Stewarton
Stewarton Stewartoun ( Scottish Gaelic: Baile nan Stiùbhartach | |
---|---|
Town | |
The Cross in Stewarton, East Ayrshire, with a view towards Fenwick. | |
Stewarton Stewartoun (Scots) Location within East Ayrshire | |
Population | 7,770 (2020)[1] |
Language | English Scots |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Kilmarnock |
Postcode district | KA3 |
Dialling code | 01560 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Website | Stewarton Website |
Stewarton (
Stewarton lies within Strathannick, with the
History
King Malcolm Canmore and Friskin
Historical records show that Stewarton has existed since at least the 12th century with various non-historical references to the town dating to the early 11th century. The most famous of these non-historical references concerns the legend of
Another reference to Stewarton, this time a historical recorded version, is that one Wernebald was given the Cunninghame lands by his superior,
Pont[7] in 1604 - 08 records that so thickly was the district about Stewarton and along the banks of the Irvine populated for a space of 3 or 4 miles (5 or 6 kilometres) "that well traveled men in divers parts of Europe (affirm) that they have seen walled cities not so well or near planted with houses so near each other as they are here, wherethrough it is so populous that, at the ringing of a bell in the night for a few hours, there have seen convene 3000 able men, well-horsed and armed."[8]
The Murder of the 4th Earl of Eglinton
Another significant event from Stewarton's history involves the Cunninghame family. In the 16th century Ayrshire was divided into three regions or
Lady Montgomery, who was alleged to have signaled the murderers by placing a white 'napkin' on a window sill, is said to have escaped and lived with her retainer Robert Kerr at Pearce Bank (now High Peacockbank) for several years until the 'hue and cry' died down at which point she returned to the castle and was not molested on the understanding that she did not 'show her face' outside of the grounds. A path known as the 'Weeping or Mourning Path' runs upstream from the Annick (previously Annack or Annock Water) Ford and this is where the Earl's widow is said to have wept as she later followed the trail of blood left behind as his panicked horse took him away from Bridgend. The Earl's body was placed in Lainshaw Castle until arrangements were made to remove it to Eglintoun Castle.
Corsehill and Ravenscraig Castles
The name Ravenscraig or Reuincraig is derived from 'Ruin Crag', i.e. ruined castle. Godfrey de Ross and his family of
Archibald Adamson in his 'Rambles Round Kilmarnock' of 1875 only records three castles, these being Robertland, Auchenharvie and Corsehill. He makes no mention of the name Ravenscraig, calling the site he visited Corsehill. Aitken only marks Crosshill Castle in 1829 on the west side of the Corsehill Burn. The first OS maps show only the existing castle site, so the new survey has not perpetuate the error. To sum up, the map in Pont's 'Cuninghame' of 1604-8 shows two buildings, "Reuincraige" and "Corshill", at approximately NS 417 467 and NS 422 465 respectively, and Dobie (1876) comments that the two have often been confused, but that "Reuincraig" stood on the W of the Corsehill Burn and "Corsehill Mansion" on its E. "Reuincraig", he says, was so modernised about 1840 that it was difficult to realise that it had been ruined in 1608, while the ruins of "Corsehill" were removed about the beginning of the 19th century and only foundations could be traced when he wrote. He also thought that "Reuincraig" (i.e. Ruin Craig) was not an original name. If Dobie is correct, the ruins published as "Corsehill Castle" on the OS 6", must be those of "Reuincraig", both because they are standing remains, and because they are on the W bank of the burn. Macgibbon and Ross, describing "Corsehill Castle" at the end of the 19th century as a very ruinous mansion, evidently of late date and apparently of the L-plan, and ascribe it to the period 1542-1700, must be referring to "Reuincraig". Grose, in 1791, published an illustration of "Corshill House", but does not give it a close siting. As, however, he mentions that "at a small distance from this ruin are some small remains of a more ancient building belonging to the same family", he is also probably referring to "Reuincraig", the "small remains" being those of "Corsehill". (Grose 1791); (MacGibbon) and (Ross 1889).
General Roy's Military Survey of Scotland (1745–55) marks 'Ravenscraig' as 'Old Corsehill' and also marks the 'new' Corsehill on the other side of the burn, thereby apparently confirming that they both had the same name and one replaced the other, although only 'Old Corsehill' is still in any way visible, just the foundations of 'new' Coresehill being apparent in 2007. The same map shows buildings named 'Temple' in the area of 'Templehouse'.
The Conventicles and the Highland host
To prevent the
Micro history of the area
Cairnduff Hill overlooks Stewarton and is the site of the remnants of a Bronze Age burial cairn inside of which three urns or beakers were found in the 19th century containing bones and relicts. In 1847 the old Barony Court House still stood near the Avenue running up towards Corsehill.[11] The War Memorial used to stand outside the front of the library in the avenue square and was moved to provide a more suitable setting near Standalane house above Lainshaw primary school.
People and businesses from Stewarton
Dunlop cheese was made in Stewarton as well as many other Ayrshire localities, such as Beith.[12]
William Jack was born here in 1834.[15]
International women's footballer Rose Reilly grew up in Stewarton, before being forced to leave to pursue a career in professional football. [16] but returned in later years and now resides in the area. The sports centre located in the town has since been renamed in honour of her.[17]
Sports
The ground of Stewarton's cricket club was located between Lochridge and Ward Park house. Stewarton Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1912. The club disappeared following WW2.[18]
Accidents and incidents
On 27 January 2009, a BP tanker train carrying liquid fuels (diesel and heating oil) from Mossend to Riccarton was derailed at the bridge over the Stewarton to Kilmaurs road at Peacockbank Farm. Several wagons subsequently caught fire.[19] The Lochrig Burn was badly polluted, however the Annick Water escaped major contamination.
Geography and Climate
The Stewarton Flower, so named due to its local abundance and recorded as such by the Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers,
Transport
Stewarton railway station was opened in 1871 by the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway. The station closed in 1966, reopening in 1967. In 2009-2010 the line was partly re-doubled and the train frequency increased to two trains an hour in each direction. The station was rebuilt and a second platform brought into use.
Thomas Oliver was titled "roadmaker in Stewarton", being employed by the Kilmarnock to Irvine road committee. He worked with the specifications of a road 24 feet (7.3 metres) wide, 14 inches (36 centimetres) thick in the middle to 10 in (25 cm) in the sides, the understratum to be made of stones not exceeding 6 lb (2.5 kg) tron weight and 6 in (15 cm) thick, etc. Very precise requirements which would cost seven shilling per fall from Annick Bridge to Gareer Burn, but ten shillings per fall from Gareer Burn to Corsehouse bridge (Crosshouse) because of the lack of suitable materials locally.[21]
Buses run regularly to Kilmarnock from the Robertland Bus Terminus.
Local events
Stewarton, like many other Scottish towns, holds an annual gala festival at the beginning of summer. Dating back to the days when Stewarton had a prosperous trade in bonnet-making, the 'Bonnet Guild' organises activities for the local residents and proclaims a 'Corsehill Queen', the most academically successful girl in 2nd year at Stewarton Academy.[22]
The Cadgers’ Fair was an annual event unique to Stewarton in the 18th Century. "Our annual fair took place on Monday last. In the morning there was a large turnout of cattle. . . . Our Cadgers’ procession was a slight improvement on some former occasions, and headed by a brass band they marched through the town, thence to a field on the farm of Robertland where the races took place". Horses were traded and much of the 'action' took place in the Avenue Square.[23]
See also
- Stewarton coat of arms
- Barony and Castle of Corsehill
- River Irvine — the Annick Water and other tributaries
- Lands of Lainshaw
- Lambroughton
- Chapeltoun
- Corsehill
- Castle and Barony of Robertland
- List of places in East Ayrshire
- Stewarton Hive
- Stewarton railway station
- Kingsford
- Lands of Cocklebie
References
- Notes
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ List of railway station names in English, Scots and Gaelic – NewsNetScotland Archived January 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba ~ Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland". Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ "Stewarton (East Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Groome, Francis H. (1903). Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland. Pub. Caxton. London. P. 1506.
- ^ Ainslie, John (1779), Lainshaw Estate Map.
- ^ Pont, Timothy (1604). Cuninghamia. Pub. Blaeu in 1654.
- ^ Robertson, William (1908). Ayrshire. Its History and Historic Families. Vol.1. Pub. Dunlop & Dreenan. Kilmarnock. P. 303
- ^ Robertson, William (1905). Old Ayrshire Days. Pub. Stephen & Pollock. Ayr. P. 299 - 300.
- ^ Robertson, William (1905). Old Ayrshire Days. Pub. Stephen & Pollock. Ayr. P. 203.
- ^ Search over Lainshaw, Page 33
- ISBN 0-9525323-0-1. P. 24.
- ISBN 1-84033-143-7.
- ^ For a full biography of Dale: see McLaren, D. J. (2015). David Dale: A Life Archived 25 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Stenlake Publishing Ltd.
- ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original(PDF) on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ^ "Interview: Rose Reilly on why she was never going to turn down MBE". www.scotsman.com. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Football Superstar to Officially Re-open Sports Centre - East Ayrshire Council News". www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ “Stewarton Golf Club”, Golf's Missing Links.
- ^ METRO. January 28, 2009. p. 5.
- ^ Dickie, T. W. (1915), Robertland, 10/07/1915. Annals of the Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers Society. 1913 - 1919. P. 110.
- ^ McClure, David (1994). Tolls and Tacksmen. Ayr Arch & Nat Hist Soc. Ayrshire Monograph No.13. P. 10.
- ^ Bonnet Festivals – Stewarton.com website
- ^ Cuthbertson, Page 169
- Sources
- Adamson, Archibald R. (1875). Rambles Round Kilmarnock. Pub. Kilmarnock. p. 156.
- Best, Nicholas (1999). The Kings and Queens of Scotland. Pub. London. ISBN 0-297-82489-9.
- Buchan, Peter (1840). The Eglinton Tournament and Gentlemen Unmasked. London : Simpkin, Marshall & Co.
- Cuthbertson, David Cuningham (1945). Autumn in Kyle and the Charm of Cunninghame. London : Jenkins.
- Dobie, James (1876). Pont's Cunnighame. Pub. Glasgow.
- Hewitt, Davie (2006). Personal communication.
- MacGibbon, T. and Ross, D. (1887–92). The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries, 5v, Edinburgh, Vol.3, 495.
- Search over Lainshaw, Register of Sasines
External links
- Video of the Lainshaw Woods WW2 bomb crater
- Video history of the Corsehill Castles, the Cunninghams and Stewarton
- Cairnduff Hill, High Peacockbank
- RCAHMS Canmore archaeology site Archived 4 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- http://www.lawrie.freewire.co.uk/MAPS/stewartonmap.gif
- https://web.archive.org/web/20071009120916/http://www.stewarton.org/History/SLAUGHTER_AT_STEWARTON.htm
- https://web.archive.org/web/20071009120944/http://www.stewarton.org/History/The%20Bonnet%20Toun%20-%20Alastair%20Barclay/Cover.htm
- Maps at the National Library of Scotland
- 1860 OS Maps
- General Roy's Military Survey map of Scotland.
- A Researcher's Guide to Local History terminology
- http://www.stewarton.com
- The Law or Pinkie Hill
- Video footage and narration on Corsehill Mills