Couple create Port pigs legacy
Frankie Lipton is keen to preserve the identity of his house in Port William which used to be the village butcher, piggery and abbattoir, so much so he commissioned a wood carver to create his own drove of pigs immortalised in solid oak to take up residence on the same plot of land that the old piggery was on behind the shop. Says Frankie, "the sculptures will ensure the history of the house will not be lost". GG 1112027 12
Many long-term residents of Port William have done a double take recently at the sight of five handsome pigs in the back garden of 2-4 South Street – the former butcher’s shop – now called Killantrae Burn.
The pigs, and their two sheep companions, are all carved out of wood from a fallen oak from Highgrove, Prince Charles’s country home.
The magnificent sculptures were commissioned by the owners of the house, Frankie and Lesley Lipton, who wanted to acknowledge the history of their holiday home.
The house was built in the mid-1800s and for more than 120 years it served as the village butcher, piggery and abattoir.
The butcher lived in number four while the shop was number two – and you can still see the hook outside the door where the meat was once hung. And some of the butcher’s tools were still stored in the cellar when the couple bought the house.
Frankie said: “Many of the original shops in Port William are now residential properties and their history has been lost in the course of time.
“We were determined this would not happen to Killantrae Burn and the idea of the Killantrae Burn pigs was born. A search began to find a wood carver capable of carving the pig sculptures. The search took several months before a chain saw carver was commissioned.
“Each pig is carved from a fallen oak tree and the largest pig weighs over 700lbs. The sculptures will ensure that the history of the house will not be lost.”
Since thier arrival the scupltures have become a tourist attraction with visitors stopping on the bridge next to Killantrae Burn to take pictures.
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Weather for Newton Stewart
Sunday 26 May 2013
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