OS1/3/21/80

List of names as written Various modes of spelling Authorities for spelling Situation Description remarks
ROMAN ROAD [Dalmellington parish] Roman Road
Roman Road
Roman Road
Roman Road
Roman Road
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William Walker Esqr Bells Bank
Revd. [Reverend] William Gilchrist Establisd. [Established] Minister
Mr. William G Galloway Parish S. [School] Master
Mr. Robert Smith Merchant
046 ; 052 ; 053 A Track of old Road entering the Parish at the South west corner and running nearly in a direct line through by the village of Dalmellington to the northwest extremity where it enters Dalrymple Parish. There is no remains at present to indicate that it was a Roman Road - about 25 years ago a portion of it was found while repairing the Old road from Dumfries to Ayr (or as it is called "the Old Galloway Road") a little north of Craigmark the flagstones were nearly of the Same Size laid one over the other in 3 or 4 layers making in all about 2 feet thick of a pavement, they were all taken away at the time to repair the road and build dykes. Tradition Says that the Old Galloway Road was made on it or rather it was repaired from one end of the Parish to the other at first but in the course of time it was Changed here and there in a few places for [hard] ground, the consequence is that none of the Original remains to judge of it breath or thickness of its pavement. In Chalmers Caledonia is the following allusion "[From] one of the Roman Roads which interdicted [Nithsdale] proceeded a branch that entered the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and passed through the lands of Altry in Dalry and the estate of Holm in Carsphairn it then proceeded across the ridge of Polwhat to its north west extremity of the Same Parish where it left Galloway and entered Ayrshire which Country it traversed past Dalmellington to the Frith of Clyde at Ayr

Continued entries/extra info

[Page] 80
Dalmellington Parish-- Sheets 53 9 & 5; 52.4 ; 46-16. 12. 8 7 & 3

[Note] Where the Old Galloway Road is defaced
I have shown the course of the Roman Road
in a yellow dotted line
Sd. [Signed] T O F [Thomas O Farrell]

[Note]
"In Chalmer's Caledonia, notice is taken of a Roman road which passes thro'
"the length of this parish from south - east to North West. The line of it has been traced thro' [through]
"Dumfries & Kirkcudbrightshires. THe last remains of it in this parish, on the farm of
"Burnhead, were raised seven years ago to repair some dikes, which had formerly been built
"of the whinstone of which the road was formed.It had been from ten to eleven feet broad,
"composed of a row of large stones on either side, and filled up with smaller between.
"Leaving Dalmellington it entered Dalrymple, where it has been traced in various places, and
"terminated at a ford in the River Ayr, nota great distance above the town"
Statistical Account (1842)

" The most remote antiquity that can be traced in the parishes is the remains of the Roman
"road, which passes from Kirkcudbright to Ayr, throughout the whole length of it In Ptolemy's
"Geography of Britain,the course of the Doon is very correctly traced - a circumstance strongly
"corroborative of the fact that the road by Dalmellington was one of the great thoroughfares
"of the Romans. ** The pound where stray cattle were put in ward, is distinctly marked
"at an angle between the farms of Benquhat & Laicht, formed by the Roman Road, nearly two
"hundred yards of which are here entire." Pattersons History of Ayrshire (1847)

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