St Bernards Well

I pass by this monument on my way home from work.  The story goes...a natural spring, by the Water of Leith was found in 1740 and soon became a visitor attraction as the public thought the water had healing powers.  The Well was bought by Lord Gardenstone in 1789 and he commissioned the artist Alexander Naysmith to create the circular temple building we see today.  Legend has it the Well was named after St Bernard of Clairvaux who lived in a cave nearby.  The Well and its surrounding grounds were restored in 1888 and left to the City of Edinburgh.  The design was inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Tivoly, Italy.  The dome is made of lead and beneath it stands the statue of Hygieia, the Greek Goddess of Health (who's name is the source of the word 'hygiene').  Water from the well was bottled and sold by chemists for a while.  The Well closed in 1940.