Wigtownshire Ramblers Ardwell Coast to Coast and Barbecue August 2014

Saturday August the 16th 2014.

The walk would take us from the east coast of the South Rhins to the west coast.

Over the years we've walked quite regularly in this area.

Here's one link that leads to other links of previous walks.

January 2012

As usual, the report will follow the pictures

Leaving Chapel Rossan Bay and entering the Ardwell Estate

Killaser Burn

Killaser Beck

Alongside Ardwell's Walled Garden

Watch the birdie !

To the woods

Exiting to Ardwell Church

It's a mighty fine piece of architecture

All twenty three of us get in the picture. Thanks John.

The stile that the minister Andrew Barr (back in the early nineteen hundreds) used to cross when coming from his manse at Aucleach to Ardwell Church.

Low Auchleach Dairy Farm

Lunch

A barn and a bull

Luce Bay views

Glenhie Smithy

Invasive Balsam and road into Clachanmore

A fun frontage

Clachanmore School then and now.

The Stationmaster by his namesake sign.

Salt Pan Cottage

Black Cave

Will Purvis circus strong man and cave dweller.

(The picture on the right is courtesy of the Dumfries and Galloway publication, 'Through the Lens' 'Glimpses of old South Rhins')

I found this poem by Patrick Scott Hogg, Cumbernauld, Scotland, 1991 on the Poetry of Scotland website.

William Purvis: The Ardwell Caveman ©

'Twixt Portpatrick and Ardwell bay
In the south Rhins of Galloway
There is a cave, weel hid away
Upon a rocky shore.

Doon thru the hawthorn, gorse and whun
A weel trod path does wynd and run
It's there Will Purvis chose to shun
The world o' money lore.

His face was known in every town
As a travellin', smiling clown:
'Twas then he chose to settle down
In 1894.

His comfort was a seat and bed
To rest his aged limbs and head
And when the sun set glowing red
The stars he did explore.

What tranquil balm and peace of mind
Comes unto him who leaves behind
The paths of fame, yet riches find
'Mid Nature's simple store?

Here, gulls cry wild upon the breeze
Waves rise and gently fall with ease
And Time, it passes as you please
When Summer's come once more.

Here, one wicked wild west wintry gale
Waves crashed and roared in angry wail
Ae night nae demon would set sail
And, Will was seen no more...

When salt spray flies o'er the Pan bay
A white-bearded ghost, so they say
Walks to the sea at break of day
Upon that eerie shore.

A seabird chorus from afar
Sings the cliff-top rocky scaur
"The wind and sea know where you are."
Will Purvis is no more!

Sheep Hank and Partan Point

A variety of beach litter

A round cap on the shoreline

Ardwell Bay beach

Uphill from beach.

Botany cottage

West High Ardwell Farm

Dairy cows

The next group of pictures are of our annual barbecue and our rambling volunteers who catered brilliantly. 

The chefs

Here's chief barbecue organizer Miss Goodnight with the dessert.

A great finish to a lovely day.

Here's the report 

Wigtownshire Ramblers 16th of August - Ardwell Coast to Coast

Twenty three walkers gathered at Chapel Rossan Bay for the walk. A breezy cloudy day brought about a change to the planned walk which would now end at High Ardwell.
We began the walk by crossing the A716 and entered the Ardwell House and Gardens estate. Almost immediately we were on one of the estates woodland walks through mature and exotic trees. We followed Killaser Beck past a scenic falling water course. As the beck widened we watched ducks and a majestic swan gliding gracefully across the water.
A fine wooden bridge took us alongside the walled garden where we again accessed another woodland path to bring us to the north western corner of the estate.
We emerged from the woods by Ardwell church. Our leader who has had a long association with this church showed us around its exterior. Constructed of freestone it held its first service back in 1902. We had a group photo taken.
At this point we were joined by a local farmer who our leader had recruited to guide us over the fields of the next section to avoid a particularly tetchy dairy bull.
In Church wood we viewed a dried up pond that once worked a water wheel. We emerged onto an area of drumlins where we were afforded excellent views across Luce Bay to the Machars. Our temporary leader also showed us a stile in a drystone wall that the minister of the church had to cross on his long walk from the manse at Auchleach to the church. Having said goodbye to the farmer we next passed through Low Auchleach farm and continued west along a farm track.
A low wall in front of stacked timber proved to be an ideal stopping place for a tea/coffee break.
Well refreshed we continued on to reach Barnunan hill, one of the highest points of the walk. Here we had even better views of Luce Bay, Sandhead,  Clayshant Control Tower and the bombing targets towards Ringdoo Point.
After passing the modernized Glenhie Smithy, now a private residence, we reached the tarmac road to Clachanmore. Our leader who’d fetched along an illustrated booklet, 'Glimpses of old South Rhins', now talked of the interesting character that was Will Purves. Will was a former circus strong man and lived in a cave near Saltpan Bay for many years at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century. He'd spend his evenings in the Smithy, entertaining the company by lifting the anvil from its stand and carrying it round the smithy. On one occasion he was annoyed by a remark. He left, took the anvil with him and left it a quarter mile away at the crossroads. The blacksmith required assistance to retrieve it!
At Clachanmore Crossroads we looked at the wonderful building that was once the schoolhouse. On reaching Low Ardwell we turned west to reach Kenmuir Farm. Our very own rambling namesake posed by the sign for a photograph.
Tarmac turned to track as we made our way onto the rocky shoreline at Saltpans Bay.
Around half the group took the fifty metre walk into the damp darkness of Black Cave, sadly we didn’t find any hidden treasure.
We continued walking carefully to reach Ardwell Bay and the beach. After a pleasant walk on the sand we turned back inland.
A steady climb took us past the Wee Ardwell Woodshop to reach High Ardwell and the walk finish.  Drivers were now ferried back to the walk start to collect their vehicles.
Meanwhile in the barn, our volunteers had been busy preparing and cooking the burgers, drumsticks, salad and side dishes in preparation for our annual barbecue.
We began to tuck in when the drivers returned. A second course of fruit, gateau and lashings of cream followed, an indulgent end to a lovely day.    
Next week’s walks will be a climb of Criffel overlooking the Nith estuary and a more gentle walk around New Abbey. The start times and meeting points are the same for both walks. Meet for car sharing at the Breastworks car park in Stranraer at 8.00 am, the Riverside car park in Newton Stewart at 8.30 am or the walk start at New Abbey Car Park (NX 964 663) at 10 am. For further details or if going direct to the walk start please phone the walk leader on 01776 840226. New members are always welcome.

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Galdenoch Larbrax Lochnaw Circular February 2011

Saturday the 26th of February.
Todays walk is a Castles and Coast walk in the North Rhins.

Our walk leader today is 'The Weaver" aka Spinning Jenny.
Having received her lovely report nice and early, I'll be using it on this blog.
I've covered Lochnaw 2010 Leswalt Walk  Aldouran Glen 2008 and Galdenoch Meikle Galdenoch a few times now.

Here's the Weaver's report.

A bright and sunny morning greeted the 22 ramblers who gathered at Lochnaw Home farm on Saturday, for a walk of castles and coast.

Looking at the surrounding concrete surfaces the company strained to imagine the war time troop hospital which was situated here.

A farm track was followed through woods which were carpeted with drifts of snowdrops, the warmth and sunshine making a welcome change from the weather of recent walks.

After crossing the B738 another farm track led straight to the shore at Larbrax Bay , where a beautiful, wide, sandy beach, and shining sea, delighted the eyes.

Here the path swung around to gain the cliff edges where an Iron Age hill fort, rumoured to have Viking connections, was examined. High double ditches surround a large flat centre, which commands great views over the surrounding area.

Beach Cottage.

The coast was now followed northwards, every step enlivened by wonderful views, with Ireland emerging from the distant clouds.

A descent back towards the shore.

I've zoomed my camera in to take this pictures.I think it's an oil tanker, perhaps a reader more conversant with oil tankers can confirm this ?

After passing an old sheep clipping station, and climbing over ramps, designed to enable quad bikes to cross easily between field boundaries, the ramblers scrambled down through boggy undergrowth to reach Salt Pans Bay .

Is that our Chairwoman out for a duck ?A ball was found and a kickabout ensued.Above right is our number one goalkeeper.Multi sports as well as walking ?,aren't we a talented bunch.

(A comment by a regular blog reader has posed an interesting question on the Duck's voyage.Is this one of the 29,000 yellow ducks shipwrecked in 1992 which have been helping the scientists to map the oceans currents for nearly 20 years.We'll never know since I think we heartless creatures that we are abandoned it ourselves here at Saltpan Bay)

Another Iron Age fort is hidden here amongst the rocks but the most conspicuous remains are from the 17^th century buildings associated with salt works, which used local peat to evaporate salt water, and which were in operation for about 200 years. Lunch was taken at this sheltered and pretty spot.

On the move again.

The walk now led inland past a fascinating round shelter by Loch More, used by game hunters on the recently defunct shooting estate. Now ducks and cormorants were the only hunters around, enjoying an afternoon fishing on the loch.

Galdenoch Castle , an L shaped, 16^th century tower house in ruinous condition, was the next point of interest with crow steps and commemoration plaque.

 Numerous eucalyptus trees grew within its enclosing wall, displaying their beautiful peeling bark to advantage in the sunshine.

Here's a stitched view of the ruins.

After following the farm track to the road, the ramblers eventually entered the grounds of Lochnaw estate once more at Kathleen cottage, and took a snowdrop path to the loch side, where two resident swans were serenely drifting about. The castle looked at its best from here, with reflective water in the foreground, and a backdrop of woods, surmounted by the lookout of Kinsale tower.

Recent work on the walled garden, with fruit bushes and trees planted up, were viewed through gates, before the castle itself, with sunken garden and renovated stonework, rose magnificently before the walkers.

 Built in the 15^th century by the Agnews, the most recent owner is doing a splendid job, refurbishing this building and the surrounding estate.

My photo stitching is occasionally suspect as can be seen in the above picture.
I do think the castle would be enhanced with such a curvature though.

Only a short walk remained, past the old laundry, and a building which used to store the game shot on the estate, before Lochnaw Home farm was reached again. An interesting, varied walk enhanced by the warm sunshine had been enjoyed by the ramblers, who now decamped to Kirkland tearoom for welcome refreshments.