Hurlford
Encyclopedia
Hurlford is a village in East Ayrshire
, Scotland
. Including Crookedholm, it has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing the River Irvine east of Hurlford Cross, near Shawhill. It shares its name in Gaelic, Àth Cliath ("The Ford of the Hurdles") with the Irish capital Dublin.
The village's Blair Park is home to Hurlford United F.C.
and many notable footballers have been trained there.
parish, the village is now a quoad sacra parish in its own right. Hurlford is home to four church buildings—the Hurlford Kirk and Hurlford Church, both in Main Road, Crookedholm; St Paul's Roman Catholic Church on Galston Road; and the Mauchline Road Church.
Hurlford Church is part of the Church of Scotland
. Mauchline Road Church was formerly part of the Unitarian Church
. It is now used as luxury housing, as is the Hurlford Kirk.
Prince Charles
and Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay
, visited and congratulated the staff and children on 20 June 2005 on their achievements transforming school meals, which was followed by the school winning the Soil Association
's School Food Award at the BBC
's Good Food Show, presented by Jamie Oliver
.
The town developed rapidly in the 19th century, following the discovery of coal. Fireclay and ironstone were also worked extensively until production ceased in the 1970s. A poignant reminder of the heyday of the iron and steel industry of Hurlford is the ship's propeller erected at the Cross in the lately redeveloped town centre. Today, industries found in Hurlford include brakepad manufacturing by Eurofriction Limited and whiskey production by international company Diageo.
is now closed. However, East Ayrshire Council have recently entered negotiations with ScotRail
and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
to re-introduce passenger rail halts.
Hurlford also used to boast its own tramway system, which connected it to Kilmarnock
. Nowadays, the main public transport links are provided by several Stagecoach Western bus services, including direct services to Glasgow
.
The village is often referred to as a "football nursery" due to its high output of footballers.
East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders on to North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway...
, 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...
. Including Crookedholm, it has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing the River Irvine east of Hurlford Cross, near Shawhill. It shares its name in Gaelic, Àth Cliath ("The Ford of the Hurdles") with the Irish capital Dublin.
The village's Blair Park is home to Hurlford United F.C.
Hurlford United F.C.
Hurlford United Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Hurlford, near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Nicknamed The Ford, they were formed in 1938 and play at Blair Park, wearing red and white strips...
and many notable footballers have been trained there.
Local Council Wards
The village is mostly contained in the Kilmarnock East and Hurlford ward of East Ayrshire Council while some outlying hamlets are in the Irvine Valley ward.Religion
Traditionally part of RiccartonRiccarton, Ayrshire
Riccarton is a village and parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies across the River Irvine from Kilmarnock. The river Irvine divides the parishes of Riccarton and Kilmarnock and the river used to form the boundary between the districts of Kyle and Cunninghame.- History :The village became a...
parish, the village is now a quoad sacra parish in its own right. Hurlford is home to four church buildings—the Hurlford Kirk and Hurlford Church, both in Main Road, Crookedholm; St Paul's Roman Catholic Church on Galston Road; and the Mauchline Road Church.
Hurlford Church is part of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. Mauchline Road Church was formerly part of the Unitarian Church
General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1928, with denominational roots going back to the Great Ejection of 1662...
. It is now used as luxury housing, as is the Hurlford Kirk.
Hurlford Primary School
Hurlford Primary School, formerly Hurlford Grammar and Secondary School is the non-denominational primary school for the area and also houses Hurlford Nursery School. The building itself dates back to 1885.Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay
Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, and is the current holder of the titles of Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay and Countess of Chester...
, visited and congratulated the staff and children on 20 June 2005 on their achievements transforming school meals, which was followed by the school winning the Soil Association
Soil Association
The Soil Association is a charity based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1946, it has over 27,000 members today. Its activities include campaign work on issues including opposition to intensive farming, support for local purchasing and public education on nutrition; as well the certification of...
's School Food Award at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Good Food Show, presented by Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
.
Crossroads Primary School
Crossroads Primary School serves the outlying areas of Hurlford and surrounding villages.Economy
Transport
Hurlford railway stationHurlford railway station
Hurlford railway station was a railway station serving the village of Hurlford, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.-History:...
is now closed. However, East Ayrshire Council have recently entered negotiations with ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
to re-introduce passenger rail halts.
Hurlford also used to boast its own tramway system, which connected it to Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
. Nowadays, the main public transport links are provided by several Stagecoach Western bus services, including direct services to 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...
.
Notable residents
- Gordon CreeGordon CreeGordon Cree is a Scottish arranger, orchestrator, conductor and composer.- Life :Gordon Cree was classically trained in piano and singing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, before studying orchestral scoring and arranging with Brian Fahey.- Works :As well as a notable...
- well-known pianist, composer, conductor, musician and general character - Ross TollertonRoss TollertonRoss Tollerton VC born in Hurlford, Ayrshire, was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
- British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldier in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
who awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories.... - Robert DunsmuirRobert DunsmuirRobert Dunsmuir was a Scottish-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician. -Origins in Scotland:...
- industrialist, politician and developer of coal mines and the E&N Railway on Vancouver IslandVancouver IslandVancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794... - Jimmy KnappJimmy KnappJames Knapp was a prominent British trade unionist and, successively, General Secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers...
- General Secretary of the RMT transport union - George Wylie - awarded the George CrossGeorge CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
in honour of his heroic attempts to defuse a Nazi bomb which had landed on St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in London
The village is often referred to as a "football nursery" due to its high output of footballers.
- Ian BrysonIan BrysonIan Bryson is a Scottish footballer.He began his career at Hurlford United before moving to Kilmarnock, where he spent seven years making almost 200 appearances, mostly as a midfielder....
- Sheffield United F.C., Barnsley F.C., Preston North End F.C, and Rochdale A.F.C. footballer - David CalderheadDavid CalderheadDavid Calderhead was a Scottish footballer who later became a manager, notably of Chelsea.-Playing career:...
- Queen of the South and Notts County footballer and Chelsea F.C. manager - William GoldieWilliam GoldieWilliam 'Bill' Goldie was a footballer who played for Liverpool Football Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helping them to a Football League Championship.-Life and playing career:...
- Leicester City footballer - Jack PickenJack PickenJohn Barclay "Jack" Picken was a Scottish footballer who played as an inside forward for several Football League clubs, including Bolton Wanderers, Manchester United, Burnley and Bristol City, as well as Plymouth Argyle in the Southern Football League...
- Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle footballer - Sandy TurnbullSandy TurnbullAlexander "Sandy" Turnbull was a Scottish football player who played as a forward for both Manchester City and Manchester United in the early 20th century....
- Manchester City and Manchester United footballer - Arthur YoungArthur Young (footballer)Arthur Young was a Scottish footballer. His regular position was as an outside right. He played for Hurlford Thistle and Manchester United. He made his Football League debut on 27 October 1906, when he played in a 2–1 home win over Birmingham.-External links:* at StretfordEnd.co.uk* at MUFCInfo.com...
, Manchester United footballer - Gary Chisholm - appears in CNN documentary How to catch a paedophile,
- Dean SchofieldDean SchofieldDean Schofield is a professional Rugby union player who plays for RC Toulon. He plays lock and is a product of Aldwinians RUFC. He first came to prominence when scoring twice as Aldwinians beat Dudley Kingswinsford in the NPI Cup Final at Twickenham...
- appears in E4 documentary Embarrasing Bodies,