Salt Pans Bay, Galdenoch

NW96SE 11 9642 6160

On the NW side of Salt Pans Bay, 1.9km SSW of Meikle Galdenoch farmhouse, there are the remains of two rectangular buildings, a kiln and at least one other related structure, together with a number of stone-walled enclosures and traces of cultivation ridges. The larger building, possibly of two compartments with an out shot at the ENE end, measures 13.3m by 4m within walls 0.7m thick and 0.3m high. The second building has an outshot at each end and measures 12.7m by 3.3m within walls 0.6m thick and up to 0.9m high. The associated structure, which has been severely robbed, measures 6.5m by 5.8m overall.

These are probably the remains of the salt-pan and works erected by Alexander Osborne for Uchtred Agnew of Galdenoch in about 1640 and which in 1791 are said to have comprised 'two dwelling houses and a salt pan'.

NSA 1845; I Donnachie 1971; RCAHMS 1985, visited October 1984.

OS 6" map, Wigtownshire, 1st ed. (1849), sheet 16

'The ruins of an old house or building which is said to have been used for the manufacture of salt at some former time...'

Name Book 1849

One partially roofed long building, three unroofed structures, two enclosures, one of which is marked by pecked lines and two lengths of wall, which are also marked by pecked lines, are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Wigtonshire 1849, sheet 15). The fragmentary remains of the building and the enclosure are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1972).

Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 11 October 1999.