Chapter 14

The street where you live

In  Stewarton in 1989  there are  108 thoroughfares. They consist of streets, places,  squares,  roads,  views,  avenues, closes,  walks,  riggs,  gardens,  terraces, crescents, drives, park, lane, wynd and brae.

   Many of the titles have no affinity with the town's background and were given adventitious names by the Town Council, the Community Council and Kilmarnock  and  Loudoun  District Council.

   There are others bearing names with strong  local  connections, either  after prominent  citizens  such  as  former provosts, doctors, and town clerk; while some have geographical or historical associations.

   The oldest street is probably Lainshaw Street, which led to Lainshaw Castle and estate. There are main and high streets in every town and Rigg (or rig) is a path and Vennel is a narrow street or lane (which makes nonsense of Vennel Street and Vennel Lane).

   Avenue Square once led directly via the old bridge over the Clerkland Burn to Corsehill Castle or Manor House before Graham Terrace existed and the latter was named  after  R.D.  Cunninghame Graham, the Scottish Labour Party's first president and the founder of the National Party of Scotland.

   Brown Street was known as Cross Street until early this century and was probably named after the Rev. James Cornwall Brown, long-serving minister of the Parish Church.

   Darlington was a district formerly known as Templehouse, then Deans Street which, due  to careless pronunciation, became Dean Street, in honour of William Deans, a bonnetmaker, tile manufacturer and writer.

    Last century. Main Street used to start at the Cross and finish at the far end of what became High Street.

   A holm is a flat stretch of ground near a  river, hence Holm Street, which was previously called Bay Street, or, as some people still say, "doon the bey." Famous Stewartonian David Dale was not forgotten when David Dale Avenue was named and nearby Fleming Drive honoured  Darvel-born  Sir  Alexander Fleming.

   Streets named after former provosts are Wylie Place - James Wylie; Barclay Place - Tom Barclay; Lloyd Walk - Dr. Evan Lloyd; Mackie Place - T.W. Mackie. Hamilton Gardens was named after Jack Hamilton, long-serving town clerk and Freeman of the Burgh.

   Local G.P. Dr. Matthew Bowman gave his  name  to  Bowman  Place,  while Laughland Place was named after Andrew Laughland, who lived in a thatched cottage on that site at one time.

   Down Lainshaw way, several streets have wartime associations. Sim Street and Morton Road were named respectively after brothers Robert and Alan Sim and brothers Tom and Robert Morton, who were killed in action in World War II; and Thomson Terrace was named after two Stewarton men, George Thomson and lex Thomson, who were also killed on active service. Crusader Crescent was so named because the famous Crusader tanks were familiar sights in wartime Stewarton, and Lothian Road got its name because the Lothian and Border Horse Regiment was stationed at Lainshaw.

   The well-known farming family, the Lambertons of Cocklebie, gave their name to Lamberton Road and Cocklebie Road. Ravenscraig Road leads to the remains  of Ravenscraig  Castle; while Macbeth  Road, Canmore  Place  and Malcolm Court are derived from the Malcolm Canmore and Macbeth legend. Gilmour Street was probably named after William Gilmour of Kilmaurs, who part owned the land.

   Kirkford is an old name which came about because the folks who lived there had to cross a ford on the Annick to get to the auld kirk on Sunday mornings, and Belltree Avenue and Kirk Glebe also have parish church associations.

   Jubilee Drive and Place and Victoria Way are associated with "the jubilee," a field on the banks of the Annick where a local gala took place at Queen Victoria's Jubilee.

   Barbours Park was named after the Barbours who lived in a cottage on this site  and  Cunningham-Watt  Road  was named after Miss Cunningham-Watt. who gifted the ground to the town to form a park bearing the same name.

   A spring once existed at Springwell Place, and Robertland Rigg and Square are connected with Robertland Estate. Nether   Robertland    means   lower Robertland.

   Lint Brae is situated further down the Annick from Lint Mill.

   The town's shortest thoroughfare, New Street, also has the shortest name and the pathway bearing the curious title of Chookie  Brae was so nicknamed because  the  "chookie  hens"  from Lamberton's farm used to run about there.

   Some of the old unofficial names have almost disappeared from the local vocabulary,  such  as  the  Sand  Road leading  from  Lainshaw  Street  to  St. Columba's   Church;  Townend,  the Shopen's, the "wash-hoose road," and the Toll Brae, the Clerkland Brae, the Mill Brae, Daurlintoun,  Lovers'  Walk, and Cocklebiecroft.

STEWARTON