122 Field Meetings. 



It occupies the site of an older building, said to have been remark- 

 able for its size and disproportion, and supposed, from some 

 sculptured stones in its walls, now built into the churchyard wall, 

 to have been of great antiquity. Three of these were examined, 

 but no inscription on them was legible, to give an idea of their 

 date. The bell is the same that was used in the ancient building, 

 and was presented by one of the Dukes of Queensberry last 

 century. The burial vaults of the Crichtons of Sanquhar Castle 

 were underneath the floor of the old church, but are outside the 

 modern one, at the east end of the building, from which it may 

 probably be inferred that the former edifice, like many old 

 churches, such as Anwoth, for example, was much longer and 

 narrower than the one which now occupies its site. There are not 

 many tombstones of much note. One of the most intei-esting is a 

 flat stone in memory of Thomas Shiels, who was originally minister 

 of Kirkbride, and ejected at the Restoration, but, surviving the 

 times of persecution, became minister of Sanquhar after the 

 Revolution, and continued in his charge until his death in 1708. 

 Leaving the churchyard by a three-horse conveyance, the party 

 proceeded to Crawick Village, prettily situated on the right bank 

 of the stream, near its junction with the Nith, with its woollen 

 factory, corn mill, and forge, the last said to have been in exist- 

 ence for 100 years, and one of the first in Scotland at which spades 

 were manufactured. From this point the party proceeded on foot 

 past the Holm, an old mansion house, once with the adjacent 

 grounds the property of a Mr Macnab, but purchased from him 

 by the Duke of Buccleuch, and now used as a shooting lodge by 

 that nobleman. For some distance above this, walks have been 

 formed on both sides of the stream, passing through wooded banks, 

 between which the river rushes raj-jidly over a rocky bed, diversi- 

 fied by numerous cascades. This is a most romantic glen, not 

 unlike that of the Dee above ihe bridge of Tong-land, though on a 

 smaller scale, and was greatly admired. Tradition reports that it 

 was here that Lord Douglas placed his followers in ambush during 

 the War of Independence, when he made a rapid march for the 

 capture of Sanquhar Castle, which had fallen into the hands of the 

 English (an object in which he was completely successful). It is 

 worthy of note that old English coins of the time of the Edwards 

 have been found in Crawick Water near its junction with the Nith. 

 The party on leaving the glen found their conveyance waiting for 



