Tag Archives: Heritage Lottery Fund

Help for our Heroes

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ayrshirememorialsRussell Brookes and his team from Ayrshire Memorials have made great progress on the four soldier headstones we thought worthy of the most immediate attention. Below we have some before and after photographs we would like to share.

William Sloan, Roughside

  • William’s headstone is in danger of being broken on its base.
William Sloan

William Sloan

Walter Scott Murphy, Bluebell Cottage

  • Walter’s headstone had fallen face-down with the inscription hidden.
Walter Scott Murphy

Walter Scott Murphy

Archibald MacKenzie, Rottenyard

  • Archibald’s fallen headstone had been re-erected at the wrong location and with the inscription facing away.
Archibald MacKenzie

Archibald MacKenzie

Robert Paterson, Coalcreoch

  • Robert’s headstone had fallen face down and to make matters worse the face had previously suffered from mindless graffitti – hopefully we can attempt to have it cleaned.
Robert Paterson

Robert Paterson

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Planning the Trail

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I enjoyed a very productive visit to East Ayrshire Council at the Johnnie Walker Bond, Kilmarnock this afternoon.  A big thank you to Sandra Marshall and Marion Fergusson at East Ayrshire Council for taking me through the process for applying for permission to erect the Interpretation Panels (Story Boards) and Information Boards that will make up the Village Heritage trail.
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Next step is to complete and submit the applications.

Auld Kirk Clean-up

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Auld Kirk Log : Stardate 01 July 2013

Another trip to the Auld Kirk tonight and another wall cleared including the window sills. Quite a bit of cleaning carried out before the midgies got the better of us again.

Another wall cleared

Another wall cleared

We received a detailed report on the Auld Kirk and the five family lairs we plan to work on from  WylieShanks Architects, the conservation architects that are supporting us with the project. At a meeting in Glasgow last week we  agreed a strategy for progressing tenders to carry out the necessary work and these will be issued in the coming weeks.

Adele is a big hit at the Auld Kirk

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Adele and Louise

Adele and Louise

New Cumnock Liaison Group’s (NLCG) youngest volunteer Adele was a big hit when she joined in with mum Louise, big sister Annabelle and big brother Ewan in the second session of our Auld Kirk clean-up.

Clean up continues

Clean up continues

Later own we were joined by another two young helpers Calum and Thomas, who along with the rest of us battled the midgies as they came out in their droves for an evening snack. A big thank you to my wife Sheena for another star turn and early birthday wishes for tomorrow xx

We're getting there !

We’re getting there !

We’re making good progress …….

Auld Kirk Clean Up Session 1

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Clean-up Session 1

Clean-up Session 1

An excellent start to the clean-up sessions with the focus on the inside of the ruins . A big thank you to Mr and Mrs Glendinning, Billy Lees, Sheena and Cameron. Six full bags of litter, leaves and twigs.Cleared wall

Cleared wall

A good few hours work before the midgies came calling !

Auld Kirk

Auld Kirk

Kirkyard Clean-Up

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Auld Kirk Clean-up

Auld Kirk Clean-up

We will soon be tendering for the work to be carried out on the Auld Kirk ruins and five family lairs.  With the current spell of decent weather we are looking for volunteers to help with a clean-up of the kirkyard through picking up litter and the sweeping up leaves.Litter graspers, gloves and bags will be provided.

If you have some spare time and would like to help we intend (weather permitting) of having the following clean-up sessions

  • Wednesday 19th June 7pm-8:30pm
  • Thursday 20th June 7pm-8:30pm
  • Saturday 22nd Jun 11am-4pm
  • Sunday 23rd June 11am-4pm

So please if you spare 30 minutes or more or just passing by during a walk over the Knockshinnoch Lagoons then call in, we would be delighted to see you.

School on the Discovery Trail

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As part of the ‘Auld Kirk and Village Heritage Trail’ project pupils from Primary 6 of New Cumnock Primary School began their research into ten family lairs in the Auld Kirkyard. Class teacher Allison Smith, two parent helpers and twenty-four pupils along with project leader Bobby Guthrie headed along the Castle to the kirkyard.

On our way along the Castle

On our way along the Castle

Up and down the Castehill

Up and down the Castehill

Altogether in the Auld Kirkyard

Altogether in the Auld Kirkyard

  • The pupils were divided into ten teams and each assigned with a Lair Number, a map of the lairs and a record sheet to note names, dates, places and occupations.
Organising research teams

Organising research teams

  • Having found their lair, and checked it was the correct one, teamwork took over as information was read out and recorded.

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  • After a much needed snack( in the biting cold wind!) each team in turn shared the information they had recorded with the others teams as we went from lair to lair. Great teamwork again as everyone took a turn and supported each other. Bobby also shared other information he knew about the families.
Sharing our Findings

Sharing our Findings

  • Here are the families we researched
Our ten families

Our ten families

Visiting sites

Visiting sites

  • On the way back to school we noted points of interests associated with the families we selected. Above, we went over the bridge that crossed the mill-lead which run from the Old Mill where the McKnight family. Below, we stopped at the Mural which shows farmers and miners at work, as well as Robert Burns who included a verse in one of his poems about the Reverend James Young .
New Cumnock Mural

New Cumnock Mural

  • Back to School , where Bobby was back in the same Primary 6 classroom he was in  many years ago, when Mrs MacSween was his teacher!
Back to School

Back to School

  •  You can find more photos of our trip here

WHAT NEXT?

  • In early May the class will visit the Burns Monument Centre Kilmarnock to continue our research into the family trees  the our ten families. We’ll keep you posted!

Headstone Hunting

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With the snow and its accompanying biting wind of recent weeks abating this bright Sunday afternoon proved to be a perfect time to visit the Auld Kirkyard. Members of the New Cumnock Parish Church , New Cumnock History Club and New Cumnock Liaison Group joined together in their mission to seek out the headstones of ministers and soldiers resting or remembered here. Our ‘Time Team’s’ activity soon attracted the attention of a passer-bye out enjoying one of the many lovely local walks and soon we had another pair of hands and eyes to help us in our cause.

Time Team

Time Team

We split into three groups, each one armed with a sketch map of numbered lairs and set off to locate the headstones, note their condition and photograph them.

Planning the route

Planning the route

Off we go

Off we go

Taking note

Taking note

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Who have we here?

Are you sure this is the right one?

Our minister with two of her predecessors

Our minister with two of her predecessors

Far flung corners

Far flung corners

Getting there

Successful conclusion

Successful conclusion

We successfully tracked down the headstones of six ministers and sixteen soldiers, somequicker than others. Many were legible while some were damaged or overturned but each made us stop and think.

Why we are here

Why we are here

During our search, other headstones caught the eye, carrying the surname or a farm name that whetted our appetite for further visits to our Auld Kirkyard.

Living Kirkyard Event

heritagepngThe Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (CAVLP) is a new Heritage Lottery funded project which aims to conserve, enhance and celebrate the unique landscape and cultural heritage of the Clyde and Avon Valleys.

Living Kirkyard Event

  • Saturday 20th April 1pm to 3pm
  • Paterson Church, Lawrie Street, Stonehaven, ML9 3LN

The CAVLP are hosting a Living Kirkyard Event and invite people to come along and find out about the burial grounds of the Clyde Valley, what makes them special and how we might conserve them for the future.

Local Footnote: Now working with CAVLP is Sarah Sall, who of course until recently worked with East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative and was actively involved in the fantastic work on the New Cumnock Path Network.