Penpont

Not to be confused with Penpont, Cornwall.
Penpont

Approaching the crossroads in the centre of Penpont
Penpont
 Penpont shown within Dumfries and Galloway
Council areaDumfries and Galloway
Lieutenancy areaDumfries
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Thornhill
Postcode district DG3
Dialling code 01848
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK ParliamentDumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
Scottish ParliamentDumfriesshire
List of places
UK
Scotland

Coordinates: 55°13′55″N 3°48′54″W / 55.232°N 3.815°W

Penpont is a small village in the region of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, two miles west of Thornhill.

It is situated near the confluence of the Shinnel Water and Scaur Water rivers in the foothills of the Southern Uplands, and has a population of roughly 400 people. The name means "bridge-head", in the Old Welsh or Cumbric language, once spoken in Galloway.[1]

Penpont is notable as the birthplace of Joseph Thomson, the geologist and explorer after whom Thomson's Gazelle is named. The sculptor Andy Goldsworthy[2] has lived in the village since 1986 and retains a workshop there. Many of his works can be found in the surrounding countryside, including a pinecone-shaped sculpture at Stepends Farm made to celebrate the year 2000.

The parish church was built in 1867 in big-buttressed Gothic style. It contains a communion table in Art Nouveau style dating from 1923.

There are several sites of archaeological interest nearby, including Bronze Age forts on the hills Tynron Doon[3] and Grennan Hill and a long cairn at Capenoch Loch[4] dating from the 2nd or 3rd century.

The village of Penpont holds a week-long festival known to the locals as the "Penpont Gala"[5] every year, commencing the first week of July.

The war memorial (1920) is by Glasgow sculptor William Kellock Brown.

References

  1. ↑ Watson, William J. (1925). "The Celts (British and Gael) in Dumfriesshire and Galloway" (PDF). Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society. Third Series. Volume XI: 147. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-31.
  2. ↑ Andy Goldsworthy Digital Catalogue: Andy Goldsworthy Archive
  3. ↑ Views of Tynron Doon from Auchengibbert and from Scauir Water
  4. ↑ Capenoch Loch (Cairn(s)) | UK | The Modern Antiquarian.com
  5. ↑ http://chrisfrear.photium.com/portfolio34657.html
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