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The Tanzie Well, also known as Saint Anne's Well, the Washing House Well or the Spoot is located beside the River Irvine (NS 32448 38361) in the Golf-fields or Golffields (pronounced 'Go-fields') at the end of the footbridge across the River Irvine in
Retrieved : 2013-03-28 The Ordnance Survey maps shows that the land above the well was part of the Golf Fields. The maps also show a significant historical continuity of woodland at the well site, running down to the other holy well, the Chapel Well, suggested also by the presence of plants indicative of old woodlands such as bluebells, red campion Silene dioica, etc. The aforementioned plaque installed by the Irvine Development Corporation in 1984 records that the capped 'Washing House' well was uncovered when the footpath was being constructed, a masonry cistern covered with an old grave stone being discovered. Until recently a pipe carried water out through a brick face however this was destroyed by a utility company and never restored despite local calls for it to be restored.
Retrieved : 2013-03-28 In 1895 the path to the well runs instead to the wash house which no longer has a bleach field. By 1908 the wash house is still present, but no longer annotated as such.1908 25" OS Map
Retrieved : 2013-03-28 The 1938 OS map shows that the wash house had been demolished by this time.1938 25" OS Map
Retrieved : 2013-03-28 Strawhorn records the wash house was demolished in 1924 and that Provost Hogg ensured that the slates were used to restore the Powder House.
This well is noted on the 1856 OS map as accessed by a path that divides from the lane leading to the washing house shortly after entering the Golf Field. No indication is given, but the water supplying the well and washing house may have the same source, however as the well was still in use the waste water from the washing house would have a different outflow so as not to pollute the well water.
In 1895 the well is still marked, however no path leads to it and the path that did now only runs to the wash house.1895 25" OS Map
Retrieved : 2013-03-28 In 1908 the well is still present and marked as such, but without any paths leading to it, however by 1938 the well is not marked and only the outflow culvert to the river is indicated.
YouTube Video of the Tanzie Well
{{coord, 55, 36, 35.7, N, 4, 39, 41.6, W, region:GB_type:city, display=title Religion in Scotland Holy wells in Scotland Springs of Scotland Buildings and structures in North Ayrshire Christianity in medieval Scotland Irvine, North Ayrshire
The Tanzie Well, also known as Saint Anne's Well, the Washing House Well or the Spoot is located beside the River Irvine (NS 32448 38361) in the Golf-fields or Golffields (pronounced 'Go-fields') at the end of the footbridge across the River Irvine in Irvine Irvine may refer to:
Places On Earth Antarctica
*Irvine Glacier
*Mount Irvine (Antarctica)
Australia
*Irvine Island
*Mount Irvine, New South Wales
Canada
*Irvine, Alberta
* Irvine Inlet, Nunavut
United Kingdom
*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It has been suggested that 'Tanzie' may be a corruption of St Inan's Well. The old Irvine Pouther House of 1801 is located nearby.
Description
The well, spring or spout is located below the embankment of the footpath near to the River Irvine footbridge and is accessed by concrete slab steps. The well has a plaque recording its name and basic history as installed in 1994 by the Irvine Development Corporation (IDC). A stone-lined culvert carries the outflow down to the River Irvine. The relatively abundant flow comes directly from the ground without any discernible pipe or culvert. The well water is first collected in a concrete cistern and then piped down to the springs exit. Previously a cast iron stand pipe was located at the site and the water could be collected from this for personal use. Writing in 2008 of the 1940s, Elis White said that the well, spring, or spoot ''had the purest, clearest water and as far as I know came when Scott’s Loch up around Knadgerhill was drained to run into the river at various places. In any case, it was a popular drink for invalids and it was a common sight for us to see people walking away from it carrying a bottle of the water from it. Even a jug in earlier days, and I well remember going to it as a wee lassie along with my father to take some to my Granny in Townhead.''Irvine HeraldRetrieved : 2013-03-28 The Ordnance Survey maps shows that the land above the well was part of the Golf Fields. The maps also show a significant historical continuity of woodland at the well site, running down to the other holy well, the Chapel Well, suggested also by the presence of plants indicative of old woodlands such as bluebells, red campion Silene dioica, etc. The aforementioned plaque installed by the Irvine Development Corporation in 1984 records that the capped 'Washing House' well was uncovered when the footpath was being constructed, a masonry cistern covered with an old grave stone being discovered. Until recently a pipe carried water out through a brick face however this was destroyed by a utility company and never restored despite local calls for it to be restored.
History
The Washing House
In 1749 a building for washing and bleaching was built near the Tanzie Well by the Irvine town council with dimensions 35 by 15 feet.Strawhorn, Page 95 Aitken's map of 1829 records that this site was a bleachfield. The 1856 25" OS Map shows the bleachfield and wash house with the roughly circular well below it, each approached by a separate path.1856 25" OS MapRetrieved : 2013-03-28 In 1895 the path to the well runs instead to the wash house which no longer has a bleach field. By 1908 the wash house is still present, but no longer annotated as such.1908 25" OS Map
Retrieved : 2013-03-28 The 1938 OS map shows that the wash house had been demolished by this time.1938 25" OS Map
Retrieved : 2013-03-28 Strawhorn records the wash house was demolished in 1924 and that Provost Hogg ensured that the slates were used to restore the Powder House.
The Tanzie Well
This well is noted on the 1856 OS map as accessed by a path that divides from the lane leading to the washing house shortly after entering the Golf Field. No indication is given, but the water supplying the well and washing house may have the same source, however as the well was still in use the waste water from the washing house would have a different outflow so as not to pollute the well water.
In 1895 the well is still marked, however no path leads to it and the path that did now only runs to the wash house.1895 25" OS MapRetrieved : 2013-03-28 In 1908 the well is still present and marked as such, but without any paths leading to it, however by 1938 the well is not marked and only the outflow culvert to the river is indicated.
Saint Anne's or Inan's Well
The name 'Tanzie' could be a corruption of St Anne or St Inan. ASaint Inan
Saint Inan (Evan) was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, where he is said to have resided during the 9th century AD. He is reputed to have come from Iona, and to have died in Irvine, where his tomb was reputed to have been the ...
's is associated with Irvine and a well named for him once existed in Fullarton, south of the present harbour.Strawhorn, Page 4. Dundonald Castle
Dundonald Castle is situated on a hill overlooking the village of Dundonald, between Kilmarnock and Troon in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Dundonald Castle is a fortified tower house built for Robert II on his accession to the throne of Scotland i ...
also once had a chapel dedicated to Saint InanMcJannet, Page 14. who is otherwise mainly associated with Beith
Beith is a small town in the Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "''Hill o' Beith''" (hill of the birches) after its ''Court ...
.
Natural history
Typical wetland plants are present at the site such as hemlock water dropwort as well as species only found in clean constantly running water like as watercress. Also noted at the site aregreen figwort
''Scrophularia umbrosa'', the green figwort, is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Europe and Asia. It grows in moist and cultivated waste ground.
The species looks very similar to the closely related ''Scrophularia auriculata'' (water figwo ...
, brooklime speedwell, wild angelica, opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, green alkanet
''Pentaglottis'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. It is represented by a single species, ''Pentaglottis sempervirens'', commonly known as the green alkanet, evergreen bugloss or alkanet, and is a bristly, pe ...
, reed canarygrass
''Phalaris arundinacea'', or reed canary grass, is a tall, perennial bunchgrass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas, with a wide distribution in Europe, Asia, northern ...
, giant hogweed, bishopweed, celandine, and Himalayan balsam.
See also
*Irvine Irvine may refer to:
Places On Earth Antarctica
*Irvine Glacier
*Mount Irvine (Antarctica)
Australia
*Irvine Island
*Mount Irvine, New South Wales
Canada
*Irvine, Alberta
* Irvine Inlet, Nunavut
United Kingdom
*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
*Beith
Beith is a small town in the Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "''Hill o' Beith''" (hill of the birches) after its ''Court ...
* River Irvine
*Saint Inan
Saint Inan (Evan) was the patron saint of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, where he is said to have resided during the 9th century AD. He is reputed to have come from Iona, and to have died in Irvine, where his tomb was reputed to have been the ...
*The Chapel Well
The Chapel Well, sometimes known as Saint Mary's Well or probably erroneously as 'Saint Inan's Well' is located beside the River Irvine at the end of the Chapel Lane path that links to the Kirk Vennel in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Irvine, North Ayrsh ...
References
;Notes ;Sources * McJannet, A F (1938). ''Royal burgh of Irvine'', Glasgow : Civil Press * Strawhorn, John (1985). ''The History of Irvine.'' Pub. John Donald. .External links
YouTube Video of the Tanzie Well
{{coord, 55, 36, 35.7, N, 4, 39, 41.6, W, region:GB_type:city, display=title Religion in Scotland Holy wells in Scotland Springs of Scotland Buildings and structures in North Ayrshire Christianity in medieval Scotland Irvine, North Ayrshire