Springburn Virtual Museum

Community life

Wallace's Well, c 1911

Near the farm of Royston Mains is Wallace's Well, an ancient spring said to have been used by the Scottish patriot and freedom fighter Sir William Wallace whilst hiding out in a cottage nearby. It is at this cottage that Wallace was captured by English forces in 1305 before being taken to London and brutally executed.

A granite celtic cross in Wallace's honour was erected near the well in 1900 to mark the place of his betrayal and capture. It was unveiled by Miss Emmeline McKerlie, a descendant of Kerlie, one of Wallace's men.

The cottage from where Wallace was taken stood until 1826. The well's current stonework dates from about 1911 and replaces an earlier construction. The water pump has gone. Listed and adopted by the Wallace Clan Trust, there have been recent plans for a heritage centre in the area. Some streets in the eastern part of Balornock are named after Wallace's Well.

Source: Glasgow City Archives