WEST KILBRIDE

A FAMILY CONNECTION

Yvonne Jack

We all hope to leave our mark in our communities. My husband, Brian Jack, loved his birthplace, and his family have had a long association with West Kilbride as farmers, skilled artisans and educators.

Early dwellers left a light touch on the landscape as they scoured seashore or inland for sustenance. A few remnants of their presence – animal bones, flints and arrowheads – were left behind at Portencross, while evidence of an early Christian settlement was discovered at Seamill Hydro, possibly linked to St Brigid, an Irish Missionary to the pagan West of Scotland.

A few medieval remains still exist: Crosbie Castle claims a visit by a fugitive, William Wallace, thus avoiding capture at Ayr; Hunterston Castle, continuously inhabited by the Hunter family, was built on land granted by King David I, and Portencross Castle with its connection to the ancient kings of Scotland, whose earthly remains would pass through en-route to burial on Iona.

Later, farmsteads and hamlets or ‘ferm touns’ developed where families eked out a living with a few crops and animals.

By the 17th century, fishing and weaving provided the other main livelihoods for the inhabitants, as well as milling (meal, lint, charcoal), with mention of a smith/wright, a public house, a general store and a kirk close to the Cross in the village. Kirktonhall House, birthplace of Robert Simson (mathematician), was the main structure at this time.

The village had grown considerably by the early 19th century with weavers’ cottages extending up Main Street onto Ritchie Street. Main Street also had various traders: drapers, grocers, tailors and shoemakers. One of the biggest influences on the growth and prosperity of West Kilbride was the arrival of the railways.

Flags fluttered in the breeze of a warm May morning in 1878 while excited children darted among the reception party at the station. Pocket watches were checked by station staff as they awaited the first train on the new rail link from Ardrossan.

No longer would journeys to Ayr, Glasgow or further afield mean a bumpy journey by cart or carriage to reach a station at Dalry or Ardrossan for onward travel.

Suddenly the distinctive sound and smell of the locomotive pulling two carriages could be identified as the steam train hove into view. Tickets were scrutinised by the station master while porters assisted those departing or alighting from the train. These first excited passengers, for the excursion to ‘Ayr Cattle Show’, were encouraged to take their seats while the engine built up a head of steam. The Caledonian Railway Company had made good its promise.

This was the beginning of a new era!

As the dignitaries returned to their carriages, onlookers jostled for a view of the departing train. Celebrations would continue that evening on its return.

The new rail link benefitted many local producers. Farmers growing early potatoes, notably William Keen at Chapelton and William Adam at Ardneil, saw the benefits.

West Kilbride’s shoreline with its light sandy soils was ideal for epicure potatoes. Boxes of ‘chitted’ potatoes were planted by men, women and children in early spring with this backbreaking work repeated in June and early July to lift the tatties.

Sent by ‘Tattie Trains’ to local markets e.g. Glasgow or further afield, particularly North East England, early tatties commanded high prices from the buyers. West Kilbride was one of the biggest producers, second only to Girvan. The sight of up to 30 or 40 wagons of ‘earlies’ leaving the station would have been impressive. The earlier the tatties were lifted, the higher the prices. Prices thereafter fell rapidly, still true today.

Brian remembered working as a teenager on his uncle Bill Sloss’s holding at Thirdpart in the 1960s, when the potato process had become more mechanised. He recalls the excitement of driving to Girvan with Uncle Bill to check out the competition.

The railways, and later improved road links, attracted visitors leaving the dirt and pollution of industrial towns and cities behind. Day trips for the working classes or longer stays in guest houses by the middle-classes were popular. Holiday homes were no longer seen as the sole provenance of the gentry. Many grand villas owned by wealthy manufacturers were built in Seamill with panoramic views of the Firth of Clyde.

Seeking health cures was also popular among the wealthy. The opening of Seamill Hydropathic in 1881 met this need. Originally hosting twelve patients, cared for by Dr Kirk and James Newbigging, it later expanded in 1890 to support 150 patients.

Various hydrotherapy treatments were offered for those suffering from nervous or physical disorders. Priced from £3 17s 6d per person per week to £5 15s 6d, residents could use the indoor baths, steam and spray rooms together with the outdoor sea-water ponds. They could also enjoy outdoor activities including use of the recently opened golf course.

Two convalescent homes, financed through donations from generous benefactors, subscriptions or fundraising, were built: The Paisley Convalescent Home (supported by the Coats family) in 1884 on land donated by James and Jane Arthur of Carlung; The Scottish Co-operative Seaside Home opened in 1896, offering its patients the benefits of fresh air, exercise and diet as advocated by Florence Nightingale.

Patients were mainly from textile mill families whose stay would improve recovery. Neither was open to chronic or terminal patients and patients with infectious diseases were prohibited.

In a similar vein, large groups of children visited Holland House at Ardneil for ‘Fresh Air Fortnights’ in the 1920s/30s. Groups of 40 from slum areas of Glasgow enjoyed the benefits of outdoor fun at the seaside.

The promotion of holidays continued to encourage visitors to West Kilbride into the 1950/60s. Various types of accommodation were available including ‘Coach Holidays’ by British Rail. Families were able to enjoy the six-berth facilities of two converted railway carriages sited at the station. First developed elsewhere across the UK in the 1930s, brightly coloured posters promoted the benefit of well-priced breaks to families using the network and could be booked from March to October. Visiting families also used the wooden huts e.g. at Law Hill. ‘What looked remarkably like a garden shed from outside could be a mini-palace inside!’

Brian’s family, like many, left their mark through contributing their skills. His great-grandfather, Robert Jack, and his sons were builders in the 19th and 20th century. When Robert and his wife celebrated their golden wedding in 1911, the minister remarked upon their contribution to the growth of housing in the village. Weston Terrace and Airlie in Aiknut Road, Brian’s childhood homes, were both built by the family firm.

Like generations of children growing up in West Kilbride, Brian enjoyed the freedom to wander the hills in search of adventure. He would play games across the fields or in the glen, with muddy clothes or skinned knees the only hazard.

The beach was, and still is, a great outlet for energetic kids or brave adults to paddle or dive into cool water on seemingly endless summer days. As in the past, they were joined by hardy souls who visited on day trips, holidays or to recuperate from illness.

Visitors and locals alike would end the day enjoying spectacular sunset views of Arran’s sleeping warrior, Ailsa Craig. Much like today.