A Frame to Auchinleck House 14th January

 

Alan, Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Dougie, Graham, Gus, Hugh, Jimmy, Johnny, Malcolm, Paul, Rex, Robert

Fifteen Ooters met at the A Frame on a dry, bright, chilly morning for a walk to Auchinleck House via Ochiltree. Despite the recent rain, underfoot conditions weren’t too bad on the first leg down to the Lugar Walk but in a couple of wee sections of the path some of the recent improvements had been washed away undoing the good work that had been done. Indeed, a length of narrow rope had been attached to trees to afford a ‘handrail’ on a tricky, muddy section. Nonetheless as said before, the path was generally fine, and the bridge at Ochiltree was reached after forty minutes or so.

Crossing the road, we went down the steps, passing the time of day with a couple who were having coffee at the bench, and walked on to the new path which avoids the necessity to cross over the wet grass on the fields. There is a steep climb on this new path but nothing to trouble the company and, in no time, we were at the road leading up to Boswell’s Coach House. Derval Davie decided that enough was enough for one day and turned back with Isla, whilst the rest continued up the road to sit at the steps in front of Auchinleck House for coffee/brunch.

There was some discussion about doing some more, but most decided to simply return from there so all set off back the way they had come. On reaching the new path, Dougie, who had to be home early, decided to go straight on up the road and Alan, Davie and Johnny accompanied him while the remaining ten retraced their steps down to Ochiltree and then back to the cars reaching them at ten to one having covered seven miles. Not the biggest walk we do but with plenty of ups and downs enough to get the legs well stretched. Davie and Isla had only just arrived back whilst the road walkers had been there for around twenty minutes having done six miles.

It was a lot milder by this time and, with rain threatened later, we set off for our favourite pub, the Black Bull in Mauchline where Gillian was on duty today and treated us, as usual, to sausage rolls. Thanks again, much appreciated! A good hour and a bit having been spent here, we set off for home, just in time for the first spots of rain to appear. We had got the best of the weather and had enjoyed our day out.

10 April Awa’ for a walk and a gate to naewhere

Jimmy, Paul & Peter

With most of the gang in foreign climes and others otherwise engaged, it was a severely depleted band of three that gathered in Catrine for an all too familiar yet not so familiar walk.

            We started off in very familiar territory, taking the River Ayr way from Catrine. Crossing the river by the ‘Timmer Brig’, we turned downstream past the sewage works examining the visible remains of Catrine’s industrial past on the way. But then a came the first deviation from our regular route, our first adventure of the day. Where the path leaves the river to climb away, at a fishing hole Peter called The Grey Mare, we decided that we should stick to the riverside. This involved scrambling round a rocky outcrop, a thing that Paul is unsure of. While Peter and the writer scrambled on round, Paul thought discretion to be the order of the day and retreated to the official path. We came together a few minutes later as the two of us climbed away from the pool known as Jock Miller’s Hole to join Paul back on the path.

First adventure over, we continued on ‘The Way’ under the Howford Brig and on to the old Howford road. An ancient estate wall, crumbling now and well robbed out in places, borders the road as it climbs towards Catrine House entrance. Jimmy and Peter remember this being much more intact and it would seem from the freshly exposed stonework that the robbing is still going on. We would find out shortly.

At Catrine House entrance we turned right to follow the road for Auchinleck House. At the first cottage by the roadside we found out the reason for the freshly exposed stonework on the old wall; the owner of the cottage was building a new garden wall and was recycling the stones of the old estate wall. We will return this way to see the results of his labours some other day but for now we pressed on.

So far our walk had been in the valley and when the week sun broke through, the air was as mild as it has been all year; that’s not to say that it was warm, just tolerable. But here in the top of the valley we were exposed to the biting easterly that had been with us for the best part of a month and it was chilling. The pace was upped to fend off the cold. We left tarmac for a while and came on to the drive for Auchinleck House. A lot of work has been carried out on the equestrian cross-country course since the last time we were here and new fences and jumps have been constructed. But we didn’t linger long to examine the new work but hied on to get out of the cold breeze. And at the Dippol Burn we did just that, turning off on a freshly surfaced estate road beside the burn and coming into the shelter of some scrubby trees.

This road took us across the burn by a bridge few hundred metres downstream form the grotto and ice-house. And it continued to take us downstream towards the Auld Place of Auchinleck. Peter remembered a short-cut to the old place so we left the road and followed a pathway in the process of being constructed. Then came our second adventure of the day. The new construction stopped and the path continued as a trod. Then it disappeared altogether and we found ourselves in an overgrown grove of thick rhododendrons and tall Douglas firs with no apparent exit. Peter recognised this as part of the garden of the old place so we couldn’t be too far away. So crunching through fallen rhodi leaves and rotting twigs, we came through the bushes and found the Old Place of Auchinleck, the house abandoned when the new one was built in the mid seventeen-hundreds. As we were now sheltered from the easterly, we spent some time exploring the old place and speculating on various aspects of its construction and use.

Paul had never seen the original Auchinleck Castle, the one that was abandoned when James Boswell had the Auld Place constructed in the early seventeenth century (1612, according to Dane Love) Guess where we went then! The snowdrops were still in bloom in the valley and a few primroses flowered beside the track as it dropped down toward the Lugar Water and the rocky promontory on which stood Auchinleck Castle. Not a lot is known of the history of Auchinleck Castle and not a lot of it is extant, much less now than is shown in Francis Grose’s engraving of the late eighteenth century. Still there is enough to tell us that there once was a considerable building here. And there was enough room on the top for us to sit, speculate and have a cuppa. Down in the gorge below the Dippol met with the Lugar and just downstream of this is Wallace’s cave. Today, with the foliage yet to come on the trees, we had a good view of this cave. It appeared to us as man-made and there is no evidence that Wallace ever used a cave in this area. We surmised that it was probably excavated as part of Alexander Boswell’s plans for the new estate in the seventeen-hundreds, another folly like the grotto further up the Dippol.

After coffee we made our way back to the Auld Place and on past Garden Cottage to the stables. A lot of work is going on here converting, as Peter has heard, the old stables into a café and visitor centre and forming car parking. We stopped for a word with the brickies restoring the brickwork of the old doocot. They confirmed Peter’s café story so we set off for a look at the renovation work. What a superb job these guys a doing and we must return to examine the finished article some other day. However, today we must move on.

We came along Alexander Boswell’s Via Sacra, the road Boswell had constructed from Auchileck House to the parish church in the village, at least as far a Langlands. It was here that Jimmy suggested a third deviation. A shelter-belt of trees ran down toward Ochiltree and, though Jimmy was unsure, he thought that it might be a way of keeping us off tarmac. So we left road of any description and came through the trees. They ended in a sharp drop into the Lugar. We turned left and scrambled down the bank through the briars and over the quagmire at the bottom into a field. The old Ochiltree bridge was just over the field and we made directly for this. Crossing the bridge we came into the old cemetery where we found a convenient seat on the wall for lunch.

After lunch we followed the Lugar Water pathway towards Cumnock and Dumfries House for there was something there that Peter and Jimmy wanted to investigate. Along the waterside we came, past Mill Affleck wheel, up and over Barony bing and down towards the walled garden of Dumfries House. But we never made the walled garden.

Over a field beside the path stood a ruinous structure that had fascinated the Peter and Jimmy for years, ever since we started to explore this area. Getting there proved a slight problem; not getting over the field but getting over the barbed wire fence into the field. Great care was exercised to preserve good walking trousers and skin on parts of the body that are best not mentioned. And great care was needed for the barbs were new and sharp. Still all three made it without mishap and we crossed the field towards the ruin.

As we hadn’t a clue what it was at the time suggestions and counter-suggestions were offered. Then Jimmy remembered from his researches that the was a proposal to build a road from Dumfries House to join with the Via Sacra from Auchinleck House but due to a dispute between Lords Dumfries and Auchinleck, this was never built. Perhaps this was a gatehouse built with this in mind. (Further research shows this to have been the case and the structure is now known as The Temple from its ecclesiastical construction. See Dane Love’s History of Auchinleck and http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/910077) The Temple was designed and built by John Adam who designed and built the bridge over the Lugar at Dumfries house and the houses attached were occupied until 1933. Now we know.

Having clambered over, walked round and speculated enough, we walked on. Not far, twenty metres or so,  into the woods we came upon the remains of the old Nissen huts that was Pennylands Camp. Further research by Paul produced the following link which shows the archaeology of the camp from the air.

 http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.phpservice=RCAHMS&id=158790) It would be interesting to find some old photos of the place in its hayday. 

Now we were nearing the end of our walk for the day. We had just to come up on to the Barony Road, turn into Auchinleck and get the bus back to Catrine. We arrived at the bus stop at four minutes past three and the bus arrived at five past. Great timing and a perfect end to a good day’s exploring.

Sorn to Auchinleck House 25 April 12

Allan, Davie, Davie C, Ian, Paul, Peter, Rex, Holly and Nola

Seven Ooters met at the car park in Sorn for the proposed walk to Blacksidend and beyond but Peter, today’s leader, advised against this and recommended walking to the Auchinleck House Estate and back. Although the weather seemed to be reasonable for the day there were no serious complaints especially from the boys recently returned from Mosset. We look forward to seeing the blog about the sojourn to France but listening to the myriad of tales you get the impression that these guys really shouldn’t be let out on their own any more, and certainly not without their carers. It was hoped that by this time (Wednesday) Robert would have found his way back to his holiday home!

And so we set off from Sorn along the familiar River Ayr walk for Catrine. The morning was dry after some earlier light showers and we progressed at a sensible pace reaching Studio Peter at around 11 o’clock. Having been invited in, we partook of coffee and were shown round by our host. Well done, Peter!

Soon it was time to get on our way again with Holly and Nola leading the way. Holly was having a job staying calm as Nola kept pinching her stick. Justice was nearly done though when Nola followed Holly into the river and then struggled to get out. For a minute it looked as though Peter might have to wade in and pull her out but eventually she was coaxed to safety.

It was one of those days when the jackets were on , then off, then back on again for, although we had little rain, when we hit the wind it certainly had an edge to it. When we reached  Catrine House tearoom Davie suggested deviating to the Haugh but the consensus was to continue towards Auchinleck House. Just before reaching it we cut off down to our usual lunch stop at the ‘cave’ where we enjoyed our piece.

Climbing up from the ‘cave’ towards the ice house was extremely mucky and in fact the next part of the walk through the estate was mainly glaur. It had been noted that the recent horse trials, the course of which we had just passed through, had been cancelled due to the soft nature of the ground. Having reached firmer footing the eagle eyed amongst us noted a pheasant caught in what was probably a trap set for grey squirrels. Luckily help was at hand as Davie C decided to rescue the poor bird and with great dexterity managed to release the trap and pluck the pheasant to safety before releasing it into the adjoining field. Thankfully it seemed OK as it scuppered away- its progress being closely monitored by Nola. What is it they say Davie? A bird in the hand etc. A good job well done!

Next stop was the ruins of the old house before we completed our circle back to the main house itself where, as usual, we couldn’t quite remember the translation of the Latin inscription. (Thanks to Paul for supplying the same.)

It was now a matter of retracing our steps back to Sorn encountering on our way a fifteen minute shower and stopping to chat to a group of fellow walkers from Ayr whom we had met as we left Catrine earlier in the day. They seemed to have the right idea- walk up to the Sorn Inn, have lunch and then walk back to their cars at the tearoom.

The cars were reached at 3.25, almost a five and a half hour day. A good day out in good company.

FRT was taken at Poosie Nansie’s in Mauchline.

26 October Cumnock to Catrine via Ochiltree

Jimmy, Peter, John Kelso

With the gang still missing for the reasons of last week, Jimmy and Peter with Peter’s friend John from Auchinleck took advantage of a bright morning to walk the Cumnock to Ochiltree walk, visit Dumfries House, have a a bite of peece in the old graveyard at Ochiltree and finish by walking through Auchinleck House estate to Catrine.