Ardrossan

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Ardrossan
Ayrshire

Ardrossan
Location
Grid reference: NS232424
Location: 55°38’36"N, 4°48’35"W
Data
Population: 10,952  (2001)
Post town: Ardrossan
Postcode: KA22
Dialling code: 01294
Local Government
Council: North Ayrshire
Parliamentary
constituency: 		North Ayrshire and Arran

Ardrossan is a town on the Ayrshire coast. It is becoming an affluent commuter town with a population of roughly 11,000 and is in a corroboration known as the "three towns" with the nearby of Saltcoats and Stevenston.

History

Ardrossan's roots can be traced back to the construction of its castle 'Cannon Hill', thought to be in around 1140, by Simon de Morville. The castle and estate passed onto the Barclay family (also known as Craig) and it passed through successive heirs until the 14th century. Then it passed onto the Eglinton family on the death of Godfrey Barclay de Ardrossan, who died without leaving an heir. Sir Fergus Barclay, Baron of Ardrossan was said to be in league with the Devil and in one of his dealings, he set the task for the Devil to make ropes from sand; upon failing to do so, Satan kicked the castle with his hoof in frustration and left a petrosomatoglyph hoofprint.[1]

Old Toll Road milestone near North Beach

The castle stood until 1648, when Oliver Cromwell's troops had it destroyed, taking much of the stonework to Ayr to build the fort there. The ruins still stand, but are overgrown and in a dangerous condition.

Alexander Montgomerie 10th Earl of Eglinton, a prominent figure in James Boswell's diaries as the man who introduced Boswell to London life, was murdered here in on 24 October 1769, on the North Bay, by an excise officer named Mungo Campbell following a dispute about Campbell's right to bear arms on the Earl's grounds.

Ardrossan developed quickly during the 18th and 19th centuries thanks to its position on the coast. Exports of coal and pig iron to Europe and North America were the main trade from the town's port, which became a centre for shipbuilding. Fishing vessels and small cargo boats were the mainstay of the shipyard until the 1950s, when the yard all but ceased to exist as a result of foreign competition. A smaller yard, McCrindle's, operated until the 1980s before it ceased trading.

Passenger services from Ardrossan harbour to Brodick on the Isle of Arran, Buteshire started in 1834, and services to Belfast in County Antrim and the Isle of Man followed in 1884 and 1892 respectively. Clyde sailings were operated initially by the Glasgow and South Western Railway Company from Winton Pier and the Caledonian Railway from Montgomerie Pier. The Earl of Eglinton's ambitious plan for a canal link to Glasgow was never realised.

Between 1841 and 1848 Ardrossan was a part of the "West Coast Main Line" equivalent of its time. The fastest route from London to Glasgow was by train to Fleetwood, and thence by packet boat to Ardrossan. After 1848 the entire journey could be made by rail, avoiding Ardrossan.[2][3][4]

The link to the Isle of Man no longer operates, having first been moved to Stranraer, then terminated altogether. Shell-Mex developed an oil refinery in Ardrossan from a Second World War aviation-fuel canning factory, and the harbour was expanded for the company's tanker ships to berth. Local residents blocked plans in the 1960s for further expansion of the refinery, limiting the operations that could be carried out there. Operations at Shell-Mex ceased in 1986.

Ardrossan North Bay

The harbour has been substantially redeveloped as a marina, and the passenger and vehicle ferry to Brodick is still operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Ardrossan was made a Burgh only in 1846, with a Provost, magistrates and commissioners. Its Burgh privileges were lost with local government changes in 1976.

Since 2006 Ardrossan has been part of a regeneration area, overseen by the Irvine Bay Regeneration Company. Their vision for Ardrossan is as a gateway to Arran and a good place to live and relax next to the sea in a regenerated town centre serving the existing and incoming community. This has started to be achieved through renewal of the town centre, which includes A derelict office in Princes Street which has been turned into two modern shops. The former Jack Miller's Hotel building at 78 Princes Street has been redeveloped and the refurbished building was completed in autumn 2010 and has been let out and is now open as an art gallery and artists' studio space called Phoenix [1] The Studio displays Scottish Art as well as holding art classes and demonstrations. The old pumphouse has also been transformed into a popular contemporary Italian restaurant. The future development of the harbourside in a co-ordinated and overall plan. The Ardrossan North Shore project is now taking shape, which includes the redevelopment of the oil refinery site and the extension of the marina.

Transport

Ardrossan Town station

Railway

There are three railway stations in Ardrossan: Ardrossan South Beach, close to the boundary with Saltcoats; Ardrossan Town, in the centre of town, closed 1968 and reopened 1987; and Ardrossan Harbour, which is near the port for the Arran ferry.

There are also two closed railway stations in the town: Ardrossan North was adjacent to Montgomerie Street, and the platform remains can still be seen to this day, and Ardrossan Montgomerie Pier was further down the line from Ardrossan North. The last train ran through both these stations around 1968, although by that time they served summer boat train services only, with regular passenger traffic ceasing back in 1932.

Roads

Ardrossan is linked to Glasgow by the A737 road and to Ayr by the A78 road. The A78 Three Towns Bypass was opened in December 2004 and has provided an improvement to local transport links, reducing local travelling times significantly. The bypass has also helped to divert a significant amount of heavier traffic from the Three Towns.

Ferry services

The MV Caledonian Isles (the Arran ferry)

A regular ferry service from Ardrossan to Brodick on the Isle of Arran, Buteshire, has run since 1834. Today, a ferry to Brodick departs every two hours and 45 minutes Monday–Saturday with each journey lasting 55 minutes.

Starting 23rd May 2013 a ferry service to Campbeltown starts [5]

In the past Ardrossan also ran regular ferry services to Belfast, and the Isle of Man (summer only). The Belfast run was operated by the Burns & Laird Line with the last scheduled service in 1976. The last ship to sail this route was the MV Lion, which is still the largest car ferry to operate from Ardrossan. The Isle of Man run was operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company during the summer holiday season with the last service in 1985, although Caledonian MacBrayne later experimented with a smaller vessel to the Isle of Man for a couple of seasons, which ran one return service per week.

Environment

Ardrossan North Beach with Arran and Horse Isle in the background

While being an exemplar of post-industrial Scotland's socio-economic malaise, Ardrossan is located on the edge of an area of exceptional natural beauty. The towering peaks of the Isle of Arran are starkly visible on a cold sunny day. Beyond, one can see the Paps of Jura and the Mull of Kintyre.

Offshore from Ardrossan is the small Horse Isle, an RSPB reserve and home to nationally important populations of herring gulls and lesser black backed gulls.

The Holm Plantation area dividing Ardrossan and Saltcoats is a popular area for alternative walks to the seaside. The current regeneration[6] of the area has led to the plantation receiving many new amenities such as lighting and landscaped flower areas.

Eglinton Country Park is linked to Ardrossan by the Sustrans Cyclepath.

Energy

Adrossan windfarm

Ardrossan is close by two nuclear power stations, Hunterston A nuclear power station (currently being decommissioned) and Hunterston B nuclear power station. A 24 MW windfarm which opened in 2004 overlooks the town.

Churches

In Ardrossan, there are five churches:

Culture

Princes Street level crossing

Ardrossan has some notable buildings, primarily its churches.

Barony St Johns was built in the mid-nineteenth century. The town's Roman Church is very recent; a modern style in an all-brick, Swedish style.

The South Crescent is lined by large villas dating from the 19th century, many of which have been converted into multiple residences.

Castlehill

Also known as 'Cannon Hill' by locals, it is a great place to visit, including a swing park. An historic ancient burial place on Castle Hill was vandalized in the 1950s. One tomb was taken to the Barony Church on South Crescent for safekeeping.

A prehistoric shell-mound, measuring 102 ft by 16 ft, on the side of Cannon Hill, close to Ardrossan Town railway station, was excavated by the Ayrshire historian John Smith in the 1890s. Its length was mostly overhung by a few feet, by the rock face, which had formed a rock-shelter, which the excavation showed had been occupied at intervals over a considerable period of time. The railway workings had cut a longitudinal section in the mound, which overlay a 1 ft layer of raised beach sand.[7]

The mound was composed of seashells, mainly periwinkle and limpet, and animal bones. Relics found included a stone 'anchor' with a groove cut round it for a rope, a possible stone sinker, fragments of very coarse, hammer stone, hand-made pottery, also pieces of wheel-turned, glazed pottery, a bone chisel, two bone needles, etc. No sign of the mound is visible today.[8]

Miscellany

Ardrossan has given its name to Ardrossan, South Australia and Ardrossan, Alberta.

Outside links

References

  1. ↑ Ardrossan & Neighbourhood. Guide. 1920s. pp 29-30.
  2. ↑ Greville, M.D. and Holt, G.O. (1960) "Railway Development in Preston—1", Railway Magazine, vol 106, February 1960 no 706, p.96
  3. ↑ Welch, M.S. (2004) Lancashire Steam Finale, Runpast Publishing, Cheltenham, ISBN 1-870754-61-1, p.28
  4. ↑ Suggitt, G. (2003, revised 2004) Lost Railways of Lancashire, Countryside Books, Newbury, ISBN 1-85306-801-2, p.36
  5. ↑ http://www.calmac.co.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-00inew00z.RefLocID-00i00r00a.Lang-EN.htm
  6. ↑ Irvine Bay Regeneration
  7. ↑ Smith, John (1894). The Ardrossan Shell-mound. Arch Hist Coll Ayr & Gall. V. VII. pp. 62 - 74.
  8. ↑ RCAHMS
  • McSherry, R&M (1996) Old Ardrossan
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