Aberdeenshire HER - NJ71SW0136 - MOSES WELL, MISS BRISTOW'S WOOD

Main Details

Primary ReferenceNJ71SW0136
NameMOSES WELL, MISS BRISTOW'S WOOD
NMRS Card No.NJ71SW6
NMRS Numlink277715
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Complete 2
Details A well spring, housed in a vaulted granite ashlar well-house, notable for the carved sandstone panels attached to the facade which depict Moses. In 2003 a reassessment was undertaken of the three carved panels set into the facade of the well-house, which forms part of a designed landscape feature in Miss Bristow's Wood. The Wood, a pleasure ground within the estate of Castle Fraser, was established at the end of the 18th Century. The exact date of the well-house is not clear, with suggestions that it was constructed either circa 1795 or in the 19th Century. The carved sandstone panels which depict biblical scenes are unusual, and do not seem to have been specifically designed for the well-house but rather added from elsewhere. Two of the panels, which are mounted on either side of the well-house door, have been discovered to be conjoining fragments of a single panel, perhaps originally some 2m in height. A large figure of Moses with his staff is surrounded by scenes from his life, which appear to include (1) Moses communing with the Lord on Mount Sinai, (2) Moses and the burning bush, (3) the Israelites collecting manna in the desert or Moses bringing forth water in the desert. The style and iconography suggest a mid 17th Century date and a possible Dutch origin. A third panel, presently mounted above the well-house door, bears the carved representation of a banner, surmounted by a ribbon inscribed with fragmentary remains of text. The banner itself appears to have borne an extensive inscription, of which only tiny fragments survive. All the carved panels bear the traces of paint and possible signs of exposure to heat, suggesting that the Moses panel and the inscription have a shared history prior to their insertion into the well-house, if not a shared origin.
Last Update28/10/2022

National Grid Reference: NJ 7269 1193


Easting: 404100, Northing: 828980

Compiler 
Date of Compilation 

Event Details

Event DateEvent Type
1905 Survey
1905 Survey

Excavations and Surveys

Date MDate YTypeDurationDirector / OrganisationAuspicesFundExtent
 1996 Survey  NTSNTSNTS 

Artefact and Ecofact


Ecofact

Samples 
Palynology 
Ecofact Notes 

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
PANELSSANDSTONECARVEDC100
WELLS  A100
WELL-HOUSESGRANITEVAULTEDB100

Google Map for NJ71SW0136


National Status

Regional Status


Photo Details

SourceReferencePhoto TypeFilm TypeDate
AASCT 1 Ground Colour Transparency 10/06/2003
JG  Ground Colour Negative  
RCME 69110,12 Ground Black & White 31/10/2005
AASAAS-GR-03-06-012 - 014 Ground Digital 10/06/2003
AASAAS-GR-14-07-262 to 266 Ground Digital 12/07/2014

Bibliographic Detail

Bib Ref NoTitleAuthorDateOthersEditorPublishedDetailsDate MDate Y
01578CASTLE FRASER:HISTORIC LANDSCAPE SURVEY 1996     1996
00663CASTLE FRASER ESTATE, PP.15-16S. M. FRASER2003NYDESpp.15-16 2003
01603Castle Fraser Historic Landscape Survey:Plans 1996   plans 1996

Location

Historic Administrative Area Name Cluny
Positional Accuracy Centred at
Buffer Zone 15-20m
Buffer Type Standard
Capture Scale Unknown
Spatial Feature Type Polygon: Known Site Extent

Environment

Constraints A public monument, regular hours (entry fee).
Altitude118
Geology 
Topography Steep slope
Aspect 1SW
Aspect 2
Current Land Use Country Park
Vegetation
Soil Type 
Hydrology 

Measurements

Plan 
Shape 1
Shape 2
Diameter 
Length 
Width 
Thickness 
Depth 
Area 
Height 

Historic Land Use


Period Details

PeriodOrderProbabilityRadiocarbon DatesDate BuiltDate of DestructionDate of Loss
Post-Medieval (from 1560 AD) A100    
19th Century B90    
18th Century C95 1904  
17th Century D75    

Period Notes

Period Notes Thought to have been built c.1795, but an alternative date of the 19th Century has also been proposed. The carved sandstone panels may date from 17th Century.

Architect Details

Architect Details

Maritime Archaeology

empty