Local History & Archaeology Group
|
Last updated 29th January |
2012 got off to an unfortunate start with the January
meeting being postponed. Black ice and a broken wrist
have slowed things down somewhat. However, at the
meeting in February, we'll be looking ahead to the
forthcoming year, planning talks up to May and outings
throughout the 'summer' months.
An offer has already been made for the first of the
autumn sessions – more information on that at the
February meeting. In the meantime, look back on
last year's events and think about what you would like
to do this coming year . . .
The programme for this group varies. Talks are usuallly
held on the third Thursday of the month, and outdoor
visits tend to be planned similarly, although we do
sometimes have to opt for a change in day.
The
first of our outdoor visits in May was led by Jane Murray. We
are very fortunate to have an archaeologist
among our members! We explored
the Caves of Kilhern - a chambered cairn high up on the
moors near New Luce. A fascinating day where we learnt
more about 'reading' the ancient landscape and
discovering hut circles, cairns and burnt mounds.
The
latter are horse-shoe shaped mounds found near streams.
Stones were heated in a fire and dropped into a trough
of water to heat it for cooking. The mound (where some
are sitting in the photo), is said to result from the
clearing out of the trough, with stone fragments being
cast up into a mound, forming a horse-shoe or crescent
shape around the site of the trough.
We
spent a very windy, but fortunately dry day, on and
around the Fell of Barhullion with Blairbuy farmer Jock
McMaster. (His father features in the well known text on
Rock Art in Galloway by Morris.)
There
are seven cup and ring marks on Jock's land and although
some have been covered for many years - sometimes
hidden by gorse and grass, and are thus rather elusive,
we did manage to get some photographs.
Fortunately, the weather held for the tour of churches
and graveyards led by Elbeth Kerr.
Some of the gravestones proved to be a challenge as we
strained to read the inscriptions and work out what some
of the carvings represented. Others were more
straightforward and we could 'read' the symbols.
The four churches - Monnigaff, New Galloway, Dalry and
Balmaclellan all had different features and stories to
keep us interested. Some of us may well be making a
return visit - if only to catch a glimpse of the
kingfisher at Dalry!
On
18th August, we met at the Wood of Cree, before sharing
cars to the farm at Drannandow.
We were very fortunate with the weather for our walk
from Drannandow. Jane Murray led us to a number of
cairns, so easily missed to the untrained eye. It's
surprising just how many there are in that area.
The
views from the hillside there are quite magnificent and
we were lucky to have good visibility. Lunch was taken
beside the ruined Napper's Cottage where there is an
interesting chambered cairn, sadly robbed for much of
its stone.
We also explored a rather elusive stone circle, (the
smaller stones being dwarfed by tall rushy grasses) and
finally tracked down the Thieves standing stones - well
worth going the extra mile or so!
On
a blustery but sunny day, we met Jane Murray for our
visit to the Wood of Dervaird.
After giving us a brief history of the farm, Jane led us
over an area which according to the OS maps had no items
of historical interest, but we were able to study the
remains of old boundary walls, cairns, hut circles, old
roads and burnt mounds. The more we study the landscape
with Jane, the more our eyes are opened as to what
hitherto would have been walked past un-noticed.
The
October talk had a rather intriguing title The
Exodus from Whithorn, Glasserton & Mochrum: Travelling
Drapers and Tea Dealers in England and Wales.
Innes MacLeod has spent some time researching this
subject. It was surprising to discover just how many
people left the area in the mid C19th, to go to many
towns and cities in England and Wales. He has found
evidence of a number of folk from the Machars leaving
home and building up a successful business down south.
In some cases they returned here to buy farms or retire,
but many married women from England and stayed there
In December, we were
fortunate to have a return visit from John Pickin,
curator of Stranraer museum. John gave us an insight
into the various sources of the many artefacts held at
the museum - some donated by families who had moved away
from the area and wished their items to be held where
they had more relevance, others had been bid for at
auctions. We saw photos of a wide variety of objects,
ranging from military memorabilia to farming and
domestic implements. John emphasised that the museum was
very much one for Wigtownshire, not just Stranraer as
the name might imply.
Next Meeting
Febuary 16th 2.00 pm Whithorn Visitor
Centre (This will be the meeting we had to
postpone last month due to DGRI having priority.) While
having tea and coffee, we'll watch one of the DVDs from
the U3A Resource Centre on Scottish Castles -
chosen from a list at our December meeting. We'll also
discuss plans for the coming year.
As always, please ring Anne if you're able to attend -
this makes catering and seating arrangements easier.
This is a large group, but new members are still
welcome.