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 Newton Stewart August 2014

Saturday the 10th of August.

Wigtownshire Ramblers

I was the leader of this walk around Newton Stewart.

Though I walk regularly over sections of this route, the last time with the ramblers was in 2012.

2012 Walk.

Also on this walk was the Ayrshire Blogger. His excellent post can be seen on This Link 

My walk report will follow the pictures, the last of which will be a selection of Scoops.

From the riverside path to the old railway line.

Scoops excellent group photograph will surface later in the post.

Uphill to Barrhill Woods

The zig zag group with the meandering Cree behind

Newton Stewart from the telephone mast

Power lines 

Barbuchany Hill

Golf practice field

Bunny, ducks, swans and cygnets

Coffee break Blairmount

Doon Hill trigpoint

Old Hall drystone wall stile

View north (and observing the wall climbing)

Power lines to the Galloway Hills

Lunchtime

A felled tree makes an excellent bench

The good weather of the day puts plenty of smiles on folks faces.

Minnigaff or Monnigaff Church exploration.

Bottom right above is the McClurg headstone with the two ravens skewered to one arrow.

The story of the ravens and Robert the Bruce can be read on this Kirkcudbright Page.

Queen Mary Bridge

The tenth tee throne, hail the king.

Gate clambers

I took this to try and highlight the old beech tree behind. Nice enough picture, but Scoops picture later shows the tree better.

Onto Heron Way and along to Kirroughtree House

A heron on the weir at Creebridge

That's the end of my photographs.

Here's a selection of

Scoops

And a few more from

The Boatman

A good walk in great company with scones and tea to complete the day.
Here's my report.

Wigtownshire Ramblers Report for Saturday the 9th of August 2014.

On a bright morning with a good weather forecast, twenty eight ramblers met at the Riverside car park, Newton Stewart for the walk.
The Stranaraer contingent had started the day with the enjoyable spectacle of  porpoises playing in the harbour.
We started the walk by by following the riverside path south, and under the A75 bypass. On reaching the sheep pens, the A714 was carefully crossed and a climb over an old metal gate gave us access to the fields below Barrhill Woods.
After assembling on the old railway line, the leader gave walkers the choice of a straight up, steep slope, or a zig zag less severe route. The split was roughly fifty fifty.
Occasional short stops afforded wonderful views over the meandering Cree and estuary.
Passing through a gate, the mobile phone mast above Barrhill was now reached.
Here we took a moment to enjoy the view over Newton Stewart and to identify the Minnigaff Hills.
We now descended north west before another short climb took us up Barbuchany Hill. Another short break gave us a chance to identify more landmarks.
A gate at the bottom of the hill brought us out onto the Moor Park of Barr road where almost immediately the A75 was carefully crossed.
Walking single file along the Barnkirk Road brought us to the golf practice range from where we joined the path round Blairmount pond. On reaching the decking walkway we were treated to lots of ducks, but wondered at the absence of the swans and cygnets that were known to be in residence.
A little further along we were delighted to see them on the banking next to the new 3G sports pitch. Taking advantage of the new table and benches we now took a short tea/coffee break.
After the break, a network of paths took us through the woods up to the trig point on the summit of Doon hill.
We then walked along Corsbie road until we overlooked Douglas Ewart High School. Here we took to the fields above Old Hall farm. Sturdy and well maintained drystone walls and stiles brought us to the track down to Duncree. Here we crossed the old coach road which originally went from Old Hall Farm to House O' Hill.
More panoramic views of the Galloway hills were enjoyed.
Most of the wild flower colour today was provided by invasive species. Brightly flowering Balsam and Bindweed were in profusion.
Douglas Terrace and King Street led us to the track down to the river and after crossing the King George V and Queen Mary suspension bridge, we lunched on the banks of the Cree.
After lunch we meandered our way through Monnigaff Parish Church. Among the points of interest were the 900 year old Yew tree, the listed Heron memorial and the Robert the Bruce story behind the headstone depicting an arrow piercing two ravens.
After the church we crossed the Queen Mary bridge where a successful pebble drop into the wishing well was said to grant that wish.
Bower Drive led us to the Old Edinburgh Road where we entered Bower Wood. An uphill path through the dappled sunlight of the forest led us to Beech Wood where we surprised a mottled fallow deer who studied us before deciding we might not be friendly.
A path now led us onto the top end of the golf course and the tenth tee. Here we could see much of the route we'd already walked. We moved on when a pair of golfers needed to tee off. A climb over a padlocked gate now took us into the fields that were once the old golf course, heading in a southerly direction we were afforded views of Wigtown Bay. After studying a square pillar like section in a dry stone wall, our dry stone wall specialist decided it was probably the original main entrance into the Kirroughtree estate. A gate now took us onto the tarmac of Heron Way and the road to Kirroughtree House. On reaching the house our walk leader read out some of it's illustrious history and it's Robert Burns connections.
Passing the new log cabins of the Conifers Leisure Park led us into Minnigaff where the riverside walk led us back to the Sparling Bridge and the walk finish.
Tea, coffee, a variety of scones and other delicacies at the Belted Galloway completed a very enjoyable day.      
The next walk, on Saturday the 16th of August is an 8.5 mile circular across the South Rhins. A barbecue at Ardwell will follow the walk.  Meet for car sharing at the Riverside, Newton Stewart, 9.00am or the Breastworks Car Park, Stranraer at 9.30am. The walk starts at the Ardwell Car Park (NX 110 454) at 10am.
If going straight to the start please phone walk leader 01776 860315. New members are always welcome.