Torthorwald History

Torthorwald has all the attributes of a medieval village; Castle, Church, water supply and workable agricultural land, although in this present day very little is left of the original fabric of the village, new developments in the form of dwelling houses have taken the place of the old crucks and quaint little rights of way More ...

Cruck Cottage Heritage

In 2003, the Cruck Cottage Heritage Association was formed by a group of local residents. The aim of the Association, with the co-operation of the owners, Solway Heritage, was to maintain the cottage in good condition, raise the necessary funds, and promote and encourage access by both the local, and wider, community. Over the years More ...

Cottage Restoration

A cottage like this would be repaired and rebuilt many times in its life. It was permanently occupied until the mid 1950’s. In 1960, the cottage was empty, and was taken over by a trust, formed by a number of local people. Repairs and re-thatching were carried out, and in 1966 the local council agreed More ...

The Cruck Cottage

The Cruck Cottage, Shieldhill Road, Torthorwald, Dumfries, Scotland, was originally constructed in the mid 18th century or thereabouts.

It is of the ‘cruck’ construction common at that time, i.e. the main supports consist of oak crucks or trunks, which support the roof. The roof consists of counter tie beams and branch rafters, laid with heather turf, and thatched with wheat straw. The original walls would be of clay or turf, but are now built with rubble and lime mortar.

This cottage is unique to the area and is the only remaining example of this type of construction which would be common in the 18th and 19th century.

The cottage is owned by Solway Heritage and is maintained and run by Cruck Cottage Heritage.

It can be visited at any time of the year. A list of keyholders is displayed in the cottage window.

The Cruck Cottage is protected by CCTV.