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Kilwinning is notable for housing the original Lodge of the Freemasons. When the Lodges were renumbered, Kilwinning was kept as Lodge Number '0', the Mother Lodge of Scotland.
The origin of the Lodge is unclear with the first documentary evidence being a mention in The Schaw Statutes of 1598 and 1599 which identify it in its first paragraph as the "heid and secund ludge of Scotland".
The lodge's own legend attributes the formation to the building of the Abbey at Kilwinning in the 12th Century. There existed in this period corporations or fraternities of masons, endowed with certain privileges and immunities, capable of erecting religious structures in the Gothic style [1]. A party of these foreign masons is supposed to have come from Italy, or Cologne [2], for the purpose of building the Abbey at Kilwinning and to have founded there the first regularly constituted Operative Lodge in Scotland. The Lodge is reputed to have been held in the Chapter House on the Eastern side of the cloisters. On the broken walls and moldering arches of the Abbey numerous and varied Masons' marks may be seen, some very beautiful in design.
[edit] Eglinton Castle
Main article: Eglinton Castle
An official invitation to the 1839 Tournament.
When the foundation stone of the new Eglinton Castle in Kilwinning was laid in 1797, ‘Soldier Hugh’, the 12th Earl of Eglinton, was proud to have the ceremony performed by Alexander Hamilton of Grange, grandfather of the American hero Alexander Hamilton who was to become one of the most influential Scots in American history. Hamilton's family lived on the Estate of Grange which bordered on the Kilwinning lands at Stevenson. Hamilton named his house in New York (now a National Monument) “The Grange” after his family home.
Eglinton Castle is chiefly remembered, in modern times, as the scene of the Eglinton Tournament in 1839 which was a magnificent display.
Eglinton Country Park a wildlife haven within walking distance of the town centre. This is the old Weirstone Drive off the Bunnoch Road.
Encouraged by Lamb and recognising a growing public interest in a more chivalrous, honourable past, Eglinton set about organising a medieval tournament, attracting thousands of visitors to see the combatants (one of whom was the future Emperor of the French - Napoleon III) and the ladies in their finery. Excursion trains, amongst the first ever, were run from Ayr (pre-dating the formal opening of the line in 1840); an ironic contrast between the old and the new! The only item that Eglinton could not control was the weather: it rained for the best part of three consecutive days. The show went ahead: champions were crowned, Queens of Beauty enthroned and Lamb's honour assuaged. Within 100 years, Eglinton was deserted. The Tournament perhaps marked a turning point, being a severe drain on the family fortune which, with bottomless expenditure on the Ardrossan harbour and the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal, undermined a family who had been among the great families of Ayrshire. The castle fell into ruin after being unroofed in 1925 and was used for Commando demolition practice during World War II, the remains were demolished to the level they are today in 1973. Eglinton Country Park is now a major tourist attraction.
[edit] Industry and commerce
Kilwinning, like many towns in Ayrshire once relied on industry which has long since declined. This included coal mining, but also wool making. The mill on the banks of the River Garnock briefly fell under the ownership of Blackwood Brothers of Kilmarnock before closing entirely. The site of the mill is largely unchanged, though part of the old factory has been demolished, and the former mill shop now operates as the offices and salesroom for a local car dealership which now uses the site. Another company that existed was Wilson's Foods which operated a plant in the grounds of the Eglinton Estate, but this has since closed.
The Nethermains Industrial Estate is home to many industrial units which are of the type commonly built in the 1960's and 1970's as modular units ideal for light industry. Fullarton Computer Industries are one of the large employers in this site. Until January 2007, the Simclar Group operated a manufacturing plant on the estate, which was suddenly closed amid allegations of asset stripping and abuse of workers rights.
The world famous Pringle knitwear company originally manufactured their goods in Kilwinning.
[edit] Transport
By Train
The services from Glasgow to Ayr/Stranraer, Irvine, Largs, Ardrossan Harbour and other towns in the area are frequent and all pass through Kilwinning which is the railway crossroads of Ayrshire.
By Bus
Kilwinning is served by routes operated by Stagecoach.
[edit] Education
A large campus of James Watt College was built in Kilwinning and was completed in the summer of 2000 ready for the first intake of students in August that year, its arrival has brought some benefits to the town with increased revenue from the students supporting local businesses. The college is due to undergo an expansion during the summer which should add an extra 20 classrooms at the expense of car parking facilities. There is one school of secondary education in the area (namely Kilwinning Academy) and several catchment schools of primary education.
These primary schools are: Corsehill Primary School, Abbey Primary School, Blacklands Primary School, St Winning's Primary School, Pennyburn Primary School, Whitehirst Park Primary School and St Luke's Primary School.
[edit] Notable past residents
- Andrew O'Hagan, novelist
- James Bradie, Arctic Explorer
- Bernard, Abbot of Kilwinning, Abbot of Arbroath and Bishop of the Isles
- Colin Friels, actor
- Colin Hay, musician
- Des Browne, politician
- James MacMillan, musician
- Julie Fleeting, footballer
- Katy Clark, politician
- Penny Tranter, weather forecaster
- Quintin Craufurd, author
[edit] Further reading
- Lauchlan, R (1998) Old Kilwinning
[edit] References
- , Historical perspective for Kilwinning
- , Historical perspective for Kilwinning
[edit] External links
(Source: Wikipedia) |