Wellgate Lanark – Healing Hands to La Vigna

Wellgate, Lanark is one of the historic four gates or ports into the town. These are West Port, East Port, Wellgate and Castlegate. This drawing of Wellgate starts with no 60 and 58 and ends where it meets the High Street. This is part one of  two posts covering Wellgate between Healing Hands and La Vigna Ristorante.

As always, I like to find out a little history about the streets and came across this e-book ‘History of Lanark and Guide to the Scenery, with List of Roads to the Principal Towns’ written by W. Davidson and published in 1835   link here

‘DW 1893’

To save you wading through a lot of pages, there is a paragraph on Wellgate which reads as follows:

‘All streets diverge from the Cross, and here, the Wellgate branches off, in a southern direction, leading towards New Lanark, and Carlisle. This street is remarkable, only for its narrowness and irregularity; and the plentiful supply of water, which it contains in times of severest drought. Perhaps this may account for the origin of its designation as being the street or way which led in ancient times to the reservoir or wells which supplied the inhabitants with water, which is but sparingly supplied, at different seasons, in other parts of the town; and by the want of which the people are often subjected to severe privations.’

Wah May is in a category B listed early 19th century building. British Listed Buildings describes it as:

‘3 storeys, 3 bays. Lined render with painted raised margins. Central door with flanking windows and band course above. 3 windows to 1st and 2nd floors. Eaves course. Pitched slated roof. 1 window in 1st and 2nd floor on south east gable end.’

I don’t know anything about these elegant buildings but the archway looks like it was built for a horse and cart to pass through.

I will sign off with La Vigna, which I understand has a well deep below the restaurant floor, roughly in line with the person walking past.

Thanks for reading,

Ronnie 🙂