Brow, Dumfries an Gallowa

**Brow** is a clachan on the B725 road lyin awmaist 2 mile fae Rivvel in the pairish o that name on the Solway Firth atween Dumfries an Annan in the historical coonty o Dumfriesshire in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland.

The Raffles Burn rins throu the site, merkit on maps as the Brow Burn. It flowes intil the Solway Firth at Lochar Bay.

## History

The name micht refer til the situation o the site that 'faces or fronts' the Lochar Watter an the Solway Firth. The clachan in 1747 conseestit o fower or mair biggins on a minor road atween Rivvel an Caerlaverock. A fuird in the 1800s ran across the saunds an the Lochaer Watte fae near Brow tae Blackshaw Pynt. The Raffles/Brow Burn rins throu the site efter passin near tae Clarencefield whaur it ance pouert a saw mill an syne throu the Brow Plantation tae rin throu the saund banks at Lochar Bay whaur at law tide it jynes the Lochar Watter.

Uised as a stagin post bi dravers takkin thair cattle tae England for sale, the clachan haed at Burns' time aboot a dizzen hooses. Ane o thaim was a smaw inn that, awthou rin bi the Davidsons, guidman an guidwife, was awnt bi James Morpeth, an it survived until 1863 whan it wis demolisht. Brow haed a minor reputation as a "puir man's spa" wi its chalybeate wall an sea bathin in the Solway Firth aboot 110 yairds or sae awa doun a narrae loan. The ferm o Stanhope is locatit on the tither side o the burn wi a fuird existin in the 19t century.

Herman Molls map circa 1745 daesna merk 'Brow' in this poseetion, bit locates a 'Brow' on the tither side o the Lochar Watter on Blackshaw Pynt, as daes Blaue's map, sted on Timothy Ponts map o circa 1600.

John Thomson's map o 1832 shaws a curn o three biggins an a mineral wall. In 1856 a curn o biggins existit wi a smaw biggin close til the wall an a paith leadin doun til a fuird across the Brow Burn that led tae Stanhope Ferm.

The clachan haed a smaw cot that actit as a kind o inn, mainly uised bi dravers an thaim veesitin the wall seekin a cuir. The inn, situatit atween twa ither cots, lay on the eastren side o the Raffles/Brow Burn an wis demolisht in 1863 whan the road wis braident.  Robert Burns steyed at this inn while takkin the watters fae Brow Wall an doukin himsel up til the oxters in the watters o the Solway Firth.

A local leegend records that the Roman Legions o the Emperor Agricola laundit at Brow. It is said an aw that the first Scots pigs wis introduce't an reart at Brow, thair appearance causin great concern amang thaim that saw thir pigs.

On a knowe close til the cot that Robert Burns ludged in, David, Laird Stormont o Comlongon Castle bade fareweel tae his younger son Willam Murray, informin him that he shoudna retour till he haed achieved the poseetion o Chief Juistice o the King's Bench. Hinderly William did reak this poseetion of the juisticiar.

The Brow Merse is a pairt o the Caerlaverock National Naitur Reserve.

## The Brow Wall

Biggit in tis praisent form in the 20t centoury, the Grade C leetit wall (NGR NY 308505 567509) is a rochlesome 'L'-shapit tank wi aislar reid saundstane waws entert via stane steps. The airn-rich watter wis oreeginal taen fae a pipe uisin an airn cup attacht til a cheen. A cundie taks the watter til the nearby Raffles/Brow Burn.

This is a chalybeate or ferruginous wall that his become firm estaiblisht wi a built environment surroondin it. The watters is rich in airn an ither sauts an wis believed tae hae mony propertys benefeecial tae the halth. The map produce't circa 1747 bi William Roy appears tae shaw three walls on the wastren side o the burn abuin the road an records 'Mineral Wells' plural at the site. John Ainslie's map o 1821 shaws an aw the wall locatit abuin the road an on the wastren side o the burn, as does William Crawford's map o 1804.

A scartin o 1846 shaws the thackit cots o the clachan an a rectangular waw on the eastren side o the Raffles/Brow Burn. The 1856 OS map shows the well in its present and a small building nearby with a path leading to it. The 1856 OS map shaws the wall in its praisent location an a smaw biggin nearby with a paith leadin til it. In 1898 the wall is shawn as rectangular an the smaw biggin nearby isna merkit. The wall is shawn as soukin intil the burn.

The site o twa ither mineral seeps is veesible on the tither side o the Raffles/Brow Burn at the Brow Wall site houiver thay hae no built structurs associatit wi thaim.

## Associtation wi Robert Burns

Likely sufferin fae subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE), Robert Burns descrived his condeetion as 'fleein goot' an his medical freends Dr William Maxwell an Dr Alexander Brown suggestit that he shoud gang til the Brow Wall an try sea bathin, ridin, an the kintra air. It wis suggestit houiver bi James Currie that the sea bathin treatment micht hae been Burns's ain idea, sayin "*About the latter end of June he was advised to go into the country, and impatient of medical advice, as well as of every species of control, he determined for himself to try the effects of bathing in the sea. For this purpose he took up his residence at Brow*".

Arrivin aboot 3 Julie, he steyed for three week at the inn, ludgin in the 'chaumer end' o the inn. The inn didna serve port wine an as this haed been prescrived as a pairt o his treatment Burns wis advised bi Davidson tae get some fae his guidson that rin an inn at nearby Clarencefield. Locals uised tae pynt oot the aged 'thorn' near the wall that he uised tae sit unner.

While at Brow he wrate several letters, includin several on 12 Julie tae George Thomson requeestin £5 an ane tae James Burness in Munross for £10. He wrate an aw on 7 Julie til Alexander Cunningham anent his muckle-reduce't sellary an tae Frances Dunlop expressin his sorrae at her lack o forgieness an sayin fareweel. He wrate an aw on 10 Julie twa letters, his first an last letters written bi him tae his guidfaither, seeking help for his guidwife in the feenal stages o her bairn-time fae her mither Mrs Mary Armour. A letter tae his guidwife wis unsurpreesin poseetive giein Jean Armour's advanced state o bairn-time. Tae his brither Gilbert he wrate hintin at siller tribbles an wanhowpin o his ain halth. Burns statit an aw that he ettled tae conteena takkin the treatment for the hale o the simmer while "*staying at a friend's house*", likely an offer made bi Maria Riddell.

Durin this stey, on 5 Julie, Maria Riddell sent her cairiage tae collect him so that he coud dine wi her at Lochmaben. She recordit that he haed the "*stamp of death*" on his face an wis "*touching the brink of eternity*" an his goamin tae her wis "*Well madam, have you any commands for the other world*". Burns veesitit an aw Ruthwell Manse an haed tea with the weedae o the meenister, Mrs Craig. The leddy's dochter, Agnes, later the guidwife o teh famous Rev. Henry Duncan, made tae close a curtain tae gie some shade tae Burns an his recordit reply wis "*thank you, my dear, for your kind attention; but oh, let him shine! he will not shine long for me!*"

Awtho he haed a horse wi him he wis laith tae face the rain an wrate tae his freend John Clark at nearby Locharwoods Farm requeestin the uiss o his spring-cairt, a new-fangelt cairt wi a comfortable ride. Burns at first seemt in fine fettle again, houiver by 18 Julie it wis time for him tae retour tae Dumfries as the sea bathin dependit on the state o the tieds an the ware tides haed passt. He dee'd at Dumfries on 21 Julie.

A twal-year-auld prentice stanemason, Allan Cunningham, observit his retour tae his hoose an wrate that "*The poet returned on the 18th July 1796 in a small spring-cart. The ascent to his house was steep, and the cart stopped at the foot of the Mill-hole Brae; when he alighted he shook much, and stood with difficulty; he seemed unable to stand upright. He stooped as if in pain, and walked tottering towards his door: his looks were hollow and ghastly, and those who saw him then expected never to see him again*".

Ilka year the Southern Scottish Counties Burns Association guides a service at the Brow Wall tae commemorate the deith o Robert Burns that dee'd fower day efter his veesit til the Brow Wall on 21 Julie 1796.

## Archaeology

In 1969 a green-glazed globular joug datin fae the 15t-16t century wis diskivert in a ditch that wis being dug near the Brow Wall. A nummer o years back a weel-made barbit an tangt arrae-heid wis diskivert near the Brow Wall and wis later muntit as a brooch.

## References
;Notes

;Sources
# Dougall, Charles S. (1911). *The Burns Country*. London: A & C Black.
# MacKay, James A. (1988). *Burns-Lore of Dumfries and Galloway*. Ayr : Alloway Publishing. .
# Mackay, James A. (2004). *Burns. A Biography of Robert Burns.* Darvel : Alloway Publishing. .
# Purdie, David; McCue Kirsteen and Carruthers, Gerrard. (2013). *Maurice Lindsay's The Burns Encyclopaedia*. London : Robert Hale. .
# Wilson, John (1840). *The Land of Burns.* Glasgow : Blackie & Son.

#Video footage o the Brow Wall
#Burns Scotland
#Map of Rivvel
#Walks Scotland 
#Future Museum 
#Scottish Review 'Fleein Goot'
#Burns Howff Club