2007 Lee Burn by J Brown

The Lee or Lees Burn is a stream which rises at “Mains Castle” in East Kilbride Parish and forms the Parish Boundary for about a mile before it enters the Rotten Calder river, near “Bridge Mill“. Mains Castle stands about a mile westwards of Crossbasket. Interestingly, where the Lees Burn meets the rotten Calder river at the Bridge Mill location, near the Tower, an interesting phenomenon occurs. The clear waters of the Lees Burn mixes with the darker, soil stained waters of the Calder, the two different purities clearly visible. Quite a sight to observe.

Moving back towards the house and following the river downstream of ‘The General’s Bridge’, is the first dam. At the time of writing, the large oak beam that held the dam in place is sitting to the side of the river. The water on the shallow Calder River was dammed to around six foot, creating a larger, deeper, more scenic body of water on top of which were water lilies.

Along the nearby ridge in spring are a multitude of daffodils and clusters of them are very beautiful, all along the hillside. This area was completely graded in 1987, removing an overgrown area back to the original paths and the layout they once had 100 years earlier.