Iron nails at ancient church

The ancient church at Cruggleton sits at the site of what was once an important settlement of the Britons who once inhabited Galloway. Long afterwards a castle was built there but it is now in ruins and there are no traces of any settlement. Today the place is the preserve of the sheep and the circling crows.

The little church is surrounded by trees and a wall with stone steps set into it that allow the rare visitor to climb over and walk around the building. This door set with iron and huge hinges is particularly impressive. Cruggleton Church can be found on the B7063 a little south of Garlieston,

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Traces of the Vikings in Borgue blood?

Scholars hare argued for ages over the extend of Viking settlement in Galloway, with theories verging from the view that they were everywhere to the view that some were invited in and settled only in particular places to protect the locals from attack from wilder Norsemen.

Today the quiet village of Borgue, near Kirkudbright, is pretty and peaceful. But it is speculated that the name comes from the Old Norse language.

There is no better explanation of the history of the region than “Galloway, a Land Apart,” by Andrew McCulloch, 2000, published by Birlinn Limited, 579 pages, ISBN 1 84158 027 9.

It seems there may still be Vikings at Borgue, and McCulloch quotes on page 72, an 18th century source, “Heron, R. Observations made in a journey through the western counties of Scotland in the Autumn of 1792, 2 vols (Perth, 1793).

Heron wrote:, volume two page 204: “It is worthy of notice that the inhabitants of the district of Borgue...were long regarded by other people in the district as a sort of peculiar, insulated tribe. The families of the farmers had been settled there for many generations...were all mutually related by intermarriage [and] a person of singular appearance of manners was commonly said by the people of the country to be a Borgue body...I take them to have been a more unmixed race either of Danes or Anglo-Saxons than remained in any other part of this country.”

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Mysterious stones stand the test of time

Students of the strange should visit the Torehouse Stones which stand about three miles west of Wigtown, Scotland.

This is one of the best preserved ancient stone circles in Britain. Although much smaller than sites such as Stonehenge all the stones are still present and in good condition. There are 19 granite boulders, set on their ends. Three of the boulders are in the centre of the circle. The site is unusual for the area and is of a type more commonly found in northeast Scotland or in Ireland.

Of course, whenever a stone circle is mentioned lovers of myth quickly refer to the Druids although sceptics sigh at the wilder flights of fancy. What is certain is that the Torehouse Stones are very ancient indeed, perhaps Bronze Age (3300BC to 1200BC).

Local legend maintains that they are the burial place of King Galdus, a hero who fought the Romans in about 80AD. The three central stones are supposed to cover his grave while other stones a little distance to the north, across the road, are said to be where his generals lie and nearby cairns are said to be graves of soldiers. The circle certainly dates back a thousand years or more before the Romans came anywhere near the area but, who knows, perhaps such a significant site was used to bury the King much later? Are the stones across the road “heel stones” related to astronomical alignments or observations? The site has never been excavated so there are plenty of questions to be asked. If this site was “down south” it would have been massively investigated with all sorts of academic research and New Age speculation.

The diameter of the stone circle is from 61 to 66 feet and the stones are positioned between five and 11 feet apart, with the ones on the west side being smaller and closer to each other than on the west. It is unusual to find three stones in the centre of such circles. The stone in the centre of the trio is smaller than the other two and they are arranged in a line running northeast to southwest.

The site, which is open all the time and free, is in the care of Historic Scotland – see http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertydetail.htm?PropID=PL_291&PropName=Torhouse%20Stone%20Circle The stones are right next to the B733 road.

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What's wrong with Foul Hole?

A little outside Newton Stewart in Galloway there is a pleasant spot which marked on the map with the name Foul Hole.

Quite what the undistinguished triangle of land at a road junction has done to deserve this name is not known but fans of great addresses will want to add it to their collection.

Inspection of the site reveals piles of stones and bits and pieces that show that a building once stood there but with no clues as to whether it was a house or some other structure.

In Russia of old aristocrats enjoyed giving villages on their great estates insulting names to reflect their disdain for the peasantry. However, this was not a popular practice in Britain where the peasants could be an unruly mob. Perhaps the Foul Hole name commemorates a swamp or a bog that once existed at the road junction?

Foul Hole is a little to the north of the site of the ancient church, now vanished, of Penninghame Parish which was the centre of the local community before Newton Stewart was built. Today it is a lonely spot. The graveyard contains many interesting memorials, particularly the 18th century stones with their skulls, bones, angels and hourglasses representing fleeting time.

See the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 311, grid ref 413 618.

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Galloway's gorgeous apple

In 1267 a Dominican Friary was founded in Wigtown by the enormously wealthy Devorgilla, wife of John Balliol, after whom the Oxford college is named.

The monastery was situated near to where the current Church of Scotland church stands, see picture. The monastery was closed during the Reformation and it is thought that some of the stones from its buildings were used in nearby buildings. The friars used to fish in Wigtown Bay and were known for their skills in the orchards where a delicious pippin apple was cultivated.

There are few records of the monastery but the pilgrimage route to the ancient holy place of Whithorn passed close by and it is said that pilgrims were grateful to be given apples by the friars. Could some of the ancient rootstock be still hiding away somewhere around the former abbey's location?

In the middle of the 19th century, apple enthusiasts recorded the discovery of the Galloway Pippin, which is probably the tree that was cultivated at Wigtown. This is said to be an attractive apple and several people in Wigtown have trees flourishing in their gardens.

A good book to read is “Apples in Scotland,” by John Butterworth, Langford Press, ISBN 1-904078-00-1, email: ian@book-corner.co.uk

There is a picture of The Galloway Pippin on page 33 with the caption: “Ancient long-keeping cooker from Wigtown, known locally as 'Croft an Righ' (garden of the King). He writes on page 56: “Galloway Pippin' is a late cooker, eaten by some, which has been associated with the area around Wigtown in Galloway 'since time immemorial.' The local name 'Croft-an-Righ, is the same as the same name given by the Romans to the locality, and means 'garden of the king.' There is still a property in Wigtown with this name, with a tree of the same name! Not surprisingly, there are a number of good reports from this area. My inclined cordon has been excellent, and my young standard made a very promising start to cropping. I attribute the latter's development of canker to the fact that its branches were broken the ground trampled by cattle.”

Wigtown gardener Maggie recommends ordering Galloway Pippin trees from Butterworths' Organic Nursery, Garden Cottage, Auchinleck Estate, Cumnock, Ayrshire, KA18 2LR. Tel 01290 551 088. www.webage.co.uk/apples/ “200 years ago there were hundreds of acres of orchards in Clydesdale, the Borders and elsewhere. Our aim is to re-establish fruit tree growing in Scotland by making available suitable varieties, including some of the 40-Scottish-raised apple varieties. All our trees are raised to official organic standards.”

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