Colvend and Southwick

The former of these places is supposed to have derived its name from John de Culwen, its proprietor in the fifteenth century, and the latter from the position of its ancient church, now in ruins, with reference to a small river which flows through the parish into Solway Firth.

The surface is extremely irregular, and is so broken into detached portions by intervening masses of rock and impenetrable copses of furze and briars, as to render it unpracticable to ascertain, with any degree of correctness, the probable number of acres under cultivation.

The coast is bold and rocky, and in many places rises into lofty and precipitous cliffs, overhanging the Firth, from which, at low water, the sea retires, leaving a broad tract of level sands.

The Firth is about nine leagues in breadth at this place; the river Urr is navigable for eight miles from it, for vessels of not more than eighty tons, and the Southwick burn joins the Frith on the boundary of the parish.

The soil is generally a thin light loam, and, though warm and fertile, better adapted for pasture than for tillage; the chief crops are, oats and barley, with potatoes, turnips, and clover.

On the estates of Fairgirth and Barnhourie, are considerable tracts of ancient wood; and the plantations of more modern date are also extensive, and consist chiefly of oak and Scotch fir, both of which are in a thriving state.

At the mouth of the river Urr small vessels are built, and there is a landing-place for unloading cargoes of lime and other articles, and for shipping the agricultural produce to Liverpool, Glasgow, and other ports.