Tanzie Well

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The Tanzie Well Tanzie Well and steps, Irvine.JPG
The Tanzie Well

The Tanzie Well, also known as Saint Anne's Well, the Washing House Well [1] or the Spoot [2] 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, 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.

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Tanzie Well
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Location of the Tanzie Well, Irvine, North Ayrshire

Description

The River Irvine and the site of the Tanzie Well in 1870. Irvineview1870.jpg
The River Irvine and the site of the Tanzie Well in 1870.

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. [2]

The Ordnance Survey maps shows that the land above the well was part of the Golf Fields. [3] 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. [1] Aitken's map of 1829 records that this site was a bleachfield. [4] The 1856 25" OS Map shows the bleachfield and wash house with the roughly circular well below it, each approached by a separate path. [5] In 1895 the path to the well runs instead to the wash house which no longer has a bleach field. [6] By 1908 the wash house is still present, but no longer annotated as such. [7] The 1938 OS map shows that the wash house had been demolished by this time. [8] Strawhorn records the wash house was demolished in 1924 and that Provost Hogg ensured that the slates were used to restore the Powder House. [9]

The Tanzie Well

The site of the Tanzie Well beside the River Irvine. Tanzie Well and footbridge, Irvine.JPG
The site of the Tanzie Well beside the River Irvine.
The plaque placed on the well by Irvine Development Corporation in 1994. Washing House Well or Tanzie or St Anne's.JPG
The plaque placed on the well by Irvine Development Corporation in 1994.

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. [5]

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. [6] In 1908 the well is still present and marked as such, but without any paths leading to it, [7] however by 1938 the well is not marked and only the outflow culvert to the river is indicated. [8]

Saint Anne's or Inan's Well

The name 'Tanzie' could be a corruption of St Anne or St Inan. [1] [10] A Saint Inan's is associated with Irvine and a well named for him once existed in Fullarton, south of the present harbour. [11] Dundonald Castle also once had a chapel dedicated to Saint Inan [12] who is otherwise mainly associated with Beith.

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 are green figwort, brooklime speedwell, wild angelica, opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, green alkanet, reed canarygrass, giant hogweed, bishopweed, celandine, and Himalayan balsam.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Cunninghamhead is a hamlet on the Annick Water in the Parish of Dreghorn, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The area was part of the old Cunninghamhead estate, and once contained several watermills.

Eglinton Country Park

Eglinton Country Park is located on the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 ha. The central iconic feature of the country park is the ruined Eglinton Castle, once home to the Eglinton family and later the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and chiefs of the Clan Montgomery. Eglinton Country Park is managed and maintained by North Ayrshire Council and its Ranger Service.

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 site of miracles.

The Grannie or Granny stone is either the only surviving part of a stone circle or a simple glacial erratic. It lies in the River Irvine below the Rivergate Centre in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The Grannie Stane is clearly visible when the water is low. The GPS co-ordinates are 55°36.768′N4°40.180′W.

Drukken Steps

The Drukken, Drucken Steps or Drunken Steps were stepping stones across the Red Burn in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland and are associated with Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Drukken is used on the commemorative cairn plaque, but Druken or Drucken may also be used.

Seagate Castle

Seagate Castle is a castle in North Ayrshire, in the town of Irvine, close to the River Irvine, Scotland. The castle was formerly a stronghold, a town house, and later a dower house of the Montgomery Clan. The castle overlooks the oldest street in Irvine, which was once the main route between the town and the old harbour at Seagatefoot, which by 1606, was useless and abandoned due to silting. The remains of the castle are protected as a scheduled ancient monument.

Kilbirnie Loch Lake in the Scotland

Kilbirnie Loch, is a freshwater Loch situated in the floodplain between Kilbirnie, Glengarnock and Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It runs south-west to north-east for almost 2 km (1.2 mi), is about 0.5 km (0.31 mi) wide for the most part and has an area of roughly 3 km2. It has a general depth of around 5.2 metres (17 feet) to a maximum of around 11 metres (36 feet). The loch is fed mainly by the Maich Water, which rises in the Kilbirnie Hills near Misty Law, and is drained by the Dubbs Water that runs past the Barr Loch into Castle Semple Loch, followed by the Black Cart, the White Cart at Renfrew and finally the River Clyde. The boundary between East Renfrewshire and North Ayrshire, in the vicinity of the loch, runs down the course of the Maich Water along the northern loch shore to then run up beside the Dubbs Water.

Trindlemoss Loch

Trindlemoss Loch, Scott's / Scot's Loch or the Loch of Irvine was situated in a low-lying area running from Ravenspark to near Stanecastle and down to Lockwards, now represented only by the playing fields off Bank Street in the Parish of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The loch was natural, sitting in a hollow created by glaciation. The loch waters were progressively drained and in 1691 this was finally achieved.

Lowes Loch (Ayrshire) Lake in the United Kingdom

Lowes Loch, The Lochs or Loch of Hill is now a small natural freshwater loch in the North Ayrshire Council Areas, lying in a glacial kettle hole, once of greater extent, lying below Brownmuir and Lochland Hills on the Threepwood Road, near Beith, in the Parish of Beith. The loch may once have had a small island within it.

Whitehill Loch

Whitehill Loch, previously known as Hillhouse Loch was a freshwater loch in the East Ayrshire Council Area, now drained, near Galston, in the Parish of Riccarton, lying in a glacial Kettle Hole.

Burnhouse Human settlement in Scotland

Burnhouse, sometimes known locally as The Trap from "Man Trap", is a small village or hamlet in North Ayrshire, Parish of Beith, Scotland. It lies on a crossroads of old B706 and the more recent A736 Lochlibo Road, between Lugton and Torranyard.

Torranyard Human settlement in Scotland

Torranyard is a small village or hamlet in North Ayrshire, Parish of Kilwinning, Scotland. It lies between the settlements of Auchentiber and Irvine on the A736 Lochlibo Road.

Shewalton House and estate Human settlement in Scotland

Shewalton House and estate were composed of the 'Lands of Shewalton' and the laird's dwelling, originally a tower castle and later a mansion house on the River Irvine in the Shewalton area, two miles from Irvine and west of Drybridge village, East Ayrshire, Dundonald Parish, Scotland. In 1883 the Boyle's estate of Shewalton was 2,358 acres in extent in Ayrshire and was worth at that time £2,708 a year.

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., Scotland.

Lands of Willowyard

The ancient lands of Willowyard, Willieyeards, Williyard or Willizeards were part of the holdings of the Regality of Kilwinning, Barony of Beith, and Bailiary of Cuninghame. They later became the property of the Montgomerie family before being sold to the Simson family in 1723. The manor house still survives as part of a business premises and the nearby industrial estate and whisky bond carry the name 'Willowyards'.

Lands of Marshalland

The lands of Marshalland, Marsheland, Marsheyland or Marshyland were part of the holdings of the Barony of Beith, Regality of Kilwinning and Bailiary of Cuninghame. They became the property of the Lyle family, then the Shedden family, passing next to the Spier's family before finally becoming part of the Spier's Trust lands. The laird's house and farm were demolished in the 1960s.

Lands of Threepwood

The lands of Threepwood were located in the Parish of Beith, at the eastern boundary between East Renfrewshire and North Ayrshire, Scotland. The settlements of Midtown, Townhead and Townend were part of the old Threepwood Estate. Cuffhill at 675 feet is the highest eminence in the parish and it overlooks the area with Little Hill and Cuff Hill and Little Hill plantations nearby, now situated next to the entirely artificial Cuffhill Reservoir.

The lands of Broomlands or Broumlands formed a small country estate about a mile to the east of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland situated on the east bank of the Annick Water in the Parishes of Dreghorn and Irvine.

Lawthorn Human settlement in Scotland

Lawthorn is a hamlet near Perceton in Strathannick, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The settlement lies on the old Irvine to Stewarton toll road.

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 Strawhorn, Page 95
  2. 1 2 Irvine Herald Retrieved : 2013-03-28
  3. ↑ Strawhorn, Page 169
  4. ↑ Strawhorn, Page 119
  5. 1 2 1856 25" OS Map Retrieved : 2013-03-28
  6. 1 2 1895 25" OS Map Retrieved : 2013-03-28
  7. 1 2 1908 25" OS Map Retrieved : 2013-03-28
  8. 1 2 1938 25" OS Map Retrieved : 2013-03-28
  9. ↑ Strawhorn, Page 186
  10. ↑ Irvine Burns Club Retrieved : 2013-03-28
  11. ↑ Strawhorn, Page 4.
  12. ↑ McJannet, Page 14.
Sources

Coordinates: 55°36′35.7″N4°39′41.6″W / 55.609917°N 4.661556°W / 55.609917; -4.661556

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