to the holy well, and rather a substantial one, it seems. A nearby well, named "Church Well", is situated next to the site of an unusual moated rectangular enclosure, which was probably the location of a medieval chapel; a field adjoining the well contained (until the 18th century) the remains of "Church Barns", which were also known as "The Archdeacon's Barns", and must have had a connection to the site. The legacy of the church, though no part of it remains, is preserved through local field names. Although there is no known record of the church's dedication, it seems reasonable to assume that it may have had an association with St Murdoch, given the proximity to his holy well.

There is also a distinct possibility that St Murdoch's Well was originally a pagan sacred spring. Up until recently, an early Bronze Age cairn could be seen in a field that is located only a few hundred yards from the well. According to the Canmore database, this cairn - before it was destroyed - consisted of a large pile of stones, covered with earth. Within it were found several cists, which themselves contained urns, some of which held human remains. It appears that this was a Bronze Age site of some importance, and it is therefore very likely that St Murdoch's Well was one of the many pagan sacred springs that was simply Christianised instead of destroyed or abandoned.

In more recent times, it appears that the well has gone from providing a water supply to the nearby farm to becoming a pleasant feature in a garden. In 1958, it was reported by Ordnance Survey surveyors that "St Murdoch's Well is a small natural spring with a disused water pump beside it, situated in an overgrown patch of waste ground by the roadside. There is no made-up well structure." This pump was erected at some point in either the late 19th century or the early 20th century, if the Ordnance Survey maps are to be believed, which shows the well's importance as a fresh water supply, even if by that time all superstition surrounding it (which surely there must have been) had evaporated. Today, however, it does not appear that this pump still exists, and there is now some kind of circular structure that holds the spring water, which must have been built after this report.

Access:

The well is located beside the road, although it does appear to be part of the garden of a nearby cottage, so it is best to ask permission from the owner first.

St Murdoch's Well, Ardovie