West Kilbride

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West Kilbride
Gaelic: Cille Bhrìghde an Iar
Ayrshire

West Kilbride from Law Hill
Location
Grid reference: NS205485
Location: 55°41’48"N, 4°51’27"W
Data
Population: 4,393
Post town: West Kilbride
Postcode: KA23
Dialling code: 01294
Local Government
Council: North Ayrshire
Parliamentary
constituency: 		North Ayrshire and Arran

West Kilbride is a village and parish on the north-western coast of Ayrshire by the Firth of Clyde, looking across the water to Goat Fell and the Isle of Arran. West Kilbride and adjoining districts of Seamill and Portencross are generally considered to be a small town, having a combined population of 4,393 at the 2001 census.[1]

History

West Kilbride's Scottish Sundial

Early history

A Neolithic cup and ring marked stone is located on Blackshaw Hill, near West Kilbride. This stone is unusual, in that it is carved with three spirals.[2] Although the purpose of such stones is not known, it is considered that they may have had religious importance.[3]

Traces of an Iron Age fortification were uncovered when the house named "The Fort" was constructed in Ardrossan Road, Seamill.[4]

Celtic

West Kilbride is generally believed to be named after the ancient Celtic Saint Brigid of Kildare, often known as St Bride.[5] The name suggests there was once a cell or kil to Brigid in the area, although local legend has her visit to establish her church around AD 500 (the landing point was supposedly in front of the now Seamill Hydro. The "West" prefix was added to disguish between other places which commemorates the same Celtic saint, such as the new town East Kilbride in Lanarkshire which was named "East" to distinguish it from the older "West".[6] There has been a hamlet in the area since AD 82 when the Roman general Agricola stationed 30,000 troops in the area of the village now known as Gateside. Roman roads can still be explored around the village to this day, and many Roman finds have been reported and lodged in Museums throughout Scotland. William Wallace's uncle Crauford had an estate at Corsbie in the North of the village, and this is still in use as a caravan park called Crosby, to this day (Wallace's mother's family). In later years Robert the Bruce gave a grant of the lands of the Barony of Kilbride to the Boyds of Kilmarnock.[7] It was once home to various mills and other works,[8] and in the 18th century West Kilbride was primarily a weaving village.

In 1826, the Hunterston Brooch, a highly important Celtic brooch of "pseudo-penannular" type was found by two men from West Kilbride who were digging drains at the foot of Goldenberry Hill, near Hunterston.[9] Made about AD 700,[10] the Hunterston Brooch is cast in silver, gilt, and gold, silver and amber, and decorated with interlaced animal bodies in gold filigree.[10] In its centre, a cross and a golden Glory represent the Risen Christ. The Hunterston Brooch is clearly object of very high status, indicating the power and great prestige of its owner. Nowadays, it is considered one of the most significant items of Celtic art, and is housed in the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.[10]

Mediæval

Law Castle

Several buildings in the area date back to mediæval times. Law Castle, situated at the foot of Law Hill, was built in the 15th century for King James III's sister Mary.[11] The castle is a simple rectangular structure with a sloping roof and several large chimneys protruding at each side. In recent years, Law Castle has been substantially restored and refurbished and it now letted for functions and as a holiday home.[11]

Portencross Castle, thought to date from the 14th century,[12] is situated right next to the sea at Portencross harbour. It is L-shaped and four storeys high, with a barrel-vaulted ceiling.[12] The castle was roofless for many years due to storm damage. A campaign to save Portencross Castle from private ownership received national publicity in July 2004 when it was featured on the BBC's Restoration television programme.[13] The title for the castle and grounds was given to the group "Friends of Portencross Castle" on 22 December 2005.[12] It has since been partly restored and visitors have been allowed since summer 2011. http://www.portencrosscastle.org.uk/index.htm It is thought that a previous incarnation of the castle was a staging post on the route for the transport of dead Scottish Kings to the Island of Iona for burial.

Crosbie Castle

Crosbie Castle (also known as Crosbie Towers) lies to the north west on the outskirts of West Kilbride. It was largely rebuilt from a tower demolished in the 17th century which was the home of Sir Ranald Craufurd (uncle of William Wallace) in the 13th century,[14] and it is said that Wallace himself spent some time at Crosbie.[14] Currently the castle lies at the centre of a caravan park also called Crosbie Towers. Having lain empty for a number of years due to internal fire damage, part of the building was demolished in early 2007 after heavy storms damaged the external walls of the castle.[15] Although the building is a Category-B listed building, permission was not sought before demolition.[15]

Early modern

The town became known as a weaving and agricultural town, one of many Ayrshire towns specialising in potatoes. Since the town became linked by rail to Glasgow in 1878, it began to attract more visitors, particularly to the Hydropathic spa at Seamill and its neighbouring sandy beach.

Geography

West Kilbride is situated approximately 40 miles south-west of Glasgow, about eight miles south of Largs and about five miles north of the "Three Towns" conurbation of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenson. The built-up area extends from Seamill on the coast of the Firth of Clyde to the principal part of the town, which, raised up and about a mile from the coast, lies between Law Hill (551 ft) and Tarbert Hill (453 ft). It is overlooked by Cauldron Hill (1,079 ft), whose name is largely reputed to be from the Welsh "Cadron" ref. Geoffrey of Monmouth. It looks across the Firth of Clyde to the mountains of the Isle of Arran to the west. The seafront at Seamill features a long sandy beach, as well as rocky outcrops including the small harbour at Portencross. The neighbouring agricultural land supports cereals, potatoes, and livestock, particularly sheep.


Tarbert Hill

Economy

Work and employment

The local area is predominantly rural, but agriculture accounts for only 1.4% of local employment. Managers and professional occupations make up 33.7% of the employed population, compared to the average of 23.8% for the whole of Scotland.[16]

The main industries of employment at the 2001 census were:[16]

Industry % of employed population
Health and social work 14.6%
Manufacturing 11.8%
Real estate and renting and business activities 11.3%
Wholesale & retail trade and repairs 10.3%
Education 9.6%

Farming and local industry

The area is noted for its Ayrshire potatoes. These grow well locally, thanks to the use as fertiliser of the abundant supply of seaweed conveniently deposited on the nearby shore by winter storms. For this reason West Kilbride was sometimes referred to as the "Tattie Toon".[17] Other crops grown include sweetcorn (for cattle food), barley, root vegetables and summer berries, especially strawberries. Cattle and sheep are also farmed locally.

Industries close to the village include the Hunterston B nuclear power station and the nearby Hunterston Terminal, owned by Clydeport.

A 24 MW wind farm, owned and operated by Airtricity, is located on Busbie Muir (about two miles east of Tarbert Hill), and has been operational since February 2004.[18] Its capacity will increase to 30 MW when three additional wind turbines become operational, scheduled for Autumn 2007.[19]

A view of the twelve wind turbines above West Kilbride and Seamill

Crafts

Through the endeavours of the local initiative group, West Kilbride is now achieving fame as the "Craft Town Scotland". The village boasts a growing number of craft shops and studios, as well as several leading artists including Silversmith Marion Kane. The Initiative Centre provides a convenient way for craftspeople to sell their art and craftwork, in return for a share of the profits.[20]

In September 2006, West Kilbride Craft Town won the Department of Trade and Industry's "Enterprising Britain 2006" competition. Presenting the award, Alistair Darling MP praised the resourcefulness and dedication of the West Kilbride community.[21]

In January 2012 the Craft Town Scotland project achieved another accolade by winning the Creative Scotland £100k "Creative Places" award. The new £1.7m Barony Craft Centre will formally open to the public on 7 May 2012, and this will be the centrepiece of this extensive community initiative. The West Kilbride Community Initiative is currently considering how to further strengthen the project, and this may be to consider the renovation of Kirtonhall (see below).

Culture

Festivals and public events

Yuletide Night
Held on the first Friday of December every year, this is a Christmas event where shops open late as a procession of children and adults follow Santa to the village hall. Music, stalls and children's fairground rides are set up on Main Street and adjoining Glen Road, which are closed to traffic for the evening.

Scarecrow Festival
West Kilbride is the first town in Scotland to organise an annual "Scarecrow Festival". The purpose of the Scarecrow Festival is to foster community spirit and civic pride within West Kilbride and its surrounding area. It celebrates West Kilbride's origins as an agricultural community, while looking to the future through the "Craft Town Scotland" initiative.

Sport

West Kilbride Golf Club, a championship links course, is situated at Fullerton Drive, Seamill. The original designer of the course was "Old Tom Morris".[22] The club hosted the Millennium British Ladies' Championship, and hosts the Scottish Boys' Championship once every three years.

The bowling club, located on Weston Terrace, has two bowling greens. Its most notable member is Margaret Ross, who was twice Scottish Champion (1976 and 1978) and British Singles Champion (1976). She also represented Britain internationally in 1976, 1978 and 1981-83. Football pitches, tennis courts and a children's play park are situated near the entrance to Kirktonhall Glen.

Landmarks

St Andrew's Church

St Andrew's church, formerly known as St Brides, belongs to the Church of Scotland. In addition to being a church, it has several large function rooms which are used by local groups. It has a large rose stained-glass window and a tall, gothic bell tower.

Overton Church

Overton Church, also belonging to the Church of Scotland, is located at the top of Ritchie Street. It is a red sandstone building with a working bell tower. Overton Church website

St Bride's is a small Roman Catholic chapel, on the north side of Hunterston Road, with a large garden behind it.

The Barony (or Barony Church), a large 19th-century grey sandstone building, is situated just across the main street from St. Andrew's. This building no longer functions as a church; however, it remains in public hands, as the new £1.7m Craft Exhibition Centre operated by Craft Town Scotland (a project of the West Kilbride Community Initiative Limited).

Kirktonhall House

One of the oldest houses in West Kilbride is Kirktonhall, which originally dates back to 1660,[23] although the house was partially rebuilt and extended in 1791 and 1868.[23] The house was birthplace to mathematician Robert Simson, born 14 October 1687.[23] A large monument to Simson stands in West Kilbride's cemetery.

West Kilbride Village Hall

The West Kilbride Institute and Public Hall, opened in 1900, has been home to the West Kilbride Horticultural Society's flower shows from the same year.[24] The building currently has a number of other uses, including a permanent local history museum, located on the first floor of the hall.[25] The local library was housed here until 1996 when a dedicated home was built (see below). Since the late 1990s the Hall has been run by a dedicated Management Group as part of the highly successful West Kilbride Community Initiative. It is hoped that during 2012 with the full support of the Initiative and local Council the Hall will proceed to separate charitable status as a SCIO.

The War Memorial, originally built in 1921, did not list the names of the dead. This deficiency was remedied on 3 June 2001 (the Sunday nearest D-Day), when the memorial was re-dedicated with four new granite stones listing the names.

Kirktonhall Glen is a woodland walkway leading from West Kilbride to Seamill, gifted to West Kilbride in 1924 by Robert Barr. Through it flows the Kilbride Burn which enters the Firth of Clyde at Seamill.

Education

West Kilbride Primary School serves West Kilbride, Seamill and Portencross. Opened in 1983, it replaced the previous Victorian-era school which had burned down in 1980 on the same site. The original school could support up to 250 pupils. The newer school has exactly 465 pupils

The community centre in Corse Street houses many local groups and organisations including bridge, photo, snooker and music clubs, the local cub scouts, computer classes, yoga classes, and the North Ayrshire Music School. This building was originally the Paisley Convalescent Home, gifted by James Arthur of Carlung.[26] Opened in the 19th century, it much later became a community centre and now

West Kilbride Library

The town's library, opened in 1996, was purpose-built to replace the library originally located in the village hall and is located at the fork of Main Street and Halfway Street.[27] The library is run by North Ayrshire Council.

Transport

The former station building at West Kilbride railway station.

Rail

West Kilbride railway station lies on the Ayrshire Coast Line between Largs and Glasgow Central. The journey to Glasgow takes around 50 minutes.[28] The station is unmanned, with only one passenger track.

Bus

A bus service connects West Kilbride northwards to Greenock and south to Ayr. The service is number 585, and is operated by the Stagecoach Group. Buses run approximately half-hourly; there is no bus station but there are several roadside bus stops throughout the town.

Road

The main A78 road links West Kilbride to as far as Greenock to the north, and Prestwick to the South. The B781 road links West Kilbride to Dalry (and beyond to Glasgow via the A737) in the east. There are half-hourly buses northwards to Largs and Greenock, and southwards to Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Irvine and Ayr.[29] There is also a commuter bus service to Glasgow, the journey taking around 1 hour 35 minutes.[30]

Notable residents

Memorial to Robert Simson. The memorial plate reads "To Dr Robert Simson of the University of Glasgow, the Restorer of Grecian Geometry; and by his works, the great promoter of its study in the Schools. A Native of this Parish."

Notable residents of West Kilbride have included:

  • Violinist Nicola Benedetti, who was born in West Kilbride, won the title of BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004, and has played at numerous concerts around the world.[31]
  • Labour Party General Secretary Iain McNicol, was born in West Kilbride, McNicol was appointed as General Secretary in July 2011. His family still live in the village.
  • Nobel Peace Prize laureate John Boyd Orr, who spent most of his childhood in the village.
  • Margaret Ford, Chair of the Olympic Park Legacy Company and President of the charity Epilepsy Action.
  • Former Scotland international rugby player Brian Gossman
  • Concert pianist and music scholar Roy Howat
  • Glasgow Rangers winger Danny McLardy, who played during the 1963, ’64, ’65, and ’66 seasons; when recruited, was the youngest player recruited for World Cup football, b. 1946 in West Kilbride.
  • Jamie Moffat - Trustee of The Moffat Charitable Trust and former Chairman of Kilmarnock F.C.
  • Mathematician Robert Simson
  • Scottish artist Alasdair Grant Taylor
  • Major Hartley Whyte, whisky magnate with Whyte and Mackay Ltd, featured in the "Major Whyte's whiskyisms" advertising campaign.

Notes

  1. ↑ 2001 Census, population data for Seamill and West Kilbride
  2. ↑ Lamb, page 70
  3. ↑ Lamb, page 72
  4. ↑ Amenity Society, West Kilbride, Seamill, Portencross & Thereabouts, p.14.
  5. ↑ Lamb, page 11
  6. ↑ Lamb, page 12
  7. ↑ Lamb, page 41
  8. ↑ Lamb, page 40
  9. ↑ Lamb, page 92
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "National Museums Scotland - Hunterston Brooch". http://www.nms.ac.uk/hunterstonbrooch.aspx. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Law Castle official website". http://www.lawcastle.com. Retrieved 2007-08-17. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Friends of Portencross Castle". Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20070814084236/http://www.portencrosscastle.org.uk/backgroundmore.php. Retrieved 2007-08-17. 
  13. ↑ "Official Restoration Website". http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/restoration/2004/scotland_portencross_castle_01.shtml. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lamb, page 94
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "North Ayrshire Council Planning Committee Report". 2007-03-19. http://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/chiefexec/comRA.nsf/e9ee67f48fbb9003802569d700533758/8ce73e43f66465d700257296003a697c?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 2001 Census, employment data for Seamill and West Kilbride
  17. ↑ Molly Blyth's book Old West Kilbride is subtitled "The Tattie Toon"
  18. ↑ Operational wind farms in the UK
  19. ↑ Airtricity - Ardrossan extension
  20. ↑ "Anchor examples" Local People Leading. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  21. ↑ DTI's small business service - press release
  22. ↑ West Kilbride Golf Club
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Lamb, page 42
  24. ↑ "West Kilbride Horticultural Society History". http://www.wkhs.co.uk/history/three.html. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  25. ↑ West Kilbride Village Hall Official website
  26. ↑ Lamb, page 48
  27. ↑ Designing Libraries website (West Kilbride entry)
  28. ↑ Train timetable (pdf)
  29. ↑ Bus timetable Greenock-Ayr (pdf)
  30. ↑ commuter bus service timetable (pdf)
  31. ↑ "BBC - Young Musician of the Year - Past Winners". http://www.bbc.co.uk/youngmusician/history/winners.shtml. Retrieved 2007-09-21. 

References

  • Blyth, Molly (1997). Old West Kilbride : the tattie toon. Ochiltree: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 1-872074-99-5. 
  • Crampsey, Robert A (1993). The centenary history of the West Kilbride Golf Club. West Kilbride: West Kilbride Golf Club. ISBN 0-9522749-0-6. 
  • Lamb, Rev. John, BD (1896). Annals of an Ayrshire Parish - West Kilbride. Glasgow: John J. Rae. 
  • Lamb, Rev. John, BD (2007) [1896]. WEST KILBRIDE - Annals of an Ayrshire Parish. Paisley: The Grian Press. ISBN 0-9547996-8-2.  (reprint, with a few new illustrations)
  • McNab, Peter A (1980). West Kilbride and Seamill. West Kilbride Amenity Society. 
  • Oughterson, Rev. Arthur (1794). Parish of West Kilbride. 
  • West Kilbride Amenity Society (1990). OUR VILLAGE: The Story of West Kilbride. ISBN 0-9516831-0-1. 
  • West Kilbride Amenity Society (2002). West Kilbride, Seamill, Portencross & Thereabouts. ISBN 0-9516831-1-X. 

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