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St Theriot's Well

Fordell Castle, N of Dalgety Bay, Fife.

Holy Well or spring in the gardens of Fordell Castle associated with St Theriot. A trickle of water emerges from the rock under a small and very low stone arch (not enterable) within what from outside looks like a drainage culvert (approx. 300-400 mm square extending at most 1 m to the low arch) made up of different phases of stonework of different qualities. The internal arch may be of some antiquity with buttressing possibly post medieval but the external masonry appears to be later landscaping.

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St Theriot's Chapel was located nearby, reconstructed as a mortuary chapel by Sir John Henderson of Fordell in 1650.

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To the south of the barmkin wall [of Fordell Castle] is a natural spring called St Theriot's Well. Folklore has it that the well has the extraordinary property of securing what one wishes, while drinking of its water. [Wikipedia]

Alternative Names: None recorded.

Notes: Saint Theriot or Therotus was an 8th century cleric who was locally venerated as a saint, though there seems to be very little written about him and he is not an 'official' catholic saint.

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Unfortunately, nothing much is known about St Theriot. He is patron saint of Fordell in Fife but, other than that he is an unknown saint. He may have been a follower of St Fillan of Pittenweem, an 8th century Pictish saint ? St Theriot's feast-day is 20th July. [Megalithic Portal/ Sunny 100, 2012]

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An ancient well, formerly known as St Erat's well, stands in Heriot Street [Inverkeithing] (after St Theriot, an orthographic variation of St Erat). The first written references to St Erat are in a sasine of 1588, which makes reference to St Erat's well. The well is first recorded in a charter of 1219. The form St Herriot appears in 1686.

Hydrographic Feeds: Ground Water

Hydrographic Resurgences: Fordell Burn