Falkirk - The Blue Pool at Torwood

[Sharon]

http://www.ntgraphics.co.uk/investigation/bluepool.html

A fascinating investigation and little obsession with the mystery of the blue pool in Torwood.

I love this kind of little mystery!

The questions:

* What was the function and purpose of the blue pool ?
* When was it built ?
* Who built it ?
* When did it cease to have a purpose ?
* Where does the water come from and why does the level change ?
* Did you ever swim in it ?

Looks like an intersting area for a wander

[HollowHorn]

Quite bizarre! I have a sudden urge to don the scuba gear and investigate the bottom.

[Lucky Poet]

How odd . Brilliantly thorough wee website too.

[munroman]

Must be worth a wee trip when its warmer!

[banjo]

aye,a certain person might want to try curling on it in its present state.

[Fossil]

Quite bizarre! I have a sudden urge to don the scuba gear and investigate the bottom.

I knew he'd was going to give it a go sometime

[wee minxy]

Yes, wade right in there HH

[Sharon]

Well it was a dreary day on Sunday but nevertheless it seemed important to get out and about, scouring OS maps and our fuzzy brains for some inspiration about where to go, the mystery of the Blue Pool came to mind.

So a year after first reading about it off we set in the grey drizzle, stopping by the collapsed heap of Larbert House on the way.

It was happily dry by the time we got to Torwood, so wellies on and off we slipped and slid. Turned out there was a castle to see on the way to finding the Blue Pool.

It's such a compelling little mystery in its telling that we were actually quite excited about our little quest - although given it's clearly marked on maps (not os maps) it didn't prove too hard to locate. Without a map you could easily walk past it an never see it. It was with some glee my wee sister spotted its low circular wall peeping above the dead grass. We were there. And the pool was indeed full of perfectly clear water, looking green rather than blue it did have a slightly enigmatic presence.

I just love that despite all the speculation about what it may have been, there is as yet no final conclusion.


The ever mysterious blue pool by sisterblue, on Flickr

Is the structure mjw posted in the Cumbernauld thread a similar structure? viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5996&start=315#p228359

[jodieohdoh]

That's intriguing! I learned two excellent new phrases too- "Goesinty" and "Goesooty"

[The Egg Man]

That's intriguing! I learned two excellent new phrases too- "Goesinty" and "Goesooty" ::):

Not forgetting "goesunder"

[cell]

I went and had a look at this a while ago but couldn't add anything, I thought at first it must be mine related but there is nothing on any of the old maps that indicates there was a mine in this area. I had therefore put it down to something to do with a water supply, the nearby valve pit would support this but it is certainly intriguing and well worth a visit if you are in that area.

Sharon's reference to a lint pond got me thinking again and the Canmore site has the following typical description although they also call them "retting ponds" . There are 28 records some of which are in the Falkirk area, with dates that are comparable with the appearance of the Blue Pool construction.

"A lint vat or tank used for the preparation of flax at Cleuchhead (NY 098 957), known locally as 'the lint hole'. An enclosure, something like a well only wider, 12' across, 42' in circumference and perhaps 5' deep, is now filled up and planted over with trees. There is a stone built conduit at the bottom, for the draining off of water after the line has been 'retted' or steeped."

This certainly sounds similar to the Cumbernauld feature and the Blue Pool, have we solved it?

[purplepantman]

...the Canmore site has the following typical description although they also call them "retting ponds" . There are 28 records some of which are in the Falkirk area, with dates that are comparable with the appearance of the Blue Pool construction.

"A lint vat or tank used for the preparation of flax at Cleuchhead (NY 098 957), known locally as 'the lint hole'. An enclosure, something like a well only wider, 12' across, 42' in circumference and perhaps 5' deep, is now filled up and planted over with trees. There is a stone built conduit at the bottom, for the draining off of water after the line has been 'retted' or steeped."

This certainly sounds similar to the Cumbernauld feature and the Blue Pool, have we solved it?

I'm not sure that there is a "typical description" of a lint pool/retting pond.
I don't think there is, as from what I've seen they come in all shapes, sizes and depths.

I've visited both the Torwood Blue Pool and the Glencryan Circle Thingy and whilst I don't know what they are (although the above description of a "lint vat or tank" sounds good to me), I do know that they are around the same diameter (possibly exactly) and that they appear to be the same thing but of a slightly different design (with regards the conduit). To my eye, the one at Glencryan is just a filled-in version of the Torwood Pool.




Unfortunately the Glencryan Pool doesn't photograph too well and doesn't appear to be
circular in the pic - but believe me it is a complete circle just like at Torwood.

But what are they?

[DickyHart]

When i was a lad, I lived in Antrim in northern ireland, there was loads of old ruined flax mills everywhere, (anyone who knows Antrim knows where they are) close by there was simaler looking pools but they where square shaped. . there is one not far from my mums house, last time I was down at that one it had no water in it. but that was over 15 years ago.

[Icecube]

Nigel has uploaded a video from a cam he lowered into the pool/shaft. The mystery gets more mysterious.

HERE

A tunnel ..............

[Icecube]

Sorry to report that according to messages in the visitor book of the Torwood mystery website advises that Nigel Turnbull has passed away.