Darngavel

NS85NE 18 8704 5644.

The derelict farmstead of Darngavel is situated within a coniferous plantation 900m NE of Kirkhall steading. It comprises the shell of a house (possibly of the eighteenth century although much remodelled) incorporated into a 19th-century steading.

The house (which has been of two storeys and a garret) measured 9.5m ENE-WSW by 6.2m transversely over walls 0.65m thick. The two side walls stand to their wallheads and are capped by cornices. The openings of the SSE wall have been arranged symmetrically, with two windows on the groundfloor and three on the first; the NNW wall (which appears less regular and may have been partially rebuilt) has a window on either side of a central door. This retains an inscribed lintel bearing the date 1743, but a clumsy attempt has been made to alter this to '1643'. Two windows survive on the first floor, although a third may have been lost with the collapse of a portion of wall. The ENE gable is now much reduced in height but a fireplace is still visible under the pile of rubble which conceals much of the inner face. The WSW gable stands almost to its full height, but is in a precarious condition following the collapse of the chimney. This gable incorporates a door and a window on the ground floor, a window on the first, and a small blocked aumbry in the garret. Another aumbrey of similar pattern survives on the ground floor at the W end of the NNW wall while a pair of larger aumbries (evidently of later date and grooved for shelving) can also be seen on the ground floor at either end of the opposite wall. The internal partitions of the building have presumably been of lath and plaster but none of these survive, nor is there any indication of the means of access between floors.

The buildings of the steading are arranged around three sides of a courtyard and correspond with the depiction of Darngavel on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Lanarkshire, 1864, sheet xiii). They were still roofed in 1910 (1921 revision, sheet xiii).

(CSW 3354)

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, IF) 28 February 1995.

MS/731/11.

Cultural Heritage assessment for the proposed Black Law wind farm extension, phase 2. The assessment forms part of an Environmental Statement. The Cultural Heritage assessment identifies all historic environment features within the development area (through desk-based assessment and field survey), and key external receptors up to 10km from the proposed development. An assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of the development on these features is included.

Information from OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-191339 (M Hastie) 2012.

The NMRS records that the derelict farmstead of ‘Darngavel’ is situated within a coniferous plantation 900m northeast of ‘Kirkhall’ steading. It comprises the shell of a house (possibly of the eighteenth century,

although much remodelled) incorporated into a 19th-century steading.

The house (which had been of two storeys and a garret) measures 9.5m ENE-WSW by 6.2m transversely over walls 0.65m thick. The two side walls stand to their wallheads and are capped by cornices. The openings of the SSE wall have been arranged symmetrically, with two windows on the ground floor and three on the first; the NNW wall (which appears less regular and may have been partially rebuilt) has a window on either side of a central door. This retains an inscribed lintel bearing the date 1743, but a clumsy attempt has been made to alter this to '1643'.

The buildings of the steading are arranged around three sides of a courtyard and correspond with the depiction of ‘Darngavel’ on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. They were still roofed in 1910 (1921 revision).

A settlement, annotated as ‘Darngavle’, is shown on Roy’s map. The settlement comprises of a cluster of houses surrounded by an enclosure, with a further large square enclosure to the east. The same settlement, annotated as ‘Darngavel’ is also depicted on Ross’s map, Forrest’s map, Ainslie’s map and Thomson’s map.

The roofed remains of the farmstead are visible on aerial photographs from 1946 and 1955; by 1975 the building ruins are no longer roofed. The ruined farmstead is visible on the 1988 aerial photographs within a forest opening; the outline of the large enclosure shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map to the northwest of the farmstead is also still visible within the forestry plantation.

Field survey noted that the farmhouse is as described in the NMRS. A general inspection of the steading and ancillary buildings was made, although this was hampered by unstable masonry in places. The

buildings surround a forecourt or yard on three sides. The yard is terraced in two places with each terrace revetted by a low relief retaining wall. The northeast ranges of buildings are approximately 19m in length, partitioned into three areas. The masonry survives to a maximum height of 2.1m. This range conjoins the range of buildings which also feature the main farmhouse building. The range of buildings is approximately 36m in length (including the farmhouse). The longest outbuilding in this range is 15m in length. The southwest range of buildings is approximately 19m long. The building has two large entrances, which possibly suggest this was a barn when in use.

An attempt was made to trace the field boundaries and trackways associated with the site as depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. Field survey traced a trackway, which is still in use, and the remains

of a field boundary on a northwest to southeast orientation. This boundary returns in a northeast to southwest direction before petering out in dense conifer plantation. The west and south extents of this relict field boundary could not be traced. A smaller enclosure to the southwest of the main steading is depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. Fragmentary sections of this still survive up to 1m high in places.

Information from OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-191339 (M Hastie) 2012.