“Labour in vain without the lord.” That’s what the Old City Coat of Arms motto says above the Edinburgh coat of arms here at West Bow Well.
West Bow Well stands as a testament to Edinburgh’s history. It provided a crucial source of water for the Grassmarket. We are standing at the east end of the Grassmarket. From here West Bow continues as Victoria Street.
In 1674, Lord Provost Sir Andrew Ramsay started Edinburgh’s first piped water supply. Robert Mylne, the king’s master mason, built West Bow Well. Sir William Bruce supervised the construction. George Sinclair was the surveyor. Peter Brauss, a Dutch engineer, made the lead pipe work. Until 1820, these square stone well heads were the only way thousands of Edinburgh residents could get drinking water. The reservoir was filled by springs from the Pentland Hills.
West Bow Well has inscriptions on it. One side displays the Edinburgh coat of arms. The motto is “NISI DOMINUS FRUSTRA”. It means “Labour in vain without the lord”. The other side shows the phrase “VIRTUTE AQUISITUR HONOS”. This means “Honour is acquired by virtue”.
The West Bow Well has been repaired over the years. In 1732, it was repaired for the first time. The Richardson Brothers, merchants from West Bow, repaired and altered it again in 1861. The stonework was restored in 2008. This restoration was a partnership. The City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh World Heritage worked together on the project.
West Bow Well is a square structure. It has a pyramidal roof. The Edinburgh coat of arms is in relief on the south side. There is a large basin beneath it. On the north side is the coat of arms of Richardson. It shows a shield with a bull’s head, two fleurs de lis, and a galley. Above the shield is a helmet. The helmet has a closed barred visor. It is surmounted by a hand in armour holding a sword.
In October 1965, the Scottish National Buildings Record surveyed West Bow Well. They took photos of it. In 1997, the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association surveyed public monuments in Britain. They added information about West Bow Well to the RCAHMS database.
West Bow itself is known for its winding route. It connects the Grassmarket to Castlehill. It’s been compared to Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. West Bow once housed some interesting residents. Major Thomas Weir lived here. People thought he was a wizard.
The West Bow Well stands as a reminder. It reminds us of Edinburgh’s past and its people. It is more than just a fountain. It is a piece of Edinburgh’s story.