Murdoch's Cave

William Murdoch, the acknowledged inventor of gas lighting, was born on 21 August 1754, the third of seven children. His father was John Murdoch, a millwright and tenant of Sir James Boswell at Bellow Mill in Auchinleck parish. William is said to have carried out early experiments into the use of steam and the manufacturing and use of natural gas. He is said to have placed a perforated thimble on the spout of the kettle and lit the gases escaping from the heated coal it contained as a source of light. He is at least said to have heated coal in a copper kettle in the Bello cave that lay around 70 feet or 21 metres from his father, John Murdoch's oatmeal mill. No written record exists of the…

Murdoch's cave is located in a red sandstone cliff above the River Lugar on the north side of the water course, just below the old Bellow miller's house. It is not known whether or not the cave was altered after he left home in 1777 to find work in Birmingham and later in Cornwall. The cave opening is obvious from the River Lugar and lies above the flood level of the river, with hand and foot holds that have been hammered into the rock face, however access is quite difficult during wet weather. Internally this small cave has several features such as a shelf for sitting, a small window, a well finished ceiling and a complex fireplace. A chimney flue constructed using a clay pipe ran from…