Clevens Loch was a substantial freshwater loch situated in a low-lying area below Clevance Farm and Langholm Farm in Dundonald parish, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

History

The loch was a natural feature, a post-glacial 'Kettle Hole' once of a substantial extent, fed mainly by the Rumbling Burn, rainfall, field drainage, and natural springs. It is recorded in the placename of Langholm and clevance. The etymology of the name may derive from the Scots for 'spear-shaped hill' referring to the shape of the glen and hills surrounding it. The Rumbling Burn has been diverted away from the site. The loch site still floods in winter. An outflow runs down to the Cross Burn. Langholm Farm's name translates from Scots as a long stretch of low-lying land beside water; it is not recorded on maps until after the loch was drained. The lands, variously known as 'Kleffans' in 1654, 'Clevens' in 1747, 'Clivens' in 1828, 'Cleavance' in 1865 and 'Clevance' in 1890.

Drainage

The loch's drainage may have begun in the early 18th century when

Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton (10 February 172325 October 1769), was a Scottish peer. Eglinton was the son of The 9th Earl of Eglinton. His mother, who was the third wife of the 9th Earl, was Susanna, Countess of Eglinton, the ...

, was pursuing a number of agricultural improvements on his extensive estates and other landowners followed his example. Further drainage work may have taken place in the 1740s as part of the improvements undertaken to provide employment for Irish estate workers during the Irish potato famines of the 1740s and the mid 19th centuries. Many drainage schemes also date to the end of World War I when many soldiers returned en masse to civilian life.

Usage

No watermills seem to have been directly associated with Clevens Loch and the Ordnance Survey maps of the mid 19th century only show the farm of Clevens or Clevance sitting above the old loch's site. Thomson's map of 1832 shows a Scullochmill near the Crossburn at the Clevance Farm roadend, however a straight lade runs directly to it from the hills above.

Cartographic evidence

Blaeu's map of 1654, dating from

Timothy Pont Rev Timothy Pont (c. 1560–c.1627) was a Scottish minister, cartographer and topographer. He was the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an ...

's survey of circa 1604, shows the loch as a significant body of water, with an outflow only. Ainslie's map of 1821 is the last map to show Clevens Loch and this indicates that its drainage took place in the early 19th century. The outflow was via the Fullarton estate and into the sea at Newburn. Roy's map of 1747 shows a Cleavans Loch. ;Views of the Clevens Loch site File:Clevens Loch, spring fed burn.JPG, A spring fed burn running down to the loch site. File:Clevens Loch site and the Clevance Hills from Corraith.JPG, The loch site from Corraith. File:Clevens Loch, Langholm Farm.JPG, The site of Clevens Loch looking towards Langholm Farm. File:Cleavance Hills, covered water tank.JPG, The old water tank above Langholm Farm.

Micro-history

Corraith House stands in an elevated position to the south of the old lochshore, recorded as 'Korreth' in 1654 and Corries in 1747. Above the loch on Wardlaw Hill are the remains of a 'citadel' fort or minor

oppida An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretch ...

, occupying the total summit plateau area., at about 145m OD, comprises an inner fort or settlement on the highest point of the plateau; it has a collapsed stone-built rampart and an entrance may have been positioned on the northern side. A ruined wall of a later date runs along the top of the rampart around the western half of the old fort. The older OS maps indicate that a flow of spring water once ran down to the Slough Burn from the site of what became the Ayrshire County Council water tank built in 1932. Adamson in his 'Rambles Round Kilmarnock' of 1875 records that on making his way from Symington along the lane that ran near to the old loch he drank from an open well ''neatly built in, and bears the date 1821.''Adamson, Page 81

References

Notes

Sources

# Adamson, Archibald R. (1875). ''Rambles Round Kilmarnock''. Kilmarnock : T. Stevenson. # Aiton, William (1811). ''General View of The Agriculture of the County of Ayr; observations on the means of its improvement; drawn up for the consideration of the Board of Agriculture, and Internal Improvements, with Beautiful Engravings''. Glasgow. # Gillespie, James H. ''Dundonald. A Contribution to Parochial History''. Glasgow : John Wyllie. # MacIntosh, Donald (2006). ''Travels in Galloway''. Glasgow : Neil Wilson. . {{commons category, Clevens Loch Lochs of South Ayrshire History of South Ayrshire Former lochs Freshwater lochs of Scotland Lakes of South Ayrshire