Howwood
Encyclopedia
Howwood is a village in Renfrewshire
, Scotland
. It is between Johnstone
and Lochwinnoch
, just off the A737 dual carriageway
between the nearby town of Paisley and the Ayrshire
border. It is served by Howwood railway station
. Its name is listed in the late 19th century Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (see: Gazetteer for Scotland
) as "Howwood or Hollow-wood", demonstrating the probable origins of its name.
.
The chief industry in the village was formerly bleaching and the finishing of cotton cloth and thread, particularly from the mills of Paisley and the other Renfrewshire villages. Two main bleaching works existed at Bowfield and Midtownfield, the former being the last to close in the 1960s.
In the hills above Howwood lie the remains of Elliston Castle, a tower house
once home to the Semple family. A battle took place between Government forces and Covenanter
s at Muirdykes on the 18 June 1685, led by the Cochrane family of Johnstone
.
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is between Johnstone
Johnstone
Johnstone is a town in the council area of Renfrewshire and larger historic county of the same name in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.The town lies three miles west of neighbouring Paisley and twelve miles west of the centre of the city of Glasgow...
and Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch is a village in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Lying on the banks of Castle Semple Loch and the River Calder, Lochwinnoch is chiefly a residential dormitory village serving nearby urban centres such as Glasgow and Paisley...
, just off the A737 dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
between the nearby town of Paisley and the Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
border. It is served by Howwood railway station
Howwood (Renfrewshire) railway station
Howwood railway station is a railway station serving the village of Howwood, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line south west of Glasgow Central.- History :...
. Its name is listed in the late 19th century Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (see: Gazetteer for Scotland
Gazetteer for Scotland
The Gazetteer for Scotland is a gazetteer covering the geography, history and people of Scotland. It was conceived in 1995 by Bruce Gittings of the University of Edinburgh and David Munro of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and contains 15,500 entries as of January 2008, making it one of...
) as "Howwood or Hollow-wood", demonstrating the probable origins of its name.
History
Historically part of the civil parish of Lochwinnoch, it now supports its own Community CouncilCommunity council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
.
The chief industry in the village was formerly bleaching and the finishing of cotton cloth and thread, particularly from the mills of Paisley and the other Renfrewshire villages. Two main bleaching works existed at Bowfield and Midtownfield, the former being the last to close in the 1960s.
In the hills above Howwood lie the remains of Elliston Castle, a tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
once home to the Semple family. A battle took place between Government forces and Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
s at Muirdykes on the 18 June 1685, led by the Cochrane family of Johnstone
Johnstone
Johnstone is a town in the council area of Renfrewshire and larger historic county of the same name in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.The town lies three miles west of neighbouring Paisley and twelve miles west of the centre of the city of Glasgow...
.