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Dumfries and Galloway Old Places, Gretna Green (2026)

05/11/2025

Mill Green (Dumfries industrial heritage): Rope Work, Rope Walk ...

Today briefly looking at the house on Millgreen (MIll Green) - fronting the Nith on the Troqueer side - that I find currently advertised as an airbnb and for sale - but which appears to have origins in the Georgian era rope-making industry in the town.

We find a building here depicted on Wood's map of 1819, and even before this the Mill Green rope work is mentioned in the Dumfries Weekly Journal, e.g., in 1809, and again during 1817 in respect of a change of ownership: following the death of a Mr Armstrong (likely established here before 1800) a Thomas Fearn (from Workington in Cumbria) took over.

Scanning the historical OS maps for Dumfries and Maxwelltown/Troqueer - we see several rope walks indicated. These tended to be sited on long and level surfaces, upon which the ropes were laid out and fabricated. And on the 1850 map (not shown) there is a 'boiler' house behind the Mill Green building - presumably for heating the tar which coated the ropes. Unsure if anything of it remains (in the garden)?

There are four rope makers listed in the Dumfries directory for 1825-26, and in a subsequent edition (plus in the OS Name Book for c.1850) we find this one now owned by a William Little (Fearn had died in 1823), whose business premises (shop?) were in Friars Vennel.

The Mill Green 'cottage' as described in c.1850 looks to have changed form (been rebuilt/replaced?) by the time of the 1893 OS map - on which though the rope walk is still marked. So I think the current structure was simply a residence - replacing a former ropemaker's abode, with an adjoining little 'factory' alongside.

Much later - c.1960 - the building seems to have been converted to a shop.

Naturally I had a skulk in the bushes for any signs of the rope walk - although I didn't expect to find any (and didn't).

04/11/2025

Kirkbean: Kirk (for sale), 'Chapelgrove', local mansions, etc

Dipping into the archives for these images - but from what I understand not much has changed since then (2022). The kirk - an 18th-19th c. structure on a much older church site - though was recently put up for sale (£425K has it sold?).
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159392276 #/?channel=RES_BUY

While as far as I know, the 'cottage' of Chapelgrove - which we find described in the OS Name Book of c.1850 - is still derelict.

For a fascinating and in depth account of local history here - including notably of the nearby Arbigland House - read Alice Rourke's book as published in 2023 (available in Waterstones on Dumfries High Street).

02/11/2025

Troqueer Kirk & Kirkyard

Medieval church, replaced on site in the late-18th c., subsequently remodelled by James Barbour in 1887. The surrounding graveyard is a veritable treasure trove of information on local history. Of countless memorials to be seen, two shown in the images are those commemorating Gen. Thomas Goldie of Goldielea (d. 1804, aged 54), his wife and 2 of his daughters, and another of the Kirkpatrick mausoleum.

01/11/2025

Dumfries 'Lost' farms (continued .... including 'Carthagena')

Recently we've looked at a trio of former farms on the edge of the town (beyond the burgh boundaries but still within Dumfries parish) - two of them demolished (Summerfield and Marchfield) and one where the farmhouse still stands, but with its farmstead buildings gone (Fountainbleau).

Today briefly exploring another four in and around Georgetown. Two of these seem to have disappeared under modern housing - Carthagena and Mossband; at a third, the farmhouse - probably not the original (like Fountainbleau) remains as a private residence, but the other structures are ruinous - Under Craigs; and the fourth where the entire 'block' of house and buildings survives more or less intact - Craigs (also a private residence, pics taken from public road other than 2 from a sale brochure).

The extracts from the OS map of 1855 show the farm layouts in detail - and we can see each had a horse-engine house, or 'gin gang'. Part of this structure remains at Craigs; while at Under Craigs very little survives of the same above its lower courses. In an image (taken perhaps 50 years ago when a lot more of it stood) on trove.scot, we can see the gin gang at Under Craigs was a sort of octagonal shape: https://www.trove.scot/image/1633315

Each of the farms is marked on Crawford's map of 1805 (if his alignment seems a bit 'out'), and elsewhere the farmhouse at Craigs is dated to 1800 (HES). But I imagine at least two are quite a bit older. All are described in the OS Name Books of c.1850 (re both owners and occupiers - note 'thrashing machine' mentioned for all four farms, each housed in the gin gang).

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/virtual-volumes/volume-images/volume_data-OS1-10-26/REX01676?search_token=19275116376905d5c85e99c&image_number=47

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/virtual-volumes/volume-images/volume_data-OS1-10-11/REX01676?image_number=220&search_token=14161515046905cfb2ca52f

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/virtual-volumes/volume-images/volume_data-OS1-10-11/REX01676?image_number=219&search_token=14161515046905cfb2ca52f

'Craigs Cottage' as mentioned in the last link is south of the farm, not visible from the road.

Finally, odd name for a local farm, Carthagena ('Cartagena'?) - possibly named after the military engagement between Britain and Spain in the mid-18th century? Just a guess on my part (though I'm finding a tenuous connection linking D&G with one of the British [actually Scottish] commanders who died during the campaign). Anyone know anything more about this?

01/11/2025

Dumfries - RC graveyards & mortuary chapels

Absolutely nothing to do with Halloween, I was searching through these burial grounds - the older one of Holy Cross and that of St Andrews (Calside/Craigs Rd) - for a name I never found. Story of possible descendants of a Napoleonic POW who settled in Dumfries, married a local woman, and had children.

Came across other interesting graves nonetheless - especially associated with St Benedict's convent and St Andrew's church - not to mention the two mortuary chapels (c.1855 & c.1910?) evidently no longer in use.

31/10/2025

'Lost Mansion' of Halleaths (nr. Lochmaben)

The history of this old place goes back to medieval times - with ownership passing across the centuries from Carruthers, to Kennedys, to Gordons (the succession not always strightforward it seems) - with the estate finally bought by Dr Andrew Johnstone around 1840. Johnstone quickly built the mansion house which stood until demolition in the 1950s. A series of earlier structures - the first perhaps a towerhouse - had stood on or near the site.

One source states David Bryce as having designed Halleaths in the 1860s - but this doesn't quite tie in with what I read elsewhere (either Bryce had designed it for Johnstone c.1842 - or he simply did some later remodelling of the existing mansion and/or added additional buildings on the estate).

Excellent detailed article on Halleaths, including its various owners and WW2 use, from Lochmaben Communiy Council.
https://lochmaben.org.uk/home/heritage/halleaths/

Quite a few images of the stables, lodge(s) etc on trove.scot
https://www.trove.scot/search?q=halleaths&page_type=Digital%20Images&viewmode=grid

30/10/2025

Durisdeer - 'Mystery Tea Shop' sign (appeal for info.)

Sue Greig, who is researching the background/provenance of this sign - now in Dumfries Museum but seemingly taken from a tea shop once operating in the hamlet of Durisdeer during the late-Georgian and/or Victorian period - wonders if anyone can enlighten us more on the establishment?

As in - who ran it? How long was its duration?

Durisdeer village of course never had more than a small population (approx. 150 people) - but owing to the Queensberry Monument ('Marbles') had become something of a tourism attraction by the early-19th c.

One person who might be able to enlighten us is Rob Laidlaw - who I met time of my visit to Durisdeer a few months ago. Rob's ancestors lived in the village, and he transcribes the headstones on a volunteer basis for the DGFHS. But I have no contact for him.

Looking at the census for the village (1841 and 1851) the only 'commercial' activity I can see is for a McMurdo family, who are listed as grocers (and selling spirits). Might they also have been running a tea shop? [edit: seems like this may well be the 'tea shop family' - mother and son - especially the son Thomas, based on some info contained in the DGSA].

The text on the wooden sign - on a wall at Dumfries Museum - also has some quaint little illustrations, including one of a redcoat soldier [Thomas McMurdo appears to have had a 'thing' for the Napoleonic Wars - DGSA entry]. See the last image for the full text. The full sign is quite long, so sorry I've had to 'stretch' it over 3 pictures.

74 images of the Queensberry Marbles with detailed descriptions on trove.scot: https://www.trove.scot/place/120885?page=1

29/10/2025

Ken Bridge (nr. New Galloway) - masons' marks

Pictures sent me by Becky Jones of the discreetly carved masons' marks under this bridge of c.1820 across the Ken. It's a topic -stonemason/mason symbols - I know little about, but I read there was a bit of a revival in Georgian and Victorian times of the old tradition better associated with medieval buidlings.

See Becky's full post on Wanders in Dumfries and Galloway here: https://www.facebook.com/WildWanders

A few more images of the coaching house of the Spalding Arms (the Spalding family being major players in this locale - see previous post on Balmaclellan kirk and graveyard) - now the Ken Bridge Hotel - and an estate map image from 1799 depicting the 'new bridge', which was in fact that of c.1795 soon swept away and replaced by the present one.

Also, extract from an article with a sample of masons' marks.

28/10/2025

Dumfries (Maxwelltown/Troqueer): 'lost' Ryedale Glove Factory/Wolsey Factory (and surviving house) ... & bakers?

I was reading a bit about the Ryedale Glove Factory strike in 1912, when '150 women working at the Ryedale Glove Factory went on strike and were victorious against an established national employer.'

Coming across the image as shown on trove.scot (formerly Canmore) of the now-demolished factory - here facing Ryedale Road - I'm guessing (based on maps) this was the 'frontage' of the glove factory as built in 1908 by Tyler & Co. (a firm from Leicester) - then extended in stages (suggested by subsequent maps and Dean of Guild records) when Wolsey took over c.1930?

Also a couple of images of the adjacent chateau-like mill building on Troqueer Road - one from the other week, and one from trove.scot which from the cars looks to have been taken around 50 years ago? On the latter I see a sign for 'White & Wilson Confectioners' - was this the bakers that came to occupy the building in more recent times?

We find Ryedale marked on Wood's map of 1819 - the house of Burns' friend 'John Syme Esqre' which still stands today.

Any info as always appreciated.

The 1912 strike: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/society-politics-law/sociology/the-1912-ryedale-glove-factory-strike-dumfries

YouTube video of the Wolsey factory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nodkpamvqho

Dumfries and Galloway Old Places

05/11/2025

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02/11/2025

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31/10/2025

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