Lawthorn
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|---|---|
 Lawthorn Mount | |
  Lawthorn Location within Scotland | |
| OS grid reference | NS346407 |
| Council area |
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| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Irvine |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Lawthorn is a hamlet near Perceton in Strathannick, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The settlement lies on the old Irvine to Stewarton toll road.
The Annick Water flows between the village of Perceton and the hamlet of Lawthorn, however, the OS map shows that the hamlet was subsumed into the village of Perceton by 1895 and lost much of its identity. [1] Lawthorn Cottage and Lawthornbank Smithy stood close to the Annick Water. [2] Lawthorn cottage had a joiner's workshop with a John Highet as tenant in 1855–1857. [3]
A toll house once stood near Lawthorn Cottage facing the bridge over the Annick Water; it became the property of the Earl of Eglinton after toll roads were abolished in the 1880s and local councils took over responsibility.
The lordship of Stonanrig or Stane extended to circa 300 acres and is first recorded as being held by "William Frawnces of le Stane" in 1417. [4]
The Barony of Stane, St Bride's Kirk and Bourtreehill passed by marriage in 1508 of Elizabeth Francis, the sole heiress, to William Montgomery of Greenfield, third son of the 1st Earl of Eglinton. [5] The present castle was built in 1520 by William Montgomery of Greenfield. [6] The tower has been much altered with Gothic windows added when the building was altered to become a folly on the Eglinton Estate. [7] The coat of arms of the Montgomery's of Stane and Greenfield were placed on the tower, being the same as those of Eglinton, but with 'proper distinction'. This may account for the coat of arms being thought to be upside down. [4]
The foundations of the Stanecastle chapel were found a by Mr W Gray when digging drains. Judging from the foundations, the building must have been of considerable extent. The 1858 OS map marks the site of a nearby cemetery and an intriguing subterranean passage or vault four feet below the surface; nothing is visible at the site today. A small village once existed here and Stanecastle may have been the site of a nunnery before it became the home of the Francis family. In the 17th century the twenty shilling lands of old extent called Brydskirk are recorded, but with no mention of a chapel. [8]
The term 'Thorn' in Lawthorn may derive from 'torn, thorn, a tower', as in Jocks-Thorn on Cumbrae and in Kilmaurs, "alias Jock-Torn; and head, an eminence; hence tower-hill." [9] 'Thorn' occurs in words meaning ‘assembly’, ‘meeting place’ and ‘piece of land' or ‘clearing’. [10]
Lawthorn Mount or 'The Thorn' is a scheduled monument classified as "Prehistoric ritual and funerary: mound, ritual or funerary" [11] [12] Regarded as a large and prehistoric cairn or barrow, a type of tumulus, a burial mound dating within the time period approximately 1300–700 BC, the Bronze Age. It is the highest point in the locality and its prominence is in keeping with barrows, cairns and other such burial sites.
The name 'Lawthorn' is suggestive of a secondary use as court hill or justice hill, which is the strong local oral tradition. [13] The many 'Law Hills' in Scotland are considered to be ancient seats of justice where feudal justice was dispensed, investitures confirmed and other courts held before tolbooths were built. [14] Stanecastle was the caput of the Barony of Stane and Lawthorn Mount may have been the location where the baronial court convened. No 'gallows' place-names are recorded for the vicinity however the Annick Water is nearby regarding judicial drownings of females as per the power of 'pit and gallows' then held by the laird or baron.
It measures 21 paces in diameter at the base, 14 feet (4.3 m) in diameter at the top and 9 feet 8 inches (2.95 m) high; is largely composed of boulders and one particularly large boulder of graywacke stone, 7 feet (2.1 m) long, is partially buried on the top edge facing south, above any possible kerb stones. The significance of this distinctive stone is unknown, however, the name 'stone' for the barony, the nearby place-names 'Stonemuir' and 'Lawthorn Mickle Stone' are suggestive a fallen or deliberately levelled standing stone. [15] Given that the name 'William Frawnces de le Stane' is recorded from 1407 the place-name 'Stane' is unlikely to refer to the castle itself being built of stone to replace an earlier wooden one. An unofficial dig in the 20th century revealed no finds such as graves, etc. [16] [13]
Lawthorn Mount has also have been as the possible site of an early castle constructed from wood although no physical evidence has been found as yet to corroborate this. [17] This much disturbed mound is clearly artificial and its size has been confused by a surrounding protective bank suggestive of a roundel created as part of landscaping works. [13]
A Cairnmount Plantation is located nearby to the north and a modern Cairnmount has been built on an artificial mound at Sourlie in Eglinton Country Park.
Another well preserved mound stood nearby at Girdle Toll however it was demolished in 1852. [18] This mound was circa 30 feet in diameter and around 3 feet high. A turf dyke also surrounded it and this was surmounted by a thorn hedge. In the vicinity were a number of trees, mainly beech. [19]
In the census of 1820 there were five households with colliers at Lawthorn. [20] The Glasgow and South Western Railway (Perceton Branch) ran from north to south through the area passing close to Littlestane. This was purely a standard gauge mineral line used to transport coal from the nearby collieries. Sections of the route are now used by pedestrians and cyclists.
This woodland is a Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve and is a small, mature deciduous woodland. The tall canopy is now dominated by ash trees, with some beech and sycamore. The elm trees that were once common have died through Dutch elm disease however they have been left and their trunks encourage fungus growth and also provide nesting sites for bats and birds, including great spotted woodpecker. Standing water in a hollow adds to the species diversity of the site, including a locally uncommon plant, the water figwort. [21]
The shape of the woodland boundary suggests that approximately half of the main wood was felled prior to 1856. [2] In 1826 the wood ran down to the road and extended southwards as far as Stanecastle. Parts of this wood survive with a number of old trees, running as far as the main road and bordering Lawthorn Primary School. [15]
Lawthorn Farm itself stands close to Lawthorn Mount. In 1855-57 it was described as a good farm steading with outer buildings used as offices and the tenant under the Earl of Eglinton was a James Dunlop. [3]
Littlestone or Littlestane Farm stood on a lane off the western side of the nearby road and is shown as such in 1856.
A Stone Farm once stood opposite Lawthorn Wood and is recalled by inference in the names 'Littlestane' and the old Littlestane Loch. William Roy's map published in 1752-55 shows Stone Farm lying in between Lawthorn Farm and Littlestone Farm with several buildings and hedged enclosures approached by a lane branching off the road to Stanecastle. [22] Stone Farm is still shown in 1826 [15] but is not indicated on the 1856 OS map [23] The site of the old Stane Farm is today marked by rubble, a building platform, field boundaries and the line of an entrance lane.
Two likely farms are recorded, one as 'Lawthorn Mickle Stone' in John Thomson's 1828 Atlas of Scotland, published in 1832. One may be 'Lawthorn' and the other 'Stane' [15] The use of the name 'mickle' in farming usually refers to the larger of the two farms made up of unequal portions of an older area of land following the agricultural reconstruction of the 18th century [24] as was the case on the Eglinton Estates as introduced by Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton.
Dreghorn is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland, 3.5 kilometres east of Irvine town centre, on the old main road from Irvine to Kilmarnock. It is sited on a ridge between two rivers. As archaeological excavations near the village centre have found a significant neolithic settlement provisionally dated to around 3500 BC, as well as medieval structures, scholars have suggested that Dreghorn could be Britain's oldest continuously inhabited village. Both Irvine and Dreghorn have grown in size and they are now separated by the Annick Valley Park, which incorporates a footpath and National Cycle Route 73 on the route of the disused Irvine to Busby railway line. It had an estimated population of 3,540 in 2016.
Stewarton is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In comparison to the neighbouring towns of Kilmaurs, Fenwick, Dunlop and Lugton, it is a relatively large town, with a population estimated at over 7,400. It is 300 feet above sea level. The town is served by Stewarton railway station.
Perceton is a medieval settlement and old country estate in North Ayrshire, Scotland, near the town of Irvine. The ruined church in Perceton is one of the oldest buildings in the Irvine district. The earliest legible gravestone dates from 1698, though older stone coffins will certainly still rest deep within the small hillock on which the chapel and graveyard sit.
The Annick Water is the largest tributary of the River Irvine. The river runs from Long Loch, just inside East Renfrewshire, in a generally south-western direction through North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire, to confluence with its parent river at Irvine, North Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland. The name may derive from the Gaelic for 'overflowing' and Strathannick is very much prone to flooding as recorded by SEPA.
Stanecastle was a medieval barony and estate in North Ayrshire, Scotland, first mentioned in 1363 and now part of the Irvine New Town project. Its nearest neighbours are Bourtreehill and Girdle Toll.
Chapeltoun is an estate on the banks of the Annick Water in East Ayrshire, Scotland. This is a rural area famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle.
Lambroughton is a village in the old Barony of Kilmaurs, Scotland. This is a rural area famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle.
Cunninghamhead is a hamlet in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the centre of the lands of Cunninghamhead, Perceton and Annick Lodge in Cunninghame. This mainly rural area is noted for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire, Cunninghame or Dunlop breed of cattle.
Annick Lodge is an estate between Perceton and Cunninghamhead in North Ayrshire, Scotland.
A gatepost is a structure used to support gates or crossbars which control entry to an area, such as a field or driveway.
Knockentiber is a village in East Ayrshire, Parish of Kilmaurs, Scotland. Knockentiber is two miles west-northwest of Kilmarnock and 1⁄2 mile northeast of Crosshouse. Latitude:55.6193°N Longitude:4.5455°W and grid reference NS397392. The population was 359 in 1991, however the population is much higher following the construction of several housing estates (2007). In the 18th and 19th and mid 20th centuries the locality was a highly industrialised coal mining district. The settlement is on the Carmel Burn, which runs into the River Irvine, around one mile to the south.
The River Irvine is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of 810 feet (250 m) above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog, and 7 miles SW by W of Strathaven. It flows 29+1⁄2 mi (47.5 km) westward, dividing the old district of Cunninghame from that of Kyle, until it reaches the sea via Irvine Harbour in the form of the Firth of Clyde, and flows into Irvine Bay by the town of Irvine. It has many tributaries, some of which form parish, district and other boundaries.
Girdle Toll is an area of Irvine, North Ayrshire.
Eglinton Country Park is located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 ha. The central iconic feature of the country park is the ruined Eglinton Castle, once home to the Eglinton family and later the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and chiefs of the Clan Montgomery. Eglinton Country Park is managed and maintained by North Ayrshire Council and its Ranger Service.
Riccarton is a village and parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies across the River Irvine from Kilmarnock, this river forming the boundary between Riccarton and Kilmarnock parishes, and also between the historical districts of Kyle and Cunningham. The name is a corruption of 'Richard's town', traditionally said to refer to Richard Wallace, the uncle of Sir William Wallace. The parish also contains the village of Hurlford.
The Drukken, Drucken Steps or Drunken Steps were stepping stones across the Red Burn in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland and are associated with Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Drukken is used on the commemorative cairn plaque, but Druken or Drucken may also be used.
The Lands of Lainshaw lie in Strathannick and were part of the Lordship of Stewarton, in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Lainshaw House is a category B listed mansion, lying in a prominent position above the Annick Water and its holm in the Parish of Stewarton, Scotland. Part of the much older Lainshaw Castle is contained within the several later building phases of the present day Lainshaw House. The names 'Langshaw' or 'Langschaw' were used in historic times. Law Mount near the High and Laigh Castleton farms has been suggested as the site of the original castle, granted in the 12th century to Godfrey de Ross by Hugo de Morville.
Littlestane Loch, was situated in the mid-Ayrshire clayland near Stanecastle, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is nowadays (2011) only visible as an area of permanent water in the Scottish Wildlife Trust Sourlie Nature Reserve. The loch was natural, sitting in a hollow created by glaciation. The loch waters outflow was via the Red Burn that flows into the River Garnock. The site of Littlestane Loch site is partly built over and much of the site is now public open space lying within the Parish of Girdle Toll.
Shewalton House and estate were composed of the 'Lands of Shewalton' and the laird's dwelling, originally a tower castle and later a mansion house on the River Irvine in the Shewalton area, two miles from Irvine and west of Drybridge village, East Ayrshire, Dundonald Parish, Scotland. In 1883 the Boyle's estate of Shewalton was 2,358 acres in extent in Ayrshire and was worth at that time £2,708 a year.
The lands of Broomlands or Broumlands formed a small country estate about a mile to the east of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland situated on the east bank of the Annick Water in the Parishes of Dreghorn and Irvine.
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