Carse Loch

**Carse Loch** is situatit (NX 926 849) in a law-lyin aurie, surroondit bi wuidland, close til the A76 road at Freers Carse in the Pairish o Dunscore in Dumfries an Gallowa, Scotland. It wis ance uised as a monastic fish pownd an the freers is said tae hae hidden thair treisurs on the crannog in times o danger. The loch is locatit aboot 7 mile fae Dumfries and 2 mile fae Auldgirth.

## History

In 1465 a chairter wis grantit bi Cardinal Antonius o Roum for the Cisterian Order o monks fae Melrose tae build a monastery on the site o the auld Briton's fort an druid's circle at Freers Carse. Anely a monastic ferm or grange micht hae been actually estaiblisht at the site o the nouadays hottle o Freers Carse raither nor a freery as an aw witnesst bi bi the names Grange Mill, Grange Loch, Grangeview, an siclike.

The place name 'Court Hill' close til the loch micht hae mynd o the location o the 'coort hill' (moot hill or mons placiti) o the freers an later feudal lairds, suggestin that the loch micht hae served as the 'drounin pit' for female creeminals as a pairt o the 'pit an gallaes' pouers o feudal law enforcement.

The place name Kerse or Carse in the Scots leid means 'law an innerly laund aside a river or loch'. The loch wis ance uised as a fish pownd bi the freers o the monastic grange.

William Crawford's map o 1804 shaws a Grange Mill an Grange Loch wi a single island. Roy's map o 1747 shaws a Grange Loch wi a mill nearby an a single island.

The 1855 OS map shaws a substantious loch wi a single island an the nearby Carse Mill corn mill wi a lade avydin the loch an jynin its Main Burn ootflowe. By 1899 Carse Loch haes reduce't conseederable in size an the lade fae Carse Mill enters it direct.

In 1909 the loch, recordit as Freers Carse Loch, haed a surface aurie o atween twa an three acre. The loch wis fed bi the divertit an teppit Laggan Burn as weel as a burn rinnin doun fae Allanton, the ootflowe bein the Mains Burn. Syne the closin o the mill, the Laggan Burn no langer rins intil the loch, greatly reducin the watter supply.

### The crannog

A smaw island in a loch near Freers Carse wis identified as bein the remeens o a lake dwallin or crannog, an in 1878 it wis meisurt as bein aboot 80 fit bi 70 fit. Some o the timmers wis mortice't an beir hints o cley fluirin an central pavin. Medieval pottery wis fund an forby a dugoot canoe or clog-boat wi a paidle, cairyin an inpittit starnbuird, wis fund in the grummel near the crannog. 

As statit, the freers is said tae hae hidden thair treisurs on the crannog durin times o war, raids fae England, an siclike. The nearby Debatable launds wis frequent in stishie an aw.

A aix haimer wis fund on the auld crannog that wis in the loch.

Carse Loch is noo muckle reduce't in surface aurie throu tuimin an is parrockit within a merse surroondit bi a pairt o the Stottpark wuidlands. The oreeginal crannog is said tae hae foondert unner the watter surface in 1879 follaein its archaeological investigation, awtho ae or twa islands is shawn yet on modren OS maps. The loch haes syne been forder tuimt via the Mains Burn.

### Carse Mills

The corn mill shawn near 'Grange Loch' in 1747, wis operational yet in 1909 fed bi the Laggan Burn wi twa haudin pownds wi a dam an sloosh locatit til the sooth o the minor road at Burnheid. The OS maps shaws that the lade leadin awa fae the mill oreeginal tuimt intil the Mains Burn until the 1890s whan the watter entert the pairtly tuimt loch direct. The Mains Burn tuims direct intil the River Nith. A diversion lade is shawn on the 19t century OS maps, allouin watter tae be directit awa fae the watter wheen whan require't.

A smiddy an a smaw schuil is merkit on the 19t century OS maps neist tae Grangeview ablo Burnheid Ferm.

A mill biggin is shawn an aw in 1885 at Carse Mains Ferm ablo Penflowin Brig, whaur a smaw millpownd an dam wis ance locatit. By 1899 the millpownd haed been tuimt an anely a hydraulic ram is shawn at the site o the auld mill.

### Ither history

In 1879 fine exemples o Roman paterae or drinkin bowls wis fund near Freers Carse durin the biggin o the road.

The Laggan Burn in 1901 wis considert tae be suitable for the production o electricity via a hydroelectric pouer plant.

Memorials in Dunscore Auld Kirk buirial grund records details o the Ireland an Fergusson faimilies o Carse Mill.

### Notes

### Sources

* Particulars of the Estate of Friars' carse - for sale by Private Bargain. 1909.
* POFR Ltd. (2012). *Friars Carse. The History*.
* Storer, James & Greig, John (1805). ''Views of the North of Britain illustrative of the Works of Robert Burns". London : Vernor and Hood.

## External links