Hygieia

This statue of Hygieia, the Greek and Roman goddess of health, stands on top of the strucure covering St Bernard's Well on the Water of Leith. The structure itself is built in the style of a Greco-Roman temple and both it and the statue are late 18th century in date. 'Taking the waters' of the well was supposed to sure all ills and in the past many came to take those waters. One wishes that health really was found so easily, though as the well was closed in the 1940s because the water was found to contain arsenic and other impurities, it is unlikely to have benefited many of those who came to drink the water. So perhaps it's best to steer clear of water from wells like St Bernard's!

I passed St Bernard's Well on my walk this morning along the Water of Leith to the lovely Dean Village (see extra). One more day of holiday and then I'll be back to work on Thursday.