Beeswing
| Beeswing | |
| Kirkcudbrightshire | |
|---|---|
 Beeswing | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NX896694 |
| Location: | 55°0’25"N, 3°43’40"W |
| Data | |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dumfries and Galloway |
Beeswing is a small village in Kirkcudbrightshire, and possibly the only village in the United Kingdom named after a racehorse.
The village was formerly known as Lochend in reference to its position near Loch Arthur (which lies to the east of the village and has been claimed locally as the setting for the Arthurian story of the Lady of the Lake.)[1] In the 19th century the village pub was named Beeswing to honour the famous racing mare of that name;[2] Beeswing, foaled in 1833, was once hailed as the greatest mare in Britain and one of the greatest of all time, winning the Newcastle Cup six times and rarely lower than second in any race she entered. From the name of the pub, the village assumed the name of Beeswing.
The village once had a church, though this has now been converted to a house.
Contents
Loch Arthur Community
The Loch Arthur Community at Beeswing, run by the Camphill Village Trust is a working farm with dairy, gardens and supported accommodation where people with learning disabilities live alongside volunteers in a way that 'recognises the dignity and uniqueness of each human being and does not distinguish between those who are called disabled and those who are not'.[3]
Over water village
There is a site on the western edge of the Loch that once held an "over water" village during the Stone or Bronze Age. The occupants of the village lived in pillar-supported buildings out in the loch, some 70 feet from the bank, allowing for safety and security. The Museum in Dumfries has a coracle which was found near this site in the 1930s.
Outside links
References
Books and papers
- Rambles in Galloway: Topographical, Historical, Traditional,and Biographical, Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, p. 203]
- Harper, M. M. (1876)
- L. (1874) "Arthurian Localities: Scotland", Notes and Queries, s5-II, 36, pp. 181-182
- Prehistoric village:
- Close-Brooks, J. (1974-1975) "An Iron-Age Date for the Loch Lotus Canoe", Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 106, p. 199
- Gillespie, J. E. (1874-1876) "Notice of a Canoe Found in Loch Lotus, Parish of New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire", Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 11, pp. 21-23
- Henderson, J.C., Cavers, M. G., and Crone, B. A. (2006) "The South West Crannog Survey: Recent work on the lake dwellings of Dumfries and Galloway", Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 80, pp. 29-52
- Henderson, J.C., Crone, B.A., and Cavers, M.G. (2003) "A condition survey of selected crannogs in south west Scotland", Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 77, pp. 79-102
- Williams, J. (1971) "A Crannog at Loch Arthur, New Abbey", Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 48, p. 122
