Glasgow Wellspring Mosaic by Joanna Kessel (mosaic artist) and Aproxima Arts (creative director, Angus Farquhar), 2025

Glasgow Cathedral

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Glasgow Cathedral, built into the buttress walls of the Crypt, lies an ancient well – thought to be a pre-mediaeval sacred site and a powerful symbol of spiritual healing and community gathering. Historically revered by both pagans and Christians, the well and nearby shrine of St Kentigern drew thousands of pilgrims from across Europe the centrepiece of the great Cistercian Cathedral; its waters believed to possess such potent healing powers that they were eventually locked away. This once-vital wellspring played a foundational role in the birth of Glasgow – yet today, it remains largely forgotten.

This project seeks to reawaken the significance of the Well, making visible its extraordinary legacy as a site of convergence, healing, and hope. We aim to reinterpret it as a contemporary ‘wellspring’ for the city, its people as well as visitors – a place of blessing, wishing, and reflection for all who visit.

There has been no meaningful investigation of the site or its contents – including an historic coin hoard – for at least 70 years. No substantial conservation or research focus has been made since the 19th century, few records exist that document its history, condition, or use; and there is no interpretation of the well on site. Our site preparations included removal or the hoard, and a fascinating collection of votive offerings which will be exhibited next year.

The well has the potential to reveal a rich narrative about the origins of Glasgow, its environmental history and communal rituals of healing and pilgrimage. Its neglect has allowed a vital piece of the city’s history – including its religious, civic, and environmental past – to remain untold and inaccessible.

To honour the well’s enduring symbolism power we have commissioned a circular mosaic initiated by Aproxima Collective with leading mosaicist, Joanna Kessel and a wider team. Installed inside the 4-metre-deep well, this is the world’s first mosaic of its kind, made from 1,000 handblown tiles of coloured glass each inlaid with pressed goldleaf plates. It reflects light and water, evoking the cathedral’s rose window and the well’s sacred role in Glasgow’s origins. Designed to last for centuries, the mosaic is a permanent legacy to the city’s 850th anniversary and an enduring artwork.

The design mixes the ancient craft of mosaic laying with cutting edge modern construction techniques, employing an aluminium honeycomb cylindrical form built by TRB lightweight solutions, who use the same material on space craft shields and are currently cladding the Hadron Collider. The well is an ancient scheduled monument, so the work ingeniously is fitted to slide into the 770-year-old circular void without touching the sides or capped floor of the mediaeval structure, having been lowered into place with millimetre wide precision using a specially constructed gantry.

https://joannakessel.co.uk/

https://www.aproxima.co.uk/

https://glasgowcathedral.org/

Photos by xxx