On 14th May 2016, Blantyre resident Wullie Bell arrived at my door to show me some interesting photos of a remarkable find he uncovered near Blantyre Priory.
Wullie shared these photos of some stone steps he had stumbled upon near the site of Blantyre Priory and wanted to know if i knew about them or had any other information on them.
The steps are to the north of the Priory ruin and are covered entirely by about 100mm of topsoil and modern undergrowth. They are old, at least as old as the 1850’s, appearing on maps of that era, and potentially could be centuries older.
The steps formed part of an old walkway leading down the steep slopes near the Priory taking people from the high elevations near the current playing fields, down to the riverside at the River Clyde. The path once zig zagged down the slope to the north of the gully adjacent to the Priory.
Wullie had been down and returned at a later date with a shovel to uncover a half dozen steps, inviting me down for a further visit. Many thanks. I think this was a great find, and although I suspect they were visible last Century, they’re not shown on any map and without Wullie’s intervention, could easily have become completely lost forever.
On social media:
Good stuff! I can vaguely remember them, or another set nearby while looking for a good fishing spot