St Bernard's Well, situated by the Water of Leith in Stockbridge, will be open to the public from 12pm to 3pm on the following days:

Sunday 6 April
Sunday 4 May
Sunday 1 June
Sunday 6 July
Sunday 10 August
Sunday 17 August
Sunday 24 August
Sunday 31 August
Sunday 27 September (as part of doors open day)

This offers an excellent opportunity to visit an historical monument which is normally closed to the public.

Thanks are due to volunteers from the Dean Village Association for their help with this.

A Brief History
The mineral springs , which later became St. Bernards Well are said to have been discovered by three boys from Heriot's Hospital.

The mineral waters, similar to those at Harrogate, became popular and in 1760 the area was roofed over.

In 1789, the owner, Francis Garden of Troup (Lord Gardenstone), then a Senator of the College of Justice, commissioned a new pump house.

Architect Alexander Naismith's design was based on Sybils Temple at Tivoli with an open rotunda of Roman Doric style, with ten columns in a circle surrounding a statue of Hygeia, executed by Coade of London.

There are alternating paterae and triglyphs on the entablature, surmounted by a lead dome with a pineapple finial.

The foundation stone was laid on May 1st 1789 with the inscription: "ERECTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC AT THE SOLE EXPENSE OF FRANCIS GARDEN ESQ. OF TROUP, OF THE SENATORS OF THE COLLEGE OF JUSTICE, ALEXANDER NAISMITH, ARCHITECT, JOHN WILSON, BUILDER".

In 1887 the building was extensively renovated, at the expense of the then owner, William Nelson (the publisher).

Thomas Bonnar was commissioned to carry out the work.

The original statue of Hygeia had fallen into such a bad state of repair it was replaced by a new marble figure, sculpted by DW Stevenson.

After completion, Nelson's Trustees offered the well to Edinburgh Town Council as a gift.

The original Coadestone statue of Hygeia was replaced by a new white marble figure, sculpted by DW Stevenson.

After completion, it was also offered to Edinburgh Town Council as a gift.