In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Kirkurd like this:
Kirkurd, a parish of W Peeblesshire, whose church stands 3 ¼ miles SSE of the station and post-town, Dolphinton, 6 ¼ N by E of Broughton station, and 5 3/8 SW of Noblehouse. It is bounded N by Linton, NE by Newlands, SE by Stobo, S by Stobo and Broughton, SW by Skirling, and NW by Dolphinton in Lanarkshire. ...
Its utmost length, from E to W, is 4 1/8 miles; its utmost breadth, from N to S, is 3 ¼ miles; and its area is 5704½ acres, of which 6 are water. Tarth Water runs 3 7/8 miles south-eastward along all the Linton and Newlands border; and Dean Burn, rising on the southern border, runs north ward through the interior to the Tarth. In the extreme E, where Tarth Water quits the parish, the surface declines to 680 feet above sea-level, and thence it rises to 1632 feet at Lochurd Hill, 1872 at the Broughton Heights, 1385 near the Mount, and 1121 at Shaw Hill. The rocks are Silurian and Devonian; and the soil towards the Tarth is chiefly loam, elsewhere being either clayish or gravelly. About one-third of the entire area is in tillage; one-eleventh is under plantation; and the rest of the land is pastoral or waste. A sulphureous spring on the N border, like those of Moffat and Harrowgate, has been dry nearly 50 years. The chief antiquities are remains of a Caledonian stone circle, two circular fortifications called the Rings and the Chesters, and two stone-engirt artificial mounds, supposed to have been used as seats of justice. Mansions, both noticed separately, are Castle Craig and Netherurd. Kirkurd is in the presbytery of Peebles and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale; the living is worth £200. The parish church was built in 1776, and contains 300 sittings. Kirkurd Free church is in Newlands parish; and a public school, with accommodation for 82 children, had (1881) an average attendance of 76, and a grant of £57, 17s. Valuation (1860) £2520, (1883) £3263, 10s. Pop. (1801) 327, (1831) 318, (1861) 362, (1871) 294, (1881) 282.—Ord. Sur., sh. 24, 1864.
Kirkurd through time
Kirkurd is now part of Scottish Borders district. Click here for graphs and data of how Scottish Borders has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Kirkurd itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Kirkurd, in Scottish Borders and Peebles Shire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17175
Date accessed: 25th April 2024
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