Recreation in a Byegone Era

Curling, also referred to as the 'roaring game' depicting the noise of the stone hurtling down the ice, is a game I have only played once. Despite being awful and sliding all over the ice, I enjoyed the experience! My interest in the sport is matched with my interest in the history of the sport. As you may know, it is often seen as a national sport of Scotland given that our climate supported it well (more so in the past). Evidence suggests that it has been played since the 16th century, however the concept of hurtling objects towards a target on ice is a simple concept it likely pre-dates this! Curling was such a widely-played sport that games took place everywhere. Curling ponds were likely a core feature in any village, however these are often now overgrown or dug out.

However, last Wednesday along with a group of Environmental History undergraduate students we went on a trip up the Forth Valley, ending up near Blair Drummond where we found these:First up was a shed which likely provided a shelter and housed curling equipment.

Here you see the embankments, bottomed with clay (or 'puddled') so water could accumulate. The ponds, of which there were two at Blair Drummond, were 30-40 metres in length (estimate!).

The curling ponds were filled up with water, managed by this sluice gate, and allowed to freeze over. They took advantage of a previously man-made channel dug many years previous which directed water to Flanders Moss when peat clearance and land reclamation was being conducted by the famous agricultural improver Lord Kames.

A fascinating trip which gave a first hand account of where the game of curling used to be played!

Unknown Features: A Follow-Up

Back to Cambus we go, this time with some equipment! First time, I took a peat corer and getting through the clay was a bit tough. Second time was a soil augur, which gets you less of a stratigraphy but you get down deeper! The kidney-shaped hollows were still there:

There was more than one...

The augur brought up some interesting results. Within a compact clay we found flecks of charcoal and a piece of iron slag which tends to represent some form of industrial activity. Now this location can be regarded as important, right where the River Devon meets the River Forth. We do know boats sailed up the Devon, however near the sample location is the tidal limit, so boats couldn't get much further than here. Despite more discussions, we're still none the wiser, however may the academic debate continue.

Trips like this are the reason I love doing what I do, sharing what knowledge I do have with others in an attempt to learn that little bit more. Every now and again, you're gifted with beautiful weather and scenery...however not all the time!

Unknown Features in the Landscape

Wednesday saw the first of many field trips with the environmental history undergraduate class I teach, this one to the banks of the Forth near Cambus where the River Devon reaches its end. At this location there lies a nature reserve managed by Scottish Woodland. Here, it promotes habitat generation in order to increase species diversity, mainly birds. Within one particular field, we see five distinct markings within the ground, maybe 10 metres across, and nobody knows what they are. In turn, we posed this question to the class. Suggestions ranged from salt pans, to natural features, industrial remnants, pill-box foundations, however my opinion is that they have been put in by SW to increase the habitat diversity. I will return here in two weeks, and hopefully obtain some photos. In the mean time, here's an aerial photo from the site:


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This feature has generated exciting academic debate amongst myself, Richard, Sharla and Ally, one of the reasons I hope to continue with a research career!