Showing posts with label Dumfries and Galloway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dumfries and Galloway. Show all posts

Tuesday 10 January 2023

Skulferatu #89 - Repentance Tower, Trailtrow Hill, Hoddom, Dumfries and Galloway

  

Another day and another hill to walk up.  Thankfully though, this one wasn’t too steep or too high, more of a gentle amble up over some grassy pasture to the top where there stands an old, stone tower at the side of a walled graveyard.  And from here there are views for miles around, right over to the Solway Firth.

 

An old style colour photograph showing a tower on a hill with trees off to one side.  This is Repentance Tower.   Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Repentance Tower on Trailtrow Hill

 

The tower was built by John Maxwell, Lord Herries, in the mid sixteenth century as a watchtower.  Over the lintel of the door into the building is carved the word ‘repentance’, and it is by this name that the tower is known. 

 

A photo of an old stone tower, Repentance Tower.  There is a wall around it and stairs leading up to a dark coloured door.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.=
Repentance Tower

 

There are various stories about how the tower acquired this name, with the most popular being that Maxwell was seeking atonement for a terrible act he had committed or caused.  One of the stories goes that he had led a raid into England and captured several prisoners.  On making his way back home, his boat was caught in a storm in the Solway Firth.  Fearing that it might sink, Maxwell sought to lighten the load, so cut the throats of his prisoners and threw them overboard into the sea.  Later, on arriving safely at shore, he was so overcome with guilt and grief about what he had done, that he had the tower built and named Repentance as a penance for his terrible deed.

 

A rather melodramatic dirge, sorry ballad, was written about this event by Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe - ‘The Lord Herries His Complaint’.  I’ll quote a few verses for you –

 

Under yon silver skimmering waves,

That saftly rise and fa,

Lie mouldering banes in sandy graves,

That fley my peace awa.

 

To help my boat, I pierced the throat

Of him whom ane lo'ed dear;

Nought did I spare his yellow hair,

And e'en sae bricht and clear...

 

Alas ! twelve precious lives were spilt,

My worthless spark to save;

Bet had I fallen, withouten guilt,

Frae cradle to the grave.

 

Repentance ! signal of my bale,

Built of the lasting stane,

Ye lang shall tell the bluidy tale,

When I am dead and gane.

 

And so, it goes on and on, like a lot of these Victorian ballads.

 

A view of Repentance Tower from the graveyard that surrounds it.  In the foreground are tall ferns and gravestones, with the tower in the background.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View of Repentance Tower from the graveyard

 

A view of Repentance Tower from the graveyard that surrounds it.  In the foreground are tall ferns and gravestones, with the tower in the background.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View of Repentance Tower from the graveyard

 

Another of the stories is that Dumfriesshire had been captured by the English, and Maxwell had been made to pledge allegiance to the English Crown.  To ensure that he kept his word he had been forced to hand over fifteen of his kinsmen.  These men would be kept as hostages and put to death if Maxwell broke his pledge.   However, Maxwell wished to marry Agnes Herries, and take the title of Lord Herries.  To do this he would have to betray his promise to the English and turn against them.  Thinking of the title and land he would acquire, he decided to do just this and at the Battle of Durisdeer he turned his forces against the English army.  The English were defeated and in revenge for Maxwell’s betrayal they executed the hostages he had handed over to them.  So, in terrible grief and guilt about causing the death of these innocents, Maxwell had the tower built to atone for what he had done.

 

It would appear likely though, that the way Repentance Tower got its name was quite mundane.  The tower was built out of the remains of Trailtrow Chapel, which had once stood there, and is why the tower is surrounded by a graveyard.  It is probable that the lintel stone was one taken from the chapel with the word Repentance already carved on it.  People saw this name above the door and assumed that this was the name of the building.  Legends then grew up around why the building had that name, leading to the various tales about Maxwell.  This is a pretty boring explanation though, so let’s not bother with it.

 

The tower was once a place that the philosopher Thomas Carlyle liked to spend time at, as he found it a building full of romance. For several years he rented a nearby farmhouse and farmed the land around the tower.  However, after riding his horse around some of the adjoining lands like an early nineteenth century boy racer, he fell out with the landlord and was asked to leave.  He did, but the tower and the lands around it always held a special place in his heart.

 

As well as serving as a watchtower in the sixteenth century, Repentance Tower was also used during WWII as a lookout post.  The local Home Guard kept a watch over the Solway Firth just in case there was an invasion, and the enemy force came in from there.  Luckily though, they never did.

 

A photo of a graveyard with a dozen or so stones in it.  The grass is high and uncut and a wall runs along in the background.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Graveyard at Repentance Tower

 

A photo of some gravestones in the graveyard by Repentance Tower.  A wall runs along one side and the background is the gentle slopes down and off into the distance.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Graveyard at Repentance Tower

 

A photo of a small gravestone in the graveyard at Repentance Tower.  It is of gray stone and has a primitive, round skull carved into it round eyes and top teeth.  with Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Gravestone at Repentance Tower

 

A black and white photograph of an old tower - Repentance Tower.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Repentance Tower

 

After wandering around the graveyard and taking in the views from there, I left the Skulferatu that had accompanied me on my walk, in a fern spouting crack in the tower walls.

 

A photo of a small, ceramic skull (Skulferatu 89) being held up with Repentance Tower in the background.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #89

 

A photo of a small, ceramic skull (Skulferatu 89) in a crack in the wall of the tower with ferns sprouting out and around.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #89 in a fern spouting crack in the wall

 

A photo of a small, ceramic skull (Skulferatu 89) in a crack in the wall of the tower with ferns sprouting out and around.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #89 in a fern spouting crack in the wall

 

Google Map showing location of Skulferatu #89
Map showing location of Skulferatu #89

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –

 

Latitude 55.03753

Longitude -3.323622

 

what3words: albatross.match.owns

 

I used the following sources for information on Repentance Tower –

 

Repentance Tower and its Tradition

By George Neilson

1985

 

The Lord Herries His Complaint.  

By Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe

Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border: Consisting of Historical And Romantic Ballads, Collected in the Southern Counties of Scotland; With a Few of Modern Date, Founded Upon Local Tradition. Vol. iii.

1821

 

Canmore – Repentance Tower

Canmore - Repentance Tower

 

Information Board at site

 

Literary by-paths in old England

by Henry C. Shelley

1906 

 

Tuesday 20 December 2022

Skulferatu #88 - Derelict Farmhouse, Upper Bardennoch, Moniaive, Dumfries and Galloway

 

Ah, what to do on the day they are burying a long serving monarch and you don’t really fancy being stuck in the house all day watching all that pomp and ceremony?  Well, taking a lead from a kids’ TV show I remember from the Seventies ‘Why Don’t You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead?’  I did just that.  I got up off my fat backside and went out for a walk up in the hills by the village of Moniaive.

 

Stopping off in Moniaive first of all, I wandered through the rather picturesque and very quiet village.  Everything was shut and no-one was out on the street, I assume because they were all staying in and watching the funeral.  Though, maybe they were all at home busy writing, composing and painting, as Moniaive is one of these places that despite its size has attracted many musicians, authors, and artists.  The artist James Paterson, one of the ‘Glasgow Boys’ lived here, as did the author of ‘Black Narcissus’, Rumer Godden, the comic book writer, Alan Grant, and the musician Alex Kapranos.

 

In the warm, afternoon sun I walked out of the village and up a track leading through some woods and then on to a steep, grassy, and bumpy path lined by two drystane dykes.  As I walked up the hill, I could see the sky around me darkening as the rain clouds came rolling in.

 

A photo showing the hills outside Moniaive with trees in the foreground and a cottage on top of the main hill.   Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
The rolling hills outside of Moniaive

 

I made it up to the rather atmospheric ruins of Upper Bardennoch Farm where I had a staring competition with a ram who after sizing me up for a bit, wandered off and kept a wary eye on me from a safe distance.  Then the rain came down.  It poured and poured and soaked right through the cheap and nasty ‘waterproof’ jacket I was wearing.  Five minutes later the rain was gone, the sun was out again, and I was drying off nicely. 

 

A photo of a grassy path with a drystone dyke running up along the side of it - in the distance is a derelict looking cottage type building with a lone tree standing off to one side - this is Upper Bardennoch Farm.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
The path up to Upper Bardennoch Farm

 

A photo showing a derelict cottage like building with a wall off to one side and a lone tree standing slightly away from the wall.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
The derelict remains of Upper Bardennoch Farmhouse

 

A photo showing a closer view of the derelict cottage like building of Upper Bardennoch Farm with a wall off to one side and a lone tree standing slightly away from the wall.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
The derelict remains of Upper Bardennoch Farmhouse

 

A view looking over a drystone wall to the ruins of Upper Bardennoch Farm.  The lone tree stands in the foreground.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View over Upper Bardennoch Farm

 

I had a wander around the ruins of the farm, which I suppose at some time in the not too distant past had been a home and a livelihood for someone but was now abandoned and falling down.  Parts of the farmhouse roof had caved in, and the doors and windows had been removed and replaced with iron bars to keep the curious out.  The remains of the outbuildings now served as nothing more than a place for sheep to shelter from the elements, with the ground in them a sludge of sheep poo and the walls a scraped fluff with tufts of wool.

 

A photo of a lone tree standing next to a grey drystane wall that forms a sheep pen.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Tree and sheep pen

 

A photo showing a triangular gap built into the drystane dyke wall of the sheep pen.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Gap in the wall

 

A view looking down onto fields and hills with the village of Moniaive in the centre.  Off to one side is a piece of land lit up in the sun while the rest is in the shadows of some dark rain clouds.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View from Upper Bardennoch over Moniaive

 

A photo of the ruined farmhouse of Upper Bardennoch Farm.  The windows and doors are gone with bars replacing the frames and the door.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Upper Bardennoch Farmhouse

 

I left a Skulferatu in one of the many cracks in the farmhouse walls and then I carried on with my walk to the top of Bardennoch Hill, before making my way back to Moniaive.

 

A photo of a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 88) being held up with the ruined farmhouse of Upper Bardennoch Farm in the background.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #88

 

A photo of a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 88) sitting in a crack in the walls of the ruined farmhouse at Upper Bardennoch Farm.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #88 in a crack in the farmhouse walls

 

Google Map showing location of Skulferatu #88
Map showing location of Skulferatu #88

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –

 

Latitude 55.206379

Longitude -3.91858

 

what3words: records.puppy.pocketed

Tuesday 6 September 2022

Skulferatu #81 - Caerlaverock Castle, Castle Road End, Dumfries

 

Just down from Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve, there sits the rather spectacular ruin of Caerlaverock Castle, and that is where I headed off to today.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get to go inside as, at the time of writing, it seems to be that every building in the care of Historic Environment Scotland is shut and nestled in scaffolding.  This makes it great fun when trying to photograph somewhere, to see how one can avoid the unsightly skeleton of metal poles sprouting out at the exact point where the building looks best.  I gave it a good try, though sometimes I think it would be easier to photograph the scaffolding and forget about the building.

 

A photograph of the ruins of Caerlaverock Castle showing the front towers and entrance to the castle, along with the mansion like ruins of the side of the castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Caerlaverock Castle

 

A photograph of the ruins of Caerlaverock Castle showing the front towers and entrance to the castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Caerlaverock Castle

 

The Caerlaverock Castle I visited today is actually the second of two castles sharing the same name.  The first is just down the road with only the foundations and moat now remaining.  It was abandoned due to it getting flooded in several storm surges, and was replaced by the second castle, which was completed in around 1290. 

 

Caerlaverock Castle was built in a unique triangular shape with towers at each corner and is surrounded by a moat.

 

A diagram showing the plan of the site of Caerlaverock Castle.  Taken from 'The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the Twelfth to the Eighteenth Century - Volume One.'  By David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross. Published in 1887
Caerlaverock Castle – Plan of Site

 

The castle was originally a stronghold for the Maxwell family, being built for Sir Aymer Maxwell, with his son Sir Herbert de Maxwell and his household, becoming the first occupants.

 

In 1300 the castle was besieged by King Edward I of England and his army.  This was in retaliation for an attack on the English held Lohmaben Castle, which had been carried out by the garrison stationed at Caerlaverock.  The garrison, which consisted of only sixty men, managed to repel the full might of the English army several times before being forced to surrender.  The castle was then in English hands for a while before eventually being returned to the Maxwell family.  However, due to them backing the wrong side between those vying to be the Scottish king, the castle was again captured and taken from them in around 1355, and this time it was also partially dismantled. 

 

A few years later the Maxwells got hold of the castle again and Sir Robert Maxwell (no, not the infamous fat one who owned the Daily Mirror) rebuilt much of the castle between 1373 and 1410.  Family descendants of his then carried out a whole lot more building work, making the castle quite fancy with a nice, comfortable mansion in it.

 

A photograph of the ruins of Caerlaverock Castle showing the front towers and entrance to the castle, along with the drawbridge going over the moat around the castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Moat and drawbridge around the castle

 

A photo looking along the drawbridge of Caerlaverock Castle to the door to enter the building.  The wooden door is closed.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Drawbridge over to castle entrance

 

A photo showing the rather eroded coat of arms carved in stone above the entrance to Caerlaverock Castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Coat of Arms above entrance door to the castle

 

Black and white photograph showing the stone walls around the courtyard of the castle.  Photograph taken from the Seventh Report with Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Dumfries for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland by Herbert Maxwell & others.  Published 1920
Courtyard of the castle – photo from RCAHMCS, 1920

 

Unfortunately for the Maxwells, who were Catholic, the rise of Protestantism in Scotland didn’t bode well for them.  In 1640 an army of Covenanters besieged Caerlaverock.  The siege went on for thirteen weeks before those inside were forced to surrender.  The Covenanters then let Lord Maxwell, his wife and their page go free, but executed everyone else, around forty people, who had been defending the castle. The castle, which had been badly damaged during the siege, was never occupied again.

 

A photo showing one of the castle towers at the back of the building, it is well preserved though the building to the side is in ruins.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Castle tower

 

A photo showing a view of Caerlaverock Castle from the back, looking over the moat to ruined buildings within the castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View of Caerlaverock Castle

 

A photo showing a view of Caerlaverock Castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View of Caerlaverock Castle

 

A photo showing a view of Caerlaverock Castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View of Caerlaverock Castle

 

On my wanders around the castle grounds, I found a little nook in the drawbridge wall and left a Skulferatu there.

 

A photo of a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 81) being held up in front of Caerlaverock Castle.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #81

 

A photo of a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 81) in a little nook in a pink stone wall on which the drawbridge to the castle sits.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #81 in a little nook in the wall under the drawbridge

 

A close-up photo of a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 81) in a little nook in a pink stone wall on which the drawbridge to the castle sits.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #81 in a little nook in the wall under the drawbridge

 

Google Map showing location of Skulferatu #81
Map showing location of Skulferatu #81

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –

 

Latitude 54.976054

Longitude -3.524122


what3words: metals.loudness.redouble

 

I used the following sources for information on Caerlaverock Castle -

 

Canmore

Canmore - Caerlaverock Castle

 

Wikipedia

Caerlaverock Castle - Wikipedia

 

Seventh Report with Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Dumfries

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland

by Herbert Maxwell & others

1920

 

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the Twelfth to the Eighteenth Century

Volume One

By David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross

1887

 

Tuesday 30 August 2022

Skulferatu #80 - Durisdeer Roman Fortlet, Durisdeer, Dumfries and Galloway


On a misty morning I took a walk from Durisdeer up a path through the nearby hills.  It was a nice, dry path with a lovely and well-kept dry stane dyke running alongside it and a signpost that told me I was two miles away from a place I’d never heard of.  Let’s walk there I thought.  It’s probably some pretty village...maybe I can get a nice cup of tea there.  So, off I wandered up a path that gradually got steeper.  Not massively steep, but steep enough for a fat, sweaty old man like myself.   I huffed and I puffed my way up, the humidity of the day taking its toll on me and the armpits of my shirt.  Eventually I arrived at my destination, finding nothing there other than an old hut collapsing into the marshy ground, some stone wall sheep pens, and a sign by a path across the wall, pointing back down the hill.  This signpost informed me that I was a mile away from a Roman Fortlet.  Well, as it was on my way back down the hill, I thought I’d follow the path and go there to have a look.

 

A photo showing a mound on the ground with hills in the distance, all looking very green.  The mound is where Durisdeer Roman Fortlet once stood.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Durisdeer Roman Fortlet

 

A photo showing the green mound of the remains of Durisdeer Roman Fortlet with a hill in the background and a dry stane dyke wall running along in the lower foreground.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Durisdeer Roman Fortlet

 

I started off and could very soon see the mound that the Fortlet had once stood on.  Now you would think that when something is in your view that you couldn’t really get lost walking to it, well you haven’t met me then.  I am the man who on his first trip to Paris, went looking for the Eiffel Tower and managed to walk past it three times.  I was too busy looking down at the map I was using to notice that I was right across from it.  Then I looked up and had one of those ‘oh’ moments.  So, as I walked down to the Fortlet, I somehow managed to veer from the path leading there and ended up walking down a dry stream bed that led me into a marshy, boggy patch of ground.  I could only find my way out of this by following the sheep trails.  Luckily, they seem to prefer the dryer ground.  Unluckily, they never take the direct route anywhere.  Anyway, after walking this way and that way, I eventually got back on to the path again and made my way to the Fortlet.

 

A photo of a view down the valley leading to the Roman Fortlet at Durisdeer.  The Fortlet can be seen in the distance.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View down the valley to the Roman Fortlet

 

A photo showing a grassy mound - this being where Durisdeer Roman Fortlet once stood.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
The Roman Fortlet

 

The Fortlet is described as one of the best preserved in Britain, though to be honest all I could really see was a mound with some slightly different coloured vegetation on it.  But still, it was weird to think that a couple of thousand years ago this was one of the outposts of the Roman Empire.  Hundreds of pairs of sandalled feet must have marched up here, probably following the road rather than wandering off into the marsh and bog like me.  On this damp mound there had been buildings where people had worked, eaten, slept and kept a careful eye out on what the locals were getting up to.  Now, just a few sheep stood around munching on the vegetation, and keeping a wary eye on me.

 

A photo showing tall wild grasses on top of the mound where the Roman Fortlet once stood and a view down the valley below.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
On the site of the Roman Fortlet

 

A photo showing the view down through the hills from the Roman Fortlet.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View down through the hills from the Roman Fortlet

 

A photo showing a couple of wary looking sheep standing on the side of the mound of the Roman Fortlet at Durisdeer.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Wary sheep keep watch at the Roman Fortlet

 

The Fortlet is believed to have been built during the Antonine period, sometime around AD 142.  It was one of many built along the road that once ran along past it.  The Fortlet would have housed a detachment of soldiers from a larger fort, who were stationed in these smaller forts where they could more easily deal with, and control, the local population.

 

The Fortlet was built on a mound and surrounded by a protective ditch. Excavations carried out on the mound revealed that there had been some wooden buildings there.  These are believed to have been the barracks for the soldiers based at the Fortlet.

 

Diagram showing a plan of the Roman Fortlet at Durisdeer - taken from 'The Roman Occupation Of South Western Scotland' which was published in 1937.
Plan of Roman Fortlet near Durisdeer

 

Watched by some sheep, I left the Skulferatu that had accompanied me on my walk in amongst the small marsh plants growing where the Fortlet would have once stood.

 

A photo showing a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 80) being held up with the mound of the Roman Fortlet at Durisdeer in the background.  A mysterious figure is standing on top of the mound.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #80

 

A photo showing a small ceramic skull (Skulferatu 80) lying in amongst the small marsh plants growing on top of the mound on which Durisdeer Roman Fortlet once stood.  Photograph by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #80 in amongst the marsh plants

 

A really useful map showing the location of Skulferatu #80
Map showing location of Skulferatu #80

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –

 

Latitude 55.325558

Longitude -3.731063


what3words - bedrooms.bibs.splice

 

I used the following sources for information on Durisdeer Roman Fortlet -

 

The Roman Occupation Of South Western Scotland

By John Clarke, J.M. Davidson, Anne S. Robertson & J.K. St Joseph

1937

 

Canmore

Canmore - Durisdeer Roman Fortlet

 

Article and photographs are copyright of © Kevin Nosferatu, unless otherwise specified.