A vision of Britain through time
A vision of Britain from 1801 to now.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
A vision of Britain through time
A vision of Britain from 1801 to now.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
Fearn or Fern, a parish in the central part of Forfarshire, whose church is beautifully situated on an isolated hillock in the midst of a romantic den, 9 miles N by E of Forfar, and 7 W of Brechin, under which there is a post office of Fearn. It is bounded N by Lethnot, E by Menmuir and Careston, S and W by Tannadice. Its utmost length, from NNW to SSE, is 55/6. miles; its greatest breadth, from E to W, is 3¼ miles; and its area is 88115/6 acres, of which 20 are water. Clearflowing Noran Water winds 47/8. miles east - south eastward along all the southern border, on its way to the South Esk; and Cruick Water, an affluent of the North Esk, rising in the northern extremity of the parish, runs 5¾ miles south-south-eastward, then 1½ mile eastward, through the interior, and passes off into Menmuir. In the SE the surface sinks to less than 300 feet above sea-level, thence rising to 421 feet near Wellford, 605 near Noranside, 970 at Deuchar Hill, 1003 at Greens of Shandford, 1009 at *Mansworn Rig, 1682 at *Benderochie, 1377 at Craig of Trusta, and 1900 at the *Hill of Garbet, where asterisks mark those summits that culminate on the borders of the parish. The rocks include clay slate and Old Red sandstone, and the slate has been quarried; whilst the soil is fertile throughout the Strathmore district and in parts of the central valley. On a rocky and precipitous reach of Noran Water stand the haunted ruins of the castle of Vayne, or ancient manor-house of Fearn, originally a three-story pile of friable red sandstone, with a round south-western tower. Falsely ascribed to Cardinal Bethune, and greatly enlarged towards the close of the 17th century by Robert, third Earl of Southesk, this, or a predecessor, was the seat of the Montealtos or Mowats, who held the estate of Fearn from the reign of William the Lyon (1166-1214) till some time prior to 1450. In that year it was in the possession of the Earls of Crawford, from whom it passed about 1594 to the Carnegies of Southesk. By them it was sold in 1766 to Mr John Mill, whose son built Noranside. The small estate of Deuchars has its interest, as having been owned by Deuchars of that Ilk from the 10th century till 1818. The ' Kelpie's Footmark ' is still to be seen in a sandstone rock near the castle of Vayne, but little or nothing remains of a ` Druidical circle,' of a circular prehistoric dwelling, or of three tumuli on the hills, one of which yielded a number of ancient urns. Noranside is the chief mansion, and the property is divided among five. Fearn is in the presbytery of Brechin and synod of Angus and Mearns; the living is worth £220. The church, originally founded by Bishop Colman about 666, and dedicated to St Aidan, was rebuilt in 1806, and contains 238 sittings; whilst a public school, with accommodation for 60 chilren, had (1880) an average attendance of 43, and a grant of £52, 10s. Valuation (1857) £4155, (1882) £5194, 10s. 9d. Pop. (1801) 448, (1831) 450, (1861) 439, (1871) 348, (1881) 316.—Ord. Sur., sh. 57, 1868. See chap. v. of Andrew Jervise's Land of the -Lindsays (Edinb. 1853).
(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)
| Linked entities: | |
|---|---|
| Feature Description: | "a parish" (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 4th order divisions") |
| Administrative units: | Fern ScoP Angus ScoCnty |
| Place names: | FEARN | FEARN OR FERN | FERN |
| Place: | Fern |
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