St Peter's Well, Houston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Well
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 St Peter's Well |
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 St Peter's Well
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| OS grid reference | NS4076367502 |
| Council area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Johnstone |
| Police | Strathclyde |
| Fire | Strathclyde |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
St Peter's Well is a special old building in Renfrewshire, south-west Scotland. It's a rare example of a holy well house. This means it's a small building built over a natural spring. People believed the water from this spring was sacred. The well is found in a field near Houston, below Greenhill Farm.
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History of St Peter's Well
The town of Houston was once called Kilpeter. This name means 'Peter's Church' or 'Peter's Cell'. There was a chapel nearby, and a farm was even called 'Chapelton'. People believed that drinking the holy water from St Peter's Well would keep travelers safe. It was thought to protect them from bad luck and help them return home safely.
The exact age of the well house we see today is not known. However, people in Victorian times (the 1800s) already thought it was very old. It might have been built using stones from the old chapel. This chapel was likely left unused around the 1500s, during a time called the Scottish Reformation.
The Well House Building
St Peter's Well is a special building. It's listed as a Category B building, meaning it's historically important. The well house is shaped like a rectangle. It has a flat top, sometimes called a 'saddle-shaped' roof. The roof is very steep. There isn't much decoration on the building. You can see a sloped edge, called a chamfer, on the stone arch at the entrance.
One stone seems to be missing from the closed northern end of the well house. We don't know if there were ever any religious decorations, like crosses, on the building. There are some cup-shaped dips on the roof's ridge. It's possible there was another layer of stone on top. This layer would have covered the gaps between the stones. It would have made the building waterproof.
St Peter's is a small building made of stone. It is about 4.5 feet wide and 5.5 feet long. There are holes in the top stones near the entrance. These holes might have held chains for cups. People would have used these cups to drink the water. Or, a gate might have been there to stop animals from drinking inside. In the 1880s, the well was not looked after well. It seemed to be built using a 'dry stone' method, meaning no mortar was used. This also suggests that stones from another old building, like the chapel, were used again.
During the Scottish Reformation, people's views changed. They removed many religious symbols. If the missing top layer of stones had crosses, they might have been taken away then. In the 1880s, people worried the well house might fall down. But today, the building has been fixed. Cement has been added between the stones. It now looks to be in good condition (as of 2018).
Interestingly, old drawings from 1883 show the arch stone without a chamfered edge. But it has one now. This suggests the stone was turned around when the well was repaired. One of the holes at the front, which might have held a chain and cup, has been filled with cement. In 1923, records show the well was still neglected.
The well house is built into a small bank. The spring water now flows through the grass. It goes into a nearby stream called St Peter's Burn. This stream then flows into the grounds of Houston House. The well itself is full of plants. The ground in front of it is very wet. This makes it hard to reach the well without special boots. It suggests that there used to be a clear path for the water to flow directly into St Peter's Burn.
St Peter's Fair
St. Peter's Day is on June 29th. A very popular fair used to be held here on that day. This fair might have been linked to old summer celebrations. Farmers would sell their goods. Horse races would take place at Greenhills and near the well.
St Peter's Well in Local Stories
A local poem tells a story about the well. It says that anyone who drinks the holy water will surely return safely to Houston:
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Peter's Well is a holy well, He hath blessed its waters with virtues rare For how weary soe'er his wanderings may be Though grey be his beard and wrinkled his brow, And bringing him back, whether rich or poor The drink of the well with the sainted spell, Supplied by Mr. A. B. Barr, Houston |
More About the Well
Every year, the minister and people from the parish church of Houston and Kilellen hold a religious service at St Peter's Well.
