Hill Street seamlessly links the heights of Hood’s Hill with the pathways of Garden Street, creating a pivotal connection within the tapestry of Tarbolton.
Dwelling in the embrace of history, the Tarbolton Motte stands as a testament to time’s passage. Born from human hands, this mound presides over the remnants of Tarbolton Loch, now a memory but once a vital expanse. Enigmatic and enshrouded in the mists of ages, this motte bears witness to ancient rituals. In ages past, fires ignited upon it as offerings to Beltane and Baal, casting shadows that danced across time’s stage. Its history deepens as it assumes the mantle of a defensive stronghold through eras marked by the Roman, Viking, Dane, and Norman occupation.
Through the layers of history, it acquired the name Hood’s Hill, a nod to John Hood, the dedicated parish schoolmaster. In the 18th century, around 1760, he nurtured the land into a haven of play for the children under his care. This serene space, once a site of fires and fortifications, transformed into a realm of youthful laughter and exploration.
In the tapestry of lives, John Hood is thought to have shared kinship with William ‘Souter’ Hood, an elder of Tarbolton Church. Burns himself paid homage to this figure, immortalizing him in verse. The lines of the Epitaph on a Celebrated Ruling Elder evoke Hood’s essence with wit and reverence:
Here Sowter Hood in Death does sleep; To hell if he’s gane thither, Satan, gie him thy gear to keep, He’ll haud it weel thegither.
The contours of Hood’s Hill also find their way into the fabric of Burns’s poetry. In “Death and Doctor Hornbook,” Burns’s words transport us:
‘I was come round about the hill, And todlin down on Willie’s mill, Setting my staff wi a’ my skill, To keep me sicker: Tho’ leeward whyles, against my will, I took a bicker’.
Thus, Hill Street binds the strands of history, weaving the motte’s ancient mysteries, the legacy of John Hood, and the poet’s musings into the tapestry of Tarbolton.
A guide track for ‘Hill Street’ is available below for listening: -
You can download a PDF of the sheet music here
- or braille format here.
The track is additionally available within the following collections and sets: -
Associated Collections: -
4/4
Ayrshire Places
Hornpipe
Tarbolton Street
The Tarbolton Collection
