These three sketches are all of New Abbey near Dumfries, and are drawn from different angles and with the book turned in two directions. With the sketchbook inverted, the drawing at the top right is a view from the foot of Barlay Hill, from the main road through the town to the north. The abbey is seen at the centre of the sketch with just a single curved line below it to show the Abbey Pow River. At the very right of the sketch is New Abbey Bridge and there are farm buildings at the left. Beyond is the mighty hill Criffell, with Glen Craig to its right and Waterloo Hill to the right of that with Waterloo Monument at its summit.
The sketch beneath is similar, though taken from a little to the west, Turner having stepped a few yards further up Barlay Hill off the main road. All of the same buildings and hills from the first sketch are shown again, though shifted slightly in relation to each other owing to the change of viewpoint.
Finally at the outer edge of the page, with the book turned to the right from the orientation of the other two sketches, is a view of New Abbey from New Abbey Bridge to the west. At the right foreground the Main Road which crosses the bridge is shown curving round to the east though the town and towards the abbey.
For more information on Turner’s visit to New Abbey see folio 46 (
D25851).
Thomas Ardill
September 2009
