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Bentpath, Westerkirk Parish Library

Library (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Bentpath, Westerkirk Parish Library

Classification Library (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Bentpath Village, Library

Canmore ID 92165

Site Number NY39SW 19

NGR NY 30861 90074

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/92165

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Dumfries And Galloway
  • Parish Westerkirk
  • Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
  • Former District Annandale And Eskdale
  • Former County Dumfries-shire

Summary Record (May 2014 - March 2015)

Mid-19th century rural library with major book collection, first established in late 18th century. Located in historic village of Bentpath within wider improved rural valley landscape of River Esk.

information from Héléna Gray, (CFA Archaeology Ltd), August 2015

OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-278420

Archaeology Notes

NY39SW 19.00 30861 90074

NY39SW 19.01 NY 30889 90048 Telford Monument

Library [NAT]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1983.

Westerkirk Parish Library. Built in 1860. Small but ecclesiastical-looking, with two-light Gothic windows and a Ruskinian Gothic chimney on the N gable.

J Gifford 1996.

Activities

Publication Account (2007)

This library has been included for its connection with Telford, the first President of the Institution of Civil

Engineers, who when he died in 1834 left, when his estate was settled, the then very considerable sum of £3000 to provide books for the people of Eskdale, at Langholm and Westerkirk.

The Westerkirk Parish library, said to be the oldest subscription library in continuous use in Scotland, is at

Bentpath on the B709, behind the relocated Telford Memorial unveiled by Institution vice-president David

Green and William Cormie in August 1996.

The library, mainly books for general reading many of which in the 19th century were handsomely bound in

leather, was started in the late 18th century by antimony miners in the nearby village of Jamestoun. The library

then had various homes and, in 1862, at the initiative of local lairds, was moved to the present purpose-built

building designed by W. G. Habershon, a London architect. By 1990 the library and its several thousand books had become damp and neglected and, on the initiative of the Scottish Group of the Institution’s Panel for Historical Engineering Works and interested local people, a committee was set up to refurbish the building and

books. The sum of £100 000 was raised and the project, led by Mr Arthur Bell of Langholm, was brought to a

successful conclusion with a public re-opening by the Duke of Buccleugh on 4 July 1997. The library and its books may be seen by prior arrangement with Mrs Sanderson at the adjoining schoolhouse. The Langholm Library books are stored in the Town Hall.

R Paxton and J Shipway 2007

Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.

Project (29 May 2014)

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by CFA Archaeology Ltd, a desk based assessment and walk over survey (May 29th 2014) was conducted

The historic environment record within the Site Boundary is relatively limited, although there is some potential for the proposed development site to contain previously unknown heritage assets from at least the later prehistoric period onwards, given the historic landscape character of the wider area. Taking this into account, the archaeological potential of the proposed development site is considered to be low.

A summary assessment, on a site by site basis, of the predicted effects on the settings of assets within a 10km radius where the blade tip ZTV indicates that there would be theoretical views of one or more turbines

information from Héléna Gray, (CFA Archaeology Ltd), August 2015

OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-278420

References

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