From the bogs and medieval wells of Dundee to the hidden burns that meander through and beneath the city, water has always played a fundamental part in community life. A new arts project is tapping into the water sources which have brought people together through the centuries.
Since time immemorial, places of habitation have been built around sources of fresh water, whether burns, rivers, springs or wells.
Poet Lesley Harrison and artist Sarah Maclean journeyed back in time to find out how people’s lives have been shaped and influenced by waterways, hunting for the hidden burns and wells that underlie Dundee and offering a direct link to the past.
Overflowing with insights, they created a series of evocative booklets and postcards which celebrate the timeless significance of water. It’s a project which should interest everyone; water is life, after all.
The trickle of a burn, a damp spot in a park, wild flowers budding in a boggy meadow; clues which presented themselves to Lesley and Sarah when they set out on their quest. Armed with a veritable library of old maps and a hydrological study of Dundee, they hoped to pinpoint the burns, wells, vaults and springs plotted on them, or at least find out what remained.
“We discovered a whole new Dundee, one we had never considered before,” says Sarah. “Hopefully our work will give many people an undiscovered insight into old Dundee.”
For our full special feature, see Saturday’s Courier Magazine or try our digital edition.