Wigtownshire Ramblers New Luce April 2012

Saturday the 7th of April 2012

Today's walk is a circular from the village of New Luce.

With still no resolve of my ongoing health issues, I hope I'm up to it. 

It's an extended version of a walk we did back in 2008.

2008 Walk

Twenty of us set out from the west side of New Luce. (We parked in a lay-bye of  old silage as there was a big funeral taking place in the village)

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) in a New Luce Garden

After crossing the bridge back into New Luce we now climbed up to this monument.

The wording reads 'Peden Memorial Free Church 1871'.

Alexander Peden was ordained minister here in 1660.

The stone in the collage below set into a front garden wall reads.
This stone was brought from the fortification of Sevastapol by the late Admiral Sir John Dalrymple-Hay of Castle of Park, Glenluce, who commanded a battleship during the Crimean War in 1856. He presented the stone to the minister of the Free Kirk, then resident here at Mansewood.

On the bridges at either end of the village (above collage at the top), are strange looking sculptures.

Thanks to the 'Weaver' for this info.

The art work at New Luce is one of four installed in 2010. The subjects are the Water of Luce and the Cross Water. There is one on each bridge and two outside the village – ours was obviously one of those outside. The outer works are Trysts – secretive meeting places recording the names of five features in the landscape that each river has passed on its way to the village.  The bridge works are ‘seeds’ –’ each a cast bronze form held above the river by an oak structure and a bronze chain’.  We are supposed to think about the seeds being released and joined together where the two rivers meet. They used forms which would degrade and weather, growing plants on them and blending with the landscape.

This is the 'last' house in the village. It's the cobblers !

After our little tour of New Luce Village we take the Glenluce road for a mile and a half or so.

Just outside the village we come upon the Trysts mentioned above. I got the names of four of the five secret meeting places. Gowk Nest Wood, Lagafater, Bloody Wiel and Black Pot. I missed the fifth one somehow.

 Created by Matt Baker and his assistant Jo Warner. More info here New Luce Art

All over Galloway, new lambs are being born.

Aren't they gorgeous.

Shortly after crossing the Cruise burn we take the farm track east. This is a section of the Southern Upland Way.

We passed by quickly so this mother could tend to her new born lamb.

She was just getting to her feet as we went out of view.

Nearing Kilhern we're regarded suspiciously by a herd of highlanders.

Once at the ruins of Kilhern ,our leader imparted his memories of seeing it as a working farm. I went looking for a non existent well. If I'd looked at my 2008 post I'd have remembered where it was.

From Kilhern the SUW heads North.

A deviation from the path brings us to the Caves of Kilhern. 

Megalithic Cairns or Cists 4000 to 5000 years old.

Ancient Stones

Here our leader reads some historical facts.

Technical details are here at Canmore 

Since the Caves of Kilhern aren't really caves, then this isn't really a cave dweller. Still, must be a rare species.

Still on the SUW we make our way over to Barnshangan.

We cross a shaky bridge on the Cross Water of Luce and lunch overlooking the delightful Loups of Barshangan waterfalls. 

Scoop captures me having a mouthful.

(thanks for the pics)

After lunch and having left the SUW, we take a farm road north from Barshangan.

Roughly a mile further on we come to the remnants of the

Knockibae Lead Mines

I disturb a resting barn owl.

Now we cross a number of fields in a westerly direction.

The leader is trying to hurry the walk along, but a mini revolution sees a short sit down.

A couple of drops of moisture in the air brings a smile to his face....'now they have to move'

As well as myself and Scoop, we now have another regular who takes lots of pictures, usually more of scenery than people though. The above is one of hers. (that's me second left)
Closely related to the 'Weaver', I think we should give her the monicker/moniker of 'The Milkmaid'

We now access the top of Kiln Hill above Knockibae Farm.

There's a concrete base laid ready for another wind turbine.

This was once a Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post.

Knockibae Farm, track and road soon brought us to New Luce and the end of the walk.

We finished the day off with refreshments at the County Golf Club.

Though I'm still suffering, this walk can only have done me good.

I'll be leading next weeks.