Clarencefield
| Clarencefield | |
| Dumfriesshire | |
|---|---|
 The Farmers Inn and the Post Office | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NY092685 |
| Location: | 55°0’11"N, 3°25’15"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Dumfries |
| Postcode: | DG1 |
| Dialling code: | 01387 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale |
Clarencefield is a small village in Dumfriesshire, within the Parish of Ruthwell, between Dumfries and Annan. It was once served by Ruthwell railway station.
History
This typical estate village was built to service nearby Comlongon Castle and to provide accommodation for its employees and their families. The castle was once held by the Earls of Mansfield and is now a hotel.[1]
A saw mill was located nearby at Hope Cottages, powered via a mill pond using water from the Brow or Raffles Burn.[2] The McFarlan Memorial Hall provides various facilities for the local community.[3]
Association with Robert Burns
In July 1796, the poet Robert Burns was suffering an unknown and serious illness, and his friends Dr William Maxwell and Dr Alexander Brown suggested that he should go to Brow where was prescribed drinking the water of the mineral well, sea bathing, riding and the country air.[4] He stayed for three weeks at the inn, lodging in the inn. John Burney of the inn at Clarencefield was the son-in-law of the landlord at Brow and Burns was advised to make his way to the village to get some port wine that had been prescribed as part of his treatment.[5]
Burns arrived, placed the empty bottle on the counter and ordered the port wine, however he had no money and made to give Burney his personal seal that carried his 'armorial device' that he was so proud of as security until he could pay with coin. He had informed the landlord that "the muckle deil had got into his pouch and was its only occupant". The landlady encouraged her husband to give Burns the medicinal wine without money or pledge.[5] The inn is said to have been located in the farm on the route from Brow.[6]
Outside links
References
- ↑ The Dumfriesshire Companion: Clarencefield
- ↑ 1898 6in OS Map
- ↑ McFarlan Memorial Hall Retrieved : 2013-07-15
- ↑ Mackay, Page 618
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mackay (1988), Page 24
- ↑ Dougal, Page 318
- Dougall, Charles S. (1911). The Burns Country. London: A & C Black.
- MacKay, James A. (1988). Burns-Lore of Dumfries and Galloway. Ayr : Alloway Publishing. ISBN 0-907526-36-5.
- Mackay, James A. (2004). Burns. A Biography of Robert Burns. Darvel : Alloway Publishing. ISBN 0-907526-85-3