Girdle Toll
Encyclopedia
Girdle Toll is a small village on the outskirts of Irvine, North Ayrshire
.
Roundabout just next to the Stanecastle Keep. The village is 10 miles (16 km) from Prestwick Airport and only 23 mi from the city of Glasgow
.
Girdle Toll has Eglinton Country Park
nearby. A lot of the locals can enjoy recreational activities such as cycling, football and walking. Eglinton country park takes its name from Eglinton Castle which is now closed off to the public because the building is unsafe. The country park covers a large area from Girdle Toll to Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
.
The main road in the area is called Lochlibo Road; it used to form part of the A736 route to Glasgow. The A736 now bypasses the area just to the west. On this route there is a new housing development currently being built called Montgomerie Park.
There are now traffic calming measures been put in place, such as single-file traffic measures and speed bumps.
Coming from the Stanecastle roundabout the first right takes you into some of the local amenities. Go further up the road there is a mini roundabout which has a road going to the right and straight on. To the right is the old Stewarton
road (B769) route, the new route bypasses to the south of the area. At the top of the road is the Littlestane Roundabout, to the left is some more local amenities, straight ahead takes you onto the old Glasgow
road and turning to your right takes you into the Lawthorn farm area of Girdle Toll.
.
Annick Primary school and Stanecastle Primary school are within the same grounds as each other, they are merely 100m apart from each other. The children from Annick Primary School occasionally visit Stanecastle from time to do activities with the special needs children. Annick Primary and Stanecastle are situated in the fields between Bensley Rise and Burns crescent. The schools were built in 1979.
Lawthorn Primary school is situated close to the Spar shop and pharmacy at the Littlestane roundabout at the top of the Girdle Toll Road, you pass it when you head along the old Glasgow road. Lawthorn Primary school was built in the year 2000 to relieve the slightly overcrowded Annick Primary school. It now has over double the number of pupils than Annick Primary has.
The Gulab Indian Restaurant used to be situated within the town centre of Irvine at Bank Street, the move was made in November 1998 next to the Stanecastle Roundabout. The building used to be the Stanecastle hotel. The restaurant has been under new management since the beginning of the year 2006.
Two of the local shops and the BP Petrol Station have automated teller machine
s. The one at the Keystore charges for using the service and the other two are free to use.
route. It is currently being built; the timescale of the project is not known. It is just to the west of the Girdle Toll and is actually now part of Lawthorn. Stagecoach Western buses operate one service from the development, service 30 which only operates on school days to Greenwood Academy via Irvine Cross. Bennetts of Kilwinning now operate the hourly service 29 from Montgomerie Park to Irvine Cross/Station. There are now around 200 homes in the development and work has recently began again on more new houses in the ever expanding housing development.
The Annick Water passes through Girdle Toll which also flows through Bourtreehill
and passes by the outskirts of Eglinton Country Park
. The river is well known for having a healthy stock of trout
and salmon
during the fishing season. The river is known to be mostly pollution free.
The Irvine New Town Trail passes through Girdle Toll, it forms part of the British National Cycle Network with routes 7 and 73 forming part of the route. The route forms a ring around the town and passes through Eglinton Country Park
, Kilwinning
, Bourtreehill
, Dreghorn
and passes through the town centre of Irvine
. It connects to route 7 which is used by locals cycling/walking to nearby Troon and Ayr.
Before Girdle Toll was developed by Irvine Development Corporation (IDC), Girdle Toll was just a row of houses next to large areas of farmland. In the 1970s and 1980s IDC decided to develop the land into a large housing area with local amenities. Girdle Toll has been growing since, the most recent area to have houses built was in 2001 when a small development was built next to Bryce Knox court.
Littlestane Loch
, now mostly drained, was once located nearby, drained by the Red Burn and fed by drainage, rainfall and natural springs. Littlestane Farm stood at the top of the loch.
. The Girdle Mound was completely levelled circa 1860. This mound gave the name to the toll and then the area.
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
.
Geography
It is situated off the StanecastleStanecastle
Stanecastle was a medieval barony and estate in North Ayrshire, Scotland, first mentioned in 1363 and now part of the Irvine New Town project. Its nearest neighbours are Bourtreehill and Girdle Toll.-Roman origins?:...
Roundabout just next to the Stanecastle Keep. The village is 10 miles (16 km) from Prestwick Airport and only 23 mi from the city of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
Girdle Toll has Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park is located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland . Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 hectares...
nearby. A lot of the locals can enjoy recreational activities such as cycling, football and walking. Eglinton country park takes its name from Eglinton Castle which is now closed off to the public because the building is unsafe. The country park covers a large area from Girdle Toll to Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
Kilwinning
Kilwinning is a historic town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is known as The Crossroads of Ayrshire. The 2001 Census recorded it as having a population of 15,908.-History:...
.
The main road in the area is called Lochlibo Road; it used to form part of the A736 route to Glasgow. The A736 now bypasses the area just to the west. On this route there is a new housing development currently being built called Montgomerie Park.
There are now traffic calming measures been put in place, such as single-file traffic measures and speed bumps.
Coming from the Stanecastle roundabout the first right takes you into some of the local amenities. Go further up the road there is a mini roundabout which has a road going to the right and straight on. To the right is the old Stewarton
Stewarton
Stewarton is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In comparison to the neighbouring towns of Kilmaurs, Fenwick, Dunlop and Lugton, it is a relatively large town, with a population of over 6,500. It is 300 feet above sea level.Groome, Francis H. . Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland. Pub. Caxton. London....
road (B769) route, the new route bypasses to the south of the area. At the top of the road is the Littlestane Roundabout, to the left is some more local amenities, straight ahead takes you onto the old Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
road and turning to your right takes you into the Lawthorn farm area of Girdle Toll.
Transport
The area has several local bus services operated by four companies; Stagecoach Western, Shuttle Buses, Ayrways and Bennetts of Kilwinning.- 13/113 - IrvineIrvine-Places:Canada*Irvine, Alberta*Irvine Inlet, NunavutUnited Kingdom*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland*Irvine Valley, Ayrshire, Scotland, an alternative name for Loudoun*River Irvine, ScotlandUnited States*Irvine, California**Irvine...
- StewartonStewartonStewarton is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In comparison to the neighbouring towns of Kilmaurs, Fenwick, Dunlop and Lugton, it is a relatively large town, with a population of over 6,500. It is 300 feet above sea level.Groome, Francis H. . Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland. Pub. Caxton. London....
via Girdle Toll and KilmaursKilmaursKilmaurs is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies on the Carmel, 21.1 miles south by west of Glasgow. Population recorded in 2001 Census, 2601- History :...
(Shuttle Buses) - 14 - Girdle Toll to Ayr via Irvine, Barassie, Troon, Monkton, Prestwick Airport and Prestwick. (Stagecoach Mon - Sat, one journey at 6:30am)
- 22 - Perceton - Castlepark via Girdle Toll and IrvineIrvine-Places:Canada*Irvine, Alberta*Irvine Inlet, NunavutUnited Kingdom*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland*Irvine Valley, Ayrshire, Scotland, an alternative name for Loudoun*River Irvine, ScotlandUnited States*Irvine, California**Irvine...
(Stagecoach) - 29 - Montgomerie Park - Irvine Station via IrvineIrvine-Places:Canada*Irvine, Alberta*Irvine Inlet, NunavutUnited Kingdom*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland*Irvine Valley, Ayrshire, Scotland, an alternative name for Loudoun*River Irvine, ScotlandUnited States*Irvine, California**Irvine...
(Bennetts) - 30 - Montgomerie Park - Greenwood Academy via IrvineIrvine-Places:Canada*Irvine, Alberta*Irvine Inlet, NunavutUnited Kingdom*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland*Irvine Valley, Ayrshire, Scotland, an alternative name for Loudoun*River Irvine, ScotlandUnited States*Irvine, California**Irvine...
(Stagecoach and only on school days) - X44 - ArdrossanArdrossanArdrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
- IrvineIrvine-Places:Canada*Irvine, Alberta*Irvine Inlet, NunavutUnited Kingdom*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland*Irvine Valley, Ayrshire, Scotland, an alternative name for Loudoun*River Irvine, ScotlandUnited States*Irvine, California**Irvine...
- GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
via Girdle toll (Stagecoach) - 125 - Montgomerie Park - Irvine - Kilwinning - Dalry - Kilbirnie - Beith (9:30 - 23:30) (Stagecoach and Sundays only)
- 605 - Kilmarnock to Braehead Shopping Centre via Dreghorn, Irvine, Girdle Toll and Uplawmoor, Silverburn Shopping Centre and Glasgow City Centre. (Ayrways)
Schools
- Annick Primary.
- Lawthorn Primary and Nursery.
- Stanecastle Primary School/Academy for special needs Children.
Annick Primary school and Stanecastle Primary school are within the same grounds as each other, they are merely 100m apart from each other. The children from Annick Primary School occasionally visit Stanecastle from time to do activities with the special needs children. Annick Primary and Stanecastle are situated in the fields between Bensley Rise and Burns crescent. The schools were built in 1979.
Lawthorn Primary school is situated close to the Spar shop and pharmacy at the Littlestane roundabout at the top of the Girdle Toll Road, you pass it when you head along the old Glasgow road. Lawthorn Primary school was built in the year 2000 to relieve the slightly overcrowded Annick Primary school. It now has over double the number of pupils than Annick Primary has.
Local amenities, public houses and restaurants
- Beauty salon
- BP Petrol Station
- Community Centres
- Lanfine and Girdle Toll Community Centre
- Convenience stores
- Costcutter
- Keystore
- Spar
- Pammys shop/post office
- Marks & Spencers Simply Food
- Doctors Surgery
- Girdle Toll Bowling Club
- Girdle Toll Parish Church
- Girdle Toll Postal Office
- Gulab Indian Restaurante
- Pharmacy
- Sun King Chinese takeaway
- Fish and chip shop
- Woodland nature reserve at LawthornEglinton Country ParkEglinton Country Park is located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland . Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 hectares...
pronounced Lawthorn by the locals - managed & owned by the Scottish Wildlife TrustScottish Wildlife TrustThe Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
.
The Gulab Indian Restaurant used to be situated within the town centre of Irvine at Bank Street, the move was made in November 1998 next to the Stanecastle Roundabout. The building used to be the Stanecastle hotel. The restaurant has been under new management since the beginning of the year 2006.
Two of the local shops and the BP Petrol Station have automated teller machine
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s. The one at the Keystore charges for using the service and the other two are free to use.
Montgomerie Park
Montgomerie Park (formally known as Earlswood) is a future housing development. It is a fairly large development next to the Hill Roundabout just off the A736 Irvine to GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
route. It is currently being built; the timescale of the project is not known. It is just to the west of the Girdle Toll and is actually now part of Lawthorn. Stagecoach Western buses operate one service from the development, service 30 which only operates on school days to Greenwood Academy via Irvine Cross. Bennetts of Kilwinning now operate the hourly service 29 from Montgomerie Park to Irvine Cross/Station. There are now around 200 homes in the development and work has recently began again on more new houses in the ever expanding housing development.
Annick Water
Bourtreehill
Bourtreehill is a housing scheme which forms part of the Irvine New Town in North Ayrshire, Scotland.- Etymology :A 'Bour Tree' is the Ayrshire name for the Common Elder tree, Sambucus nigra, often found in the older and more biodiverse local woodlands....
and passes by the outskirts of Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park is located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland . Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 hectares...
. The river is well known for having a healthy stock of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
during the fishing season. The river is known to be mostly pollution free.
Irvine New Town Trail
Main article Irvine New Town TrailIrvine New Town Trail
The Irvine New Town Trail is a recreational cycle path in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The route is long.The trail is used by many dog walkers and cyclists in the area. The route forms a ring as there are no start and end points. The trail passes through Irvine's Low Green, and goes up to...
The Irvine New Town Trail passes through Girdle Toll, it forms part of the British National Cycle Network with routes 7 and 73 forming part of the route. The route forms a ring around the town and passes through Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park is located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland . Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 hectares...
, Kilwinning
Kilwinning
Kilwinning is a historic town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is known as The Crossroads of Ayrshire. The 2001 Census recorded it as having a population of 15,908.-History:...
, Bourtreehill
Bourtreehill
Bourtreehill is a housing scheme which forms part of the Irvine New Town in North Ayrshire, Scotland.- Etymology :A 'Bour Tree' is the Ayrshire name for the Common Elder tree, Sambucus nigra, often found in the older and more biodiverse local woodlands....
, Dreghorn
Dreghorn
Dreghorn is a village near Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. This parish comprehends the old parishes of Dreghorn and Pearston, which were united in 1668. The whole of the parish was historically the property of the De Morvilles, who were Constables of Scotland and Lords of Cunninghame...
and passes through the town centre of Irvine
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
. It connects to route 7 which is used by locals cycling/walking to nearby Troon and Ayr.
History
Littlestane Loch
Littlestane Loch
Littlestane Loch, was situated in the mid-Ayrshire clayland near Stanecastle, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is nowadays only visible as an area of permanent water in the Scottish Wildlife Trust Sourlie Nature Reserve. The loch was natural, sitting in a hollow created by glaciation. The loch...
, now mostly drained, was once located nearby, drained by the Red Burn and fed by drainage, rainfall and natural springs. Littlestane Farm stood at the top of the loch.
Prehistory
John Smith in 1895 records that the GIRDLE stood 3 furlongs to the south-west of Lawthorn Mound and appears to have been so well constructed that it was the admiration of everyone who saw it. A Mr.Rodger, manager of Fergushill Colliry, recollected that the mound was about 30 feet in diameter and 3 feet high; surrounded by a turf dyke and a thorn fence, outside of which were a number of trees, mostly beechBeech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
. The Girdle Mound was completely levelled circa 1860. This mound gave the name to the toll and then the area.
See also
- Annick Water
- River IrvineRiver IrvineThe River Irvine is a river flowing through southwest Scotland, with its watershed on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of above sea-level, near Drumclog, and SW by W of Strathaven...
- Bourtreehill HouseBourtreehill HouseBourtreehill House and the enclosed land on which it was built form the original estate of Bourtreehill. The wooded hill-top, a distinctive feature of the estate, is now a landmark that sits at the centre of modern North Bourtreehill in the district of North Ayrshire on the west coast of...
- Irvine New Town TrailIrvine New Town TrailThe Irvine New Town Trail is a recreational cycle path in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The route is long.The trail is used by many dog walkers and cyclists in the area. The route forms a ring as there are no start and end points. The trail passes through Irvine's Low Green, and goes up to...
- Eglinton CastleEglinton CastleEglinton Castle was a large Gothic castellated mansion in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland.-The castle :The ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton, it is located just south of the town of Kilwinning...
- Eglinton Country ParkEglinton Country ParkEglinton Country Park is located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland . Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 hectares...