The confluence of the Afton Water and River Nith, New Cumnock
The ruins of the Auld Kirk, the original new parish church of New Cumnock
NEW : the new parish
In 1650 the parish of Cumnock was sub-divided into
the two new parishes of Old Cumnock and New
Cumnock. The existing parish church of Cumnock
became the parish church of Old Cumnock. A new
parish church was built for New Cumnock, close to
the site of Cumnock Castle. The first minister was the
'true Covenanter' Hugh Crawfurd. In the Sasine
Register (6th June 1654) he is referred to as the
' minister at the New Kirk of Cumnock'.
Map of New Cumnock, Ordnance Survey Second Edition, 1897. Showing the 'Moat' of Cumnock Castle and the Auld Kirk (Ch. In ruins)
Click here for a detailed
derivation of the
Place-Name
CUMNOCK : COMUNN ACH
Patrick of Comenagh (Earl of Dunbar) appears in the Ragman Roll of 1296. The Dunbars were
barons of Cumnock and their baronial seat the Castle of Comenagh sat on the castle-hill
overlooking the confluence of the the Afton Water and River Nith .The name Cumnock
comprises the Gaelic elements comunn 'confluence' + achadh 'place', where the latter
appears in the common abbreviated suffiix as -ach. (cf. Beoch G. beithe+achadah 'place of
the birch)
NEW CUMNOCK
The town of New Cumnock
developed round the new parish
church , now known as the Auld Kirk
which lies in ruins close to the site of
Cumnock Castle, a few hundred
yards from where the Afton and Nith
meet in communion ([Gaelic]
comanachadh). The main
thoroughfare through the town is still
known as The Castle.
The New Cumnock Mural , at the Mary Morrison Memorial Garden
History of the Parish
of New Cumnock
by Robert Guthrie
.........

NEW CUMNOCK
PLACE-NAMES
NEW CUMNOCK
G. comunn+ achadh
'place of the confluence'
.........
Afton
Water
Cumnock, New Cumnock
New Cumnock
Reproduced by kind permission of the
Trustees of the National Library of Scotland
Confluence of the Afton Water and River Nith
Ruins of Auld Kirk, New Cumnock
New Cumnock
Water Features
Hills and Craigs
Fields & Settlements
Boundaries
Christian Sites
Wallace & Bruce
House of Rheged
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