Talk at Crossgar Historical Society meeting focuses on history of Carryduff

Talk at Crossgar Historical Society meeting focuses on history of Carryduff

11 December 2024

THE history of Carryduff was examined at the most recent meeting of Crossgar Historical Society last week.

The talk was given by the former chairperson of Carryduff Historical Society, Gordon Hunt, who shared interesting information about those who have lived in the area – from the earliest inhabitants through to the present day. 

He spoke about many of the changes in the village over the years with the help of ‘then and now’ photographs.

Crossgar Historical Society president Callum Bowsie expressed his gratitude to Mr Hunt for sharing his local knowledge.

He said: “We were pleasantly surprised during Gordon’s talk at how many connections people from Crossgar had with Carryduff, which made the talk very engaging for us.”

He also explained his own links to Carryduff. “I have a strong connection to Carryduff, given that it was my grandfather, George Bowsie, who established Carryduff Historical Society in 2000, the same year that he published a book on the history of Carryduff – copies of which Gordon had at his talk.”

Mr Bowsie continued: “Carryduff has a similar history to that of Crossgar in that it is a relatively new village, having begun as a major Co Down crossroads. 

“Both villages had strong associations with army encampments during World War Two and both were heavily influenced by the navvies that lived here while building the railways or the reservoir in Carryduff.”

The next meeting of Crossgar Historical Society will take place on Tuesday, January 28.