Field fflEBJiuNGs, 1884 



Corncockle Quakry, Spedlins Tower, &c. — 3d May, 1884. 



The first Field Meeting of this session was held on the 3d May, 

 when, according to the programme, " Wood Castle, Loch- 

 maben, Corncockle Quarry, Spedlins Tower, St. Ann's Bridge, 

 and Raehills Glen would be visited." Owing to the weather 

 being cold and unsettled, a party of sixteen only assembled at 

 the Fountain at the hour of starting (9.30 a.m.), and took their 

 seats in the waggonette which was in waiting to convey them to 

 the places mentioned. After a sharp drive for half an hour 

 through the keen morning air, a halt was made at Toi'thorwald 

 to allow the members to inspect the old castle, which has been 

 for centuries a conspicuous object in that picturesque landscape. 

 The origin of the castle is traditional, and the first authentic 

 account of it is in the thirteenth century, when "William Carlyle 

 received from his uncle. King Robert Bruce, a charter of the 

 lands of Collin and Roucan. From the style of the building, it 

 is supposed to be between 700 and 800 years old, and like other 

 noble ruins throughout the county, it has suffered severely from 

 vandal hands. 



Returning to the conveyance, after spending half an hour in 

 examining the ruins and collecting the spring flowers in the 

 vicinity, they proceeded over the liill towards Lochmaben. At 

 Ryemuir sad mementoes of the two very heavy storms of the 

 preceding winter were seen. Almost all the trees in the planta- 

 tions were either torn up by the roots, or snapped across the 

 middle. The devastation at Corncockle was even more complete, 

 for there almost 100 acres of wood were left without a tree standing. 

 The next halt (after Tortiiorwald) was made at tlie farm house near 

 Wood Castle, where the party dismounted and walked tli rough 

 the adjoining field to the Camp. The Camp, for such it is, is 

 evidently of Roman origin, for a Roman Road runs past the base, 

 and it is in a direct line between Burnswark on the east, and 

 Camp Hill, Tinvvald, further to the west. It measures 278 feet 

 across the top at the greatest diameter from terrace to terrace, 

 and has two entrances — one on the north-east side, and the other 

 on the west. From the Camp the drive was continued to Corn- 



