The Cuningar Stones: The Farme Castle Stone

Flat wedge-shaped stone carved with a single text associated with Farme Castle: FAIRE SPEICHE IN PRESENCE WITH GUID REPORT IN ABSENCE AND MANERS ENTO FELLOWSCHEP OBTAIN GRAIT REURENCE Farme Castle stood 500m to the south of this stone. The castle is thought to have been built around the 14th century and it was demolished in the 1960s. In May 1792 a ceiling was removed in one of the main rooms of the castle. An older wooden ceiling was discovered above with a text from 1325 painted along the sides of the beams. The stone carries part of this text. The Cuningar Stones is a permanent public art project for the Cuningar Loop Woodland Park, a 15 hectare former landfill site in South Lanarkshire between Rutherglen and Dalmarnock. As part of the project 15 large carved sculptural works were produced drawing on an extensive programme of research and community engagement which examined the complex social, industrial and natural history of the site. Each stone was recovered from the ground after being dumped there during the demolition of the Gorbals in the 1960s. Developed to reference Scottish folk carving while retaining the aesthetic of an architectural ruin, the stones act as landmarks within the landscape encouraging exploration and generating interest in the identity of the park. Each stone retains the architectural details and other marks from its history with my own carvings intervening in these layers. Many of the carvings reference the rich flora and fauna of the park. The content of the carvings was developed through the supporting engagement programme involving adult and children's stone carving, mask-making and design workshops, audio history recordings, exhibitions, talks and events. This self-led project was supported by Creative Scotland with National Lottery Funding. For further information on the project see: www.cuningarloop.tumblr.com