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URR, Kirkcudbrightshire - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

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The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)]

"URR, a parish in county Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 5 miles N.E. of Castle Douglas. It comprises the villages of Dalbeattie, Springholm and Haugh of Urr, Hardgate, and part of the village of Crocketford. It extends in length about 16 miles, with an extreme breadth of 4 miles, but its mean breadth is little over a mile. It is bounded on the E. by the parishes of Kirkpatrick-Irongay, Lochrutton, Kirkgungeon, and Colvend, and on the W. by the parishes of Buittle, Crossmichael, and Kirkpatrick in Durham. The surface is moderately even, the greatest altitude being at Larg-Hill, which rises 600 feet above sea-level. The soil is fertile, upon a subsoil of granite rock, hard limestone, iron-ore, and shell marl, the first often protruding above the surface. It is watered by the Urr river, which rises in Urr Loch, on the borders of Dumfriesshire, and is traversed by the roads from Dumfries to Portpatrick and Kirkcudbright, and by the railway from Dumfries to Castle Douglas, which has a station at Dalbeattie. On the banks of the river are paper, corn, flax, and saw mills. This parish is in the presbytery and synod of Dumfries, and in the patronage of the crown. The stipend of the minister is about £255. The parish church, erected in 1815, stands near the Moot Hill of Urr. At Dalbeattie, in this parish, are an Established church, a Roman Catholic chapel, dedicated to St. Peter, and a Free church; also an United Presbyterian church at Springholm. There are three parochial schools, situated in the centre of the parish, at Dalbeattie, and at Milton. Near Urr-Loch are remains of the Seatons' Castle, now the haunt of sea-fowl, and on the hills are traces of an ancient fortification."

"CROCKETFORD, a village in the parishes of Kirkpatrick-Durham and Urr, in the county of Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 6 miles N.E. of Castle-Douglas. It is situated on the river Urr, surrounded by heath and moor."

"DALBEATTIE, a small town in the parish of Urr, in the county of Kirkcudbright, Scotland. It stands near the confluence of Dalbeattie Burn with Urr Water, 5 miles S.E. of Castle Douglas. It dates from 1780, and owes its prosperity to the various mills established on the burn. Here are a quoad sacra church, a Free church, and a Roman Catholic chapel. Fairs are held here in April and October."

"HARDGATE, a village in the parish of Urr, county Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 6 miles N.E. of Castle Douglas."

"HAUGH, a post-office village in the parish of Urr, county Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 4 miles N.E. of Castle Douglas. It is situated on the Urr water."

"SPRINGHOLM, a village in the parish of Urr, county Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 5 miles N.E. of Castle-Douglas, near Loch Urr, not far from the Solway Frith."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]