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Coordinates: 55°43′N 4°36′W / 55.717°N 4.600°W / 55.717; -4.600
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== DM Beith ==
== DM Beith ==
[[Image:Railway Drumbuie.JPG|left|thumb|150px|<center>The last stretch of the railway line before the depot from Drumbuie Bridge in 2008.]]
[[Image:Railway Drumbuie.JPG|left|thumb|150px|<center>The last stretch of the railway line before the depot from Drumbuie Bridge in 2008.]]
A large Defence Munitions (DM) centre is located near Barrmill. The site was originally developed in 1943 as a conventional [[Royal Naval Armaments Depot]], munitions store, for the [[Royal Navy]]. It now processes and stores [[Spearfish torpedo|Spearfish]], [[Storm Shadow]], [[Tomahawk]] and [[Brimstone]] missiles. The railway is no longer used for transporting items to the centre.<ref name="DM">[http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan-turnbull/secret3.htm DM Beith]</ref>
A large Defence Munitions (DM) centre is located near Barrmill. The site was originally developed in 1943 as a conventional [[Royal Naval Armaments Depot]], munitions store, for the [[Royal Navy]]. It now processes and stores [[Spearfish torpedo|Spearfish]], [[Storm Shadow]], [[Tomahawk]] and [[Brimstone]] missiles. The railway is no longer used for transporting items to the centre.<ref name="DM">[http://.-/secret3.htm DM Beith]</ref>


There were five farms which were taken over by the Ministry of Defence for them to establish the Royal Naval Armaments Depot. Boyd's of Drumbuie, Jacks o' the Ward; Crawfords o' the Scoup; Harpers o' the White Spot; and Blairs of the Bugstone, Boyd of the Bellcraig, Boyd of Drumbuie, Gillies of Gatend and a number of railworkers and farm workers who lived in Patrick Row which was located on Barkip Road near to what is now the main entrance to the depot. In 1942 something like 1200 acres taken to establish the depot.<ref name="Boyd">[http://www.beith.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=9 Recollections of Robert Boyd of Drumbuie.]</ref>
There were five farms which were taken over by the Ministry of Defence for them to establish the Royal Naval Armaments Depot. Boyd's of Drumbuie, Jacks o' the Ward; Crawfords o' the Scoup; Harpers o' the White Spot; and Blairs of the Bugstone, Boyd of the Bellcraig, Boyd of Drumbuie, Gillies of Gatend and a number of railworkers and farm workers who lived in Patrick Row which was located on Barkip Road near to what is now the main entrance to the depot. In 1942 something like 1200 acres taken to establish the depot.<ref name="Boyd">[http://www.beith.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=9 Recollections of Robert Boyd of Drumbuie.]</ref>

Revision as of 17:43, 21 May 2009

Barmill is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about a mile and a half a mile east of Beith on the road to Lugton.

History

General Roy's survey of 1747 - 55 shows only the farm of High Barr. A village grew up here due to the employment provided by the several limestone quarries that were present at one time, the Dockra Ironstone pit that was located near the railway line down from Dockra quarry in 1912, and other local industries.

The village that developed had a population of 300 in 1876 and 600 in 1951, when the threadmaking industry had just ceased, although the workers still lived in company houses and were transported daily to the threadmaking factory at Kilbirnie. The limestone works was still active, but it too closed in 1972. The whinstone quarries of Messrs. King & Co. employed a considerable number of men in 1951, but even then the quarries were almost worked out.[1] Giffen coal pit (No 1) lay close to Bankhead Moss as shown on the 1897 OS map, closing not long afterwards as the following OS maps cease showing it.

The 1912 OS map marks the quoiting ground which was located in what is now the park, close to the old railway embankment; a mission hall is also shown, located just the other side of the railway bridge over the Beith branchline. In 2006 a new housing estate was created on the site of the old Barrmill railway station and goods yard.

Barrmill Railway station

The railway cutting beyond Barrmill station facing Beith, near the old Junction with the Dockra mineral line.
The site of Barrmill station from the old road overbridge.

Barrmill railway station was the only intermediate station on the line from Lugton to Beith Town railway station and opened on 26 June 1873,[2] and closed permanently to passengers on 5 November 1962.[2] Freight services continued on the line until 1964.[3]

Barrmill village and railway - 2007

  • The line and old signal running towards Giffen station.
    The line and old signal running towards Giffen station.
  • The old railway line running towards Lugton at Barmill.
    The old railway line running towards Lugton at Barmill.
  • Approaching Barrmill from Lugton near the old Kilbirnie Junction.
    Approaching Barrmill from Lugton near the old Kilbirnie Junction.
  • The old railway bridge over the mainstreet.
    The old railway bridge over the mainstreet.
  • The Old Station Inn in Barrmill.
    The Old Station Inn in Barrmill.
  • Barrmill crossroads, with hotel and shop.
    Barrmill crossroads, with hotel and shop.
  • Barrmill's Community Hall.
    Barrmill's Community Hall.
  • Barrmill's Millennium Garden.
    Barrmill's Millennium Garden.
  • Barrmill's mainstreet from the old railway bridge.
    Barrmill's mainstreet from the old railway bridge.
  • Barrmill's mainstreet with the railway bridge, looking towards Greenhills.
    Barrmill's mainstreet with the railway bridge, looking towards Greenhills.
  • Barrmill's park.
    Barrmill's park.
  • Millbarr Grove on the site of the old station and goodsyard.
    Millbarr Grove on the site of the old station and goodsyard.
  • Barrmill's Giffen Mill and the old Miller's house.
    Barrmill's Giffen Mill and the old Miller's house.

Bellcraig

Bellcraig and Craufurd Terrace.
The old flooded limestone quarry at Bellcraig.

Bellcraig and Craufurd Terrace form a small hamlet close to Barrmill. These houses, some of which housed quarry workers, lie close to a 20th century limestone quarry nearby, now abandoned and filled with water. The area had many small limestone and ironstone quarries. Dockra and Broadstone quarries are quite nearby. Around 30 people were employed here in the 1930s.

DM Beith

The last stretch of the railway line before the depot from Drumbuie Bridge in 2008.

A large Defence Munitions (DM) centre is located near Barrmill. The site was originally developed in 1943 as a conventional Royal Naval Armaments Depot, munitions store, for the Royal Navy. It now processes and stores Spearfish, Storm Shadow, Tomahawk and Brimstone missiles. The railway is no longer used for transporting items to the centre.[4]

There were five farms which were taken over by the Ministry of Defence for them to establish the Royal Naval Armaments Depot. Boyd's of Drumbuie, Jacks o' the Ward; Crawfords o' the Scoup; Harpers o' the White Spot; and Blairs of the Bugstone, Boyd of the Bellcraig, Boyd of Drumbuie, Gillies of Gatend and a number of railworkers and farm workers who lived in Patrick Row which was located on Barkip Road near to what is now the main entrance to the depot. In 1942 something like 1200 acres taken to establish the depot.[5]

Drumbuie

Drumbuie House, built in 1702, is one of the oldest inhabited houses in the Beith area and has been the home of the Boyd family for at least three generations.[5] Drumbuie was part of the Barony of Giffen and was feud out to various local millers and farmers in the 17th-century.[6] Close records that Drumbuie Farm incorporates an early 18th-century two storey house, originally thatched, which was built around 1736 for Hugh Patrick, this being stated on a plaque on the 1815 addition.[7]

  • The old Cotter's House at Drumbuie.
    The old Cotter's House at Drumbuie.
  • Drumbuie Farm steading.
    Drumbuie Farm steading.
  • Drumbuie House.
    Drumbuie House.

References

  1. ^ Strawhorn, John and Boyd, William (1951). The Third Statistical Account of Scotland. Ayrshire. Pub. P. 407.
  2. ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present, 1st Edition, Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1.
  3. ^ Stansfield, G. (1999). Ayrshire & Renfrewshire's Lost Railways. Ochiltree: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 1-8403-3077-5. P. 10
  4. ^ DM Beith
  5. ^ a b Recollections of Robert Boyd of Drumbuie. Cite error: The named reference "Boyd" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ Dobie, James (1876). Pont's Cunninghame topographized 1604-1608 with continuations and illustrative notices (1876). Pub. John Tweed. P.125.
  7. ^ Close, Robert (1992), Ayrshire and Arran: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Pub. Royal Incorp Archit Scotland. ISBN. 1873190-06-9. p. 97.

See also

55°43′N 4°36′W / 55.717°N 4.600°W / 55.717; -4.600

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