Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/198

Rh PENNYCUICK. 186 PENBHOS. name, the vils. of Howgate and Kirkhill. It consists of the greater part of the old parish of Peunycuick, with the whole of the ancient parish of Mount Lothian, lying to the S.E. It is hounded by Peeblesahire, and by the pars, of Collington, Currie, Glencross, Kirknewton, and Lasswade, from which it is separated on the southern and western borders by the North Esk, and on the south-eastern by the South Esk. The north-western part of the parish is wholly occupied by the Pentland hills, which at the highest summits attain an elevation of about 1,600 feet, but the south-western part is more genial, and includes the Glen of the North Esk. The surface is chiefly moorland, with moss and mountain pasture, but a considerable portion has recently been reclaimed. About 8,400 acres are in tillage, 1,000 under wood, and the remaining 11,600 mountain, pasture, or waste. The rocks are chiefly clay, porphyry, sandstone, and limestone, in some places overlaid with diluvial deposits. Coal abounds, but is not extensively worked, being much intermixed with trap veins, except at Brun- stane colliery ; iron ore also occurs in beds and veins, and traces of lead are met with. There are numerous springs, some possessing medicinal or petrifying pro- perties. Sir George Clerk, Bart., of Penicuick House, is chief heritor, but there are three other principal and nine smaller landowners in the parish. The village, anciently spelled Penicok, or Pen-y-eoc, signifying " the Cuckoo's hill," stands on the left bank of the river North Esk, and on the direct road from Edinburgh to Dumfries. It consists mainly of one principal street, running in a north-easterly direction, with a small suburb on the other side of the river in the parish of Lasswade. It is well built, containing many spacious modern houses and good shops. It has a branch office of the Edinburgh and Glasgow banks, a station of the Edinburgh county police, savings-bank, library, gas- works, and several friendly societies. The large building situated to the N. of the village was erected at the close of the last century by government for cavalry barracks, but was converted in 1831 into an iron foundry. The inhabitants are partly engaged in the paper, gunpowder, and saw mills, and some in the collieries and stone-quarries, besides weavers. In the grounds of Valleyfield, marking the spot where up- wards of 300 French prisoners of war were interred, is a monument with the inscription, " Grata quies patrias, Bed etomnis terra sepulchrum." The parish is traversedby three principal lines of road to Dumfries, Peebles, and Biggar, and for a short distance by the Peebles railway. This par. is in the presb. of Dalkeith, in the synod of Lothian and Tweeddalo. The minister has a stipend of 158 6s. 8rl., besides a glebe valued at 16. The church, situated in the village of Pennycuick, was built in 1771. It is a Grecian structure, with a tetrastyle portico of the Doric order, bearing the Hebrew inscrip- tion " Bethel " and surmounted by a stone cross. There are also a Free church, an United Presbyterian church at Howgate, erected in 1856, another Presbyterian church, situated at Bridgend, and about seven non- parochial schools. The principal seat is Pennycuick House, a mansion with Grecian portico of eight columns, built in 1761 by Sir J. Clerk, Bart., and surrounded by a wooded park. It contains Ossian's Hall, with a ceiling painted by Runciman, a good library, many paintings, and a museum of Roman and miscellaneous antiquities, including the buff coat worn by Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, at the battle of Killiecrankie, where he received his death wound. In tho grounds are various objects of interest, including a model of the celebrated Roman temple on the Carron, called Arthur's Oven, an obelisk raised by Sir James Clerk to the memory of Allan Ramsay, the scene of whose " Gentle Shepherd " is laid at "Habbie Howe," in this neighbourhood ; the old tower of Terregles, the original seat of the ancient proprietor of the parish ; and on the margin of the Esk the subterranean passage called Hurlyenve, about 147 feet long and 7 high, with a cell in the middle cut out of the solid rock in 1742. Newhall, another seat on the Monksburn, near tho Howe and Harbour Craig, is scarcely of less interest. There are numerous ruins, as Ravensnook, once tha seat of Oliver Sinclair, brother to the laird of Roslin, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Sol way-Moss ; Brunstane, the old seat of the Crichtons, built in 1568, but now an extensive ruin; Logan House, once a hunting seat of the Scottish kings in Glencorse, near Houlet's House, where the match between the hounds of the royal Bruce and those of Sinclair of Roslin occurred; and on the summit of the pass over the Pentland hills, on Cross Sword Point, is the stump of an ancient cross. Fairs are held on the third Friday in March and the first Friday in October. PENNY-POUND, a barren spot on Sedgmoor, co. Somerset, 4 miles S.E. of Bridgwater. It is situated near Weston Zoyland, at the place where Sir Thomas Fairfax encamped after the battle of Langport in 1645, and where the adherents of James II., under the Earl of Feversham, defeated the Duke of Monmouth in 1GS5. PENNYSMEKK, a hmlt. in the district of Holder- ness, East Riding co. York. It was situated under Spurn Head, but has been overwhelmed by the sea. PENPERGU UN, a limit, in the par. of Abergavenny, co. Monmouth, 2J miles from Abergavenny, and 15 V. of Monmouth. It is a station on the West Midland section of the Great A 7 "estern railway. PENPONT, a par. in the district of Nithsdale, co. Dumfries, Scotland. It comprises a vil. of the same name. The par. extends in length about 14 miles from S.E. to N.W., with a breadth of about 3 miles. It is bounded on the W. by the co. of Kirkcudbright, and on other sides by the pars, of Lanquhar, Durisdeer, Morton, Keir, and Tynron. The surface, which is hilly, attains its greatest altitude at Cairnkinna, which rises 2,086 feet above sea-level. Near to the Cairnkinna mountain is the craig of Glenquhargen, which rises perpendicularly 1,000 feet, and is considered one of the greatest natural wonders of Scotland. There is a considerable extent of mountain pasture, but many spots are in an excellent state of cultivation. Plantations abound in various parts of the parish. White and red sandstone are abundant, and whinstone is quarried to some extent. There aro also traces of lead and coal. The numerous brooks aro well stocked with salmon, trout, and other fish. The southern border of the parish is traversed by the road from Thornhill to Minniehive, and a short distance to the S.E. are the Thornhill and Carron-bridgo railway stations. The village of Penpont is about 2 miles S.W. of Thornhill, and 15 N. of Dumfries. It is situated on the rivers Nith and Skarr, the latter river being crossed by a modern bridge built on the site of a more ancient one which was removed in 1801. The village consists of three parts, distinguished as Penpont-Proper, Townhead- of Penpont, and Briarbush. At the confluence of Park- burn with the Neith are traces of Tibber's Castle, which was taken from the English by Sir William Wallace. In the neighbourhood are a Roman causeway, two moats, an obelisk, several cairns, &c. This par. is the seat of a presb. in the synod of Dumfries. The minister has a stipend of 256. The parish church was erected in 1782, and stands within the village of Penpont. There are also a Free church, and a Reformed Presbyterian church, also an United Presbyterian church at Burn- head. There are two parochial schools and two other schools. PEN-PONT, or CAPEL BETTWS. See BETTWS PEN-FONT. PENPOUL, HIGHER, a hmlt. in the par. of St. Veep. co. Cornwall, 4 miles S.E. of Lostwithiel, and 9 S.W. of Liskeard. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Trebant and Fowey. PENRAELT, a tnshp. in the par. of Llangelynin, co. Carnarvon, 2 miles S.W. of Conway. PENRHIN COCH, a hmlt. in the tnghp. of Trefeirig, par. of Llanbadarn-Fawr, co. Cardigan, 3 miles from Aberystwith. PENRHOS, a par. in the hund. of Gafflogian, eo. Car- narvon, 3 miles from Pwllheli, its post town, and 5 N.W. of Llandilofawr. The village, which ia of small extent,