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Galston, East Ayrshire

Galston (Lowland Scots: Gauston, Scottish Gaelic: Baile nan Gall) is a municipality in East Ayrshire, Scotland, which has a population of 5,001 (2001)[2] and is at the heart of the civil parish of the same name. It is situated in wooded countryside four miles (six kilometres) upriver from Kilmarnock and is one a group of the small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns. To the north of the town is the ruin of Loudoun Castle, the site of Loudoun Castle theme park from 1995 to 2010. In 1874 the population was 4,727.[3]

Galston
Municipality
Aerial view
Galston
Location within East Ayrshire
Population4,710 (mid-2020 est.)[1]
LanguageEnglish
Scots
Scottish Gaelic
OS grid referenceNS569200
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGalston
Postcode districtKA4
Dialling code01563
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°36′01″N 4°22′47″W / 55.60037°N 4.3798°W / 55.60037; -4.3798

Etymology Edit

The name Galston means "place of the strangers" from the Gaelic word Gall (a stranger), and the Toun or Ton was a farm and its outbuildings. The word baile was anglicised in more recent history as toun like many other place names in Scotland which were originally "bal".[4]

Churches Edit

  • Galston Parish Church, church designed by John Brash of Glasgow, built in 1809 on site of pre-reformation church. Spire 120 feet in height. Chancel added 1912 and 3-manual pipe organ by J J Binns 1913.[5] The 17th-century Presbyterians forbade burials taking place within churches. In 1609 John Schaw of Sornbeg decided to bury his recently deceased wife within Galston Kirk. He entered the kirk with a party of armed men and proceeded to break up flagstones and dig a grave where he interred his wife's body. He was fined £20 for this action and promised never to attempt this act again.[6]
  • St Sophia's Church, 1885, Byzantine style church designed by architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, based on Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Is a Category A Listed building.[7]

The Burn Anne Edit

 
A view of the Burn Anne at Bank Wood Bridge.

The Burn Anne joins the Irvine at Galston. It is named after St Anne, said to be the mother of the Virgin Mary. "St Anne's Holy Well" is marked on the 1860 OS map and lies above Bank Wood, flowing into the Burn Anne. The Holy Well has been destroyed by the construction of a concrete tank which collects the spring water for Cessnock Castle, first constructed for the Duke of Portland in Victorian times. The Carsewell Hole nearby was used for adult baptism.[8]

The woodlands here have a high plant biodiversity value and are a registered provisional wildlife site as designated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Species noted in 2007 include woodruff, bird cherry, primrose, common violet, oak, stitchwort, golden male (scaly) fern, bugle, opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, bluebell, dog's mercury, broad buckler fern, watercress, lady fern, male shield fern, kidney vetch, woodrush, woodsedge, blackthorn, hawthorn, marsh marigold, foxglove, sweet cicely, herb robert, red campion, bistort, ribwort plantain, water avens, wood avens, moschatel, elm, alder, and many liverworts. A pair of buzzards were noted.

A great danger is the presence of the alien invader, the pink purslane or Stewarton flower, which will spread rapidly and destroy the native herbs by out-competing them (2007). It needs to be removed as matter of urgency.

A new (2008) metalled path has been created through part of these woods, greatly improving access. A new wood has been planted along part of the new path and this will in time extend and protect the habitats and the biodiversity of the site.

This tributary of the Irvine was famous[9] for its rich jasper pebbles; semi-precious stones which were collected, cut and polished for use in jewellery.

Galston railway station Edit

This station on the Glasgow and South Western Railway line to Stonehouse via Strathaven, closed in 1964.

The Barr Castle Edit

 
The Barr Castle in 1900.

Probably dating from the 15th century, this five-storeyed red sandstone tower castle still stands as a prominent feature (NS 505 360) on a rocky knoll close to the Burn Anne, within the town's boundaries. It was also known as Lockhart's Tower and was built to control the nearby access points up the Irvine Valley.[10]

William Wallace is said to have taken refuge from pursuing English soldiers within the tower, eventually escaping siege by climbing down an overhanging tree.[10]

It has a practical, if not authentic, roof which does not hide a view of the continuous corbelling of the parapet. The bottom section of the four angle towers are discernible.[11]

The castle was built for the Lockhart family who held the Barony of Galston; enthusiastic opponents of the Catholic faith. In 1670 the property was purchased by the Campbells of Cessnock Castle nearby.[11] In 2019 celebrations will be held to mark the 125th anniversary of the castle being used as a Masonic Lodge by Lodge St. Peter 331. It also houses a museum of local artefacts. The castle is open to the public on occasions and has proved a very popular venue for weddings. In August 1528, James Campbell of Lochlee abducted Alexander Pawtoun from Mauchline and imprisoned him for 5 days in the dungeon ('spelunca') of the Tower of Galston in order to extort the sum of £20.[12] In an old charter of 12 March 1438, John Lockhart, Lord of Barr, provides for an annual rent to be paid to the chaplain for saying three masses annually for the repose of his soul at the altar of the church of Saint Peter in Ardrossan.[13]

The renowned reformer and Protestant martyr George Wishart preached at the castle in 1545 and in 1556 John Knox also preached here; both were under the protection of John Lockart of Barr and his fellow reformers.[11]

The Galston Handball Game Edit

This game was popular with farm workers who used clenched hands to hit a hard ball off the side wall of the Barr Castle – similar to Gaelic handball and fives, or rather like squash without the use of rackets or a soft, squashy ball. The court was of earth, beaten hard. Galston became World Champions at this handball sport, however it is no longer played,[14] the last official game being in 1939. Local legend has it that the game was used by William Wallace to help keep his men fit for battle.[10]

Handball was popular in these parts during the 19th century and Galston was the site of the most important competition, held on the Saturday of the Glasgow Fair.[15] It belonged to the group of sports that Gaelic handball still represents. John Galt refers to handball being played in Irvine against the back wall of a malt-kiln.[16]

The Judge's Hill Edit

 
The Judge's Hill near Galston, just visible through the woods.

A justice hill survives in a patch of woodland on the Hag Burn near the Loudoun Country Club. This site may have been linked to the old Barony of Galston and the feudal rights of the Campbells of Loudoun.

The site has a nearby lime kiln and old ruins next to the Hag Burn which may have been a forge.

Notable residents Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ^ Scotland's Census Results OnLine 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Douglas, William Scott (1874). In Ayrshire. A Descriptive Picture of the County of Ayr. Kilmarnock : McKie & Drennan. Reprint. ISBN 978-1-4097-1645-7. p. 16
  4. ^ Warrack, Alexander (1982)."Chambers Scots Dictionary". Chambers. ISBN 0-550-11801-2.
  5. ^ https://scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/galston-parish-church/
  6. ^ Chambers, Robert (1885). Domestic Annals of Scotland. Edinburgh: Chambers. p. 188.
  7. ^ https://scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/st-sophias-galston/
  8. ^ Kyle, Thomas (1928). Burnawne Kilm Glenf Ramb Soc. Annals. 1919 - 1930. p. 126.
  9. ^ MacIntosh, John (1894). Ayrshire Nights Entertainments: A Descriptive Guide to the History, Traditions, Antiquities, etc. of the County of Ayr. Pub. Kilmarnock. p. 11.
  10. ^ a b c Irvine Valley Regeneration Partnership Accessed : 2009/12/05 2009-11-23 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ a b c Campbell, Thorbjørn (2003). Ayrshire. A Historical Guide. Edinburgh : Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-267-0. p. 142
  12. ^ Protocol book of Gavin Ros, vol. 2, Scottish Record Society (1907) 187.
  13. ^ St Peter in Chains Retrieved : 2010-11-18
  14. ^ Travel Scotland - Galston. Accessed : 2009-12-05
  15. ^ Scran - Handball. Accessed : 2009-12-05
  16. ^ Galt, John (1895). Annals of the Parish and The Ayrshire Legatees. Edinurgh : William Blackwood & Sons. p. 265

External links Edit

  • The Barr Castle or Lockhart's Tower
  • The James Smith Memorial Cairn, Gallow Law, Molmont Hill
  • The Galston Handba' Game.
  • The old Loudoun Nature Trail in the Orchard Plantation
  • 1860 OS Maps
  • Saving a British Railway sign at Galston 1969
  • Barr Castle website

galston, east, ayrshire, galston, lowland, scots, gauston, scottish, gaelic, baile, gall, municipality, east, ayrshire, scotland, which, population, 2001, heart, civil, parish, same, name, situated, wooded, countryside, four, miles, kilometres, upriver, from, . Galston Lowland Scots Gauston Scottish Gaelic Baile nan Gall is a municipality in East Ayrshire Scotland which has a population of 5 001 2001 2 and is at the heart of the civil parish of the same name It is situated in wooded countryside four miles six kilometres upriver from Kilmarnock and is one a group of the small towns located in the Irvine Valley between the towns of Hurlford and Newmilns To the north of the town is the ruin of Loudoun Castle the site of Loudoun Castle theme park from 1995 to 2010 In 1874 the population was 4 727 3 GalstonScottish Gaelic Baile nan GallMunicipalityAerial viewGalstonLocation within East AyrshirePopulation4 710 mid 2020 est 1 LanguageEnglishScotsScottish GaelicOS grid referenceNS569200Council areaEast AyrshireLieutenancy areaAyrshire and ArranCountryScotlandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townGalstonPostcode districtKA4Dialling code01563PoliceScotlandFireScottishAmbulanceScottishUK ParliamentKilmarnock and LoudounScottish ParliamentKilmarnock and Irvine ValleyList of places UK Scotland 55 36 01 N 4 22 47 W 55 60037 N 4 3798 W 55 60037 4 3798 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Churches 3 The Burn Anne 4 Galston railway station 5 The Barr Castle 6 The Galston Handball Game 7 The Judge s Hill 8 Notable residents 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksEtymology EditThe name Galston means place of the strangers from the Gaelic word Gall a stranger and the Toun or Ton was a farm and its outbuildings The word baile was anglicised in more recent history as toun like many other place names in Scotland which were originally bal 4 Churches EditGalston Parish Church church designed by John Brash of Glasgow built in 1809 on site of pre reformation church Spire 120 feet in height Chancel added 1912 and 3 manual pipe organ by J J Binns 1913 5 The 17th century Presbyterians forbade burials taking place within churches In 1609 John Schaw of Sornbeg decided to bury his recently deceased wife within Galston Kirk He entered the kirk with a party of armed men and proceeded to break up flagstones and dig a grave where he interred his wife s body He was fined 20 for this action and promised never to attempt this act again 6 St Sophia s Church 1885 Byzantine style church designed by architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson based on Hagia Sophia in Istanbul Is a Category A Listed building 7 The Burn Anne Edit nbsp A view of the Burn Anne at Bank Wood Bridge The Burn Anne joins the Irvine at Galston It is named after St Anne said to be the mother of the Virgin Mary St Anne s Holy Well is marked on the 1860 OS map and lies above Bank Wood flowing into the Burn Anne The Holy Well has been destroyed by the construction of a concrete tank which collects the spring water for Cessnock Castle first constructed for the Duke of Portland in Victorian times The Carsewell Hole nearby was used for adult baptism 8 The woodlands here have a high plant biodiversity value and are a registered provisional wildlife site as designated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust Species noted in 2007 include woodruff bird cherry primrose common violet oak stitchwort golden male scaly fern bugle opposite leaved golden saxifrage bluebell dog s mercury broad buckler fern watercress lady fern male shield fern kidney vetch woodrush woodsedge blackthorn hawthorn marsh marigold foxglove sweet cicely herb robert red campion bistort ribwort plantain water avens wood avens moschatel elm alder and many liverworts A pair of buzzards were noted A great danger is the presence of the alien invader the pink purslane or Stewarton flower which will spread rapidly and destroy the native herbs by out competing them 2007 It needs to be removed as matter of urgency A new 2008 metalled path has been created through part of these woods greatly improving access A new wood has been planted along part of the new path and this will in time extend and protect the habitats and the biodiversity of the site This tributary of the Irvine was famous 9 for its rich jasper pebbles semi precious stones which were collected cut and polished for use in jewellery Galston railway station EditThis station on the Glasgow and South Western Railway line to Stonehouse via Strathaven closed in 1964 The Barr Castle Edit nbsp The Barr Castle in 1900 Probably dating from the 15th century this five storeyed red sandstone tower castle still stands as a prominent feature NS 505 360 on a rocky knoll close to the Burn Anne within the town s boundaries It was also known as Lockhart s Tower and was built to control the nearby access points up the Irvine Valley 10 William Wallace is said to have taken refuge from pursuing English soldiers within the tower eventually escaping siege by climbing down an overhanging tree 10 It has a practical if not authentic roof which does not hide a view of the continuous corbelling of the parapet The bottom section of the four angle towers are discernible 11 The castle was built for the Lockhart family who held the Barony of Galston enthusiastic opponents of the Catholic faith In 1670 the property was purchased by the Campbells of Cessnock Castle nearby 11 In 2019 celebrations will be held to mark the 125th anniversary of the castle being used as a Masonic Lodge by Lodge St Peter 331 It also houses a museum of local artefacts The castle is open to the public on occasions and has proved a very popular venue for weddings In August 1528 James Campbell of Lochlee abducted Alexander Pawtoun from Mauchline and imprisoned him for 5 days in the dungeon spelunca of the Tower of Galston in order to extort the sum of 20 12 In an old charter of 12 March 1438 John Lockhart Lord of Barr provides for an annual rent to be paid to the chaplain for saying three masses annually for the repose of his soul at the altar of the church of Saint Peter in Ardrossan 13 The renowned reformer and Protestant martyr George Wishart preached at the castle in 1545 and in 1556 John Knox also preached here both were under the protection of John Lockart of Barr and his fellow reformers 11 The Galston Handball Game EditThis game was popular with farm workers who used clenched hands to hit a hard ball off the side wall of the Barr Castle similar to Gaelic handball and fives or rather like squash without the use of rackets or a soft squashy ball The court was of earth beaten hard Galston became World Champions at this handball sport however it is no longer played 14 the last official game being in 1939 Local legend has it that the game was used by William Wallace to help keep his men fit for battle 10 Handball was popular in these parts during the 19th century and Galston was the site of the most important competition held on the Saturday of the Glasgow Fair 15 It belonged to the group of sports that Gaelic handball still represents John Galt refers to handball being played in Irvine against the back wall of a malt kiln 16 The Judge s Hill Edit nbsp The Judge s Hill near Galston just visible through the woods A justice hill survives in a patch of woodland on the Hag Burn near the Loudoun Country Club This site may have been linked to the old Barony of Galston and the feudal rights of the Campbells of Loudoun The site has a nearby lime kiln and old ruins next to the Hag Burn which may have been a forge Notable residents EditAlison Begbie possibly Elizabeth Gebbie 1762 1863 friend of poet Robert Burns Rev Dr Robert Stirling 1790 1878 inventor of the Stirling engine was minister of Galston Parish Church Lady Flora Hastings 11 February 1806 5 July 1839 of Loudon Castle was a lady in waiting to Queen Victoria s mother the Duchess of Kent Her death in 1839 was the subject of a court scandal that gave the Queen a negative image Buried in Loudoun Kirk James Howie 1878 1963 footballer with Kilmarnock Huddersfield Town Newcastle United and Scotland Andy Cunningham 1891 1973 footballer with Kilmarnock Rangers and Scotland James Leslie 1908 1980 footballer with Kilmarnock Rev Prof Hugh Anderson DD FRSE 1920 2003 theologianSee also EditDarvel Galston F C Loudoun Academy Galston River IrvineReferences Edit Mid 2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland National Records of Scotland 31 March 2022 Retrieved 31 March 2022 Scotland s Census Results OnLine Archived 2012 03 22 at the Wayback Machine Douglas William Scott 1874 In Ayrshire A Descriptive Picture of the County of Ayr Kilmarnock McKie amp Drennan Reprint ISBN 978 1 4097 1645 7 p 16 Warrack Alexander 1982 Chambers Scots Dictionary Chambers ISBN 0 550 11801 2 https scotlandschurchestrust org uk church galston parish church Chambers Robert 1885 Domestic Annals of Scotland Edinburgh Chambers p 188 https scotlandschurchestrust org uk church st sophias galston Kyle Thomas 1928 Burnawne Kilm Glenf Ramb Soc Annals 1919 1930 p 126 MacIntosh John 1894 Ayrshire Nights Entertainments A Descriptive Guide to the History Traditions Antiquities etc of the County of Ayr Pub Kilmarnock p 11 a b c Irvine Valley Regeneration Partnership Accessed 2009 12 05 Archived 2009 11 23 at the Wayback Machine a b c Campbell Thorbjorn 2003 Ayrshire A Historical Guide Edinburgh Birlinn ISBN 1 84158 267 0 p 142 Protocol book of Gavin Ros vol 2 Scottish Record Society 1907 187 St Peter in Chains Retrieved 2010 11 18 Travel Scotland Galston Accessed 2009 12 05 Scran Handball Accessed 2009 12 05 Galt John 1895 Annals of the Parish and The Ayrshire Legatees Edinurgh William Blackwood amp Sons p 265External links Edithttps scotlandschurchestrust org uk church galston parish church https scotlandschurchestrust org uk church st sophias galston http www galstongospelhall co uk nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galston East Ayrshire nbsp Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Galston The Barr Castle or Lockhart s Tower The James Smith Memorial Cairn Gallow Law Molmont Hill The Galston Handba Game Census data PDF East Ayrshire Forums Tenants Portal The old Loudoun Nature Trail in the Orchard Plantation 1860 OS Maps Burn Anne agates Saving a British Railway sign at Galston 1969 Barr Castle website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Galston East Ayrshire amp oldid 1173492944, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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