Scheduled Monument
Upper Manbeen,Butter WellSM5909
Status: Designated
Documents
Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).
The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.
Summary
- Date Added
- 22/02/1994
- Type
- Secular: well
- Local Authority
- Moray
- Parish
- Elgin
- NGR
- NJ 18506 57437
- Coordinates
- 318506, 857437
Description
A surface well beside a former trackway, on the north slope of Gallow Hill and 375m SW of Upper Manbeen farmhouse. The wellhead is covered by a stone slab, in front of which (on the north), set in the ground but possibly not in its original position is a stone block bearing the inscription; EX DONO DEI/BIBITE GRATIS/MHUSP. The back edge of the well is defined by a second block bearing the date 1699 around a small pointed-arched niche, possibly intended to hold a beaker.
It is possible that the first block was originally set on top of the second. The initials MHU and SP also appear on a marriage stone reused in Upper Manbeen farmhouse (rebuilt in the 19th century), together with the motto STANDFAST and the date 1698. The persons involved have yet to be identified. The scheduled area includes the well, the inscribed stones, and surrounding area, having a radius
of 2m, centred on the well, as indicated in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
This monument is of national importance as a material illustration of the public munificence of a later 17th-century tenant or landowner towards agricultural labourers and wayfarers.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
About Scheduled Monuments
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.
Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
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Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the
scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).
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