Silverwood, Ayrshire
Encyclopedia
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
Timothy Pont
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailliary of Kilwinning
and the regality of Torphichen
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
on 19 June 1663.
Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
The popular pastime of Geocaching
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Image:Silverwood Bridge.JPG|Silverwood Bridge looking towards Grougar Mains.
Image:Silverwood road looking towards Kilmarnock.JPG|Silverwood Road looking towards Kilmarnock.
Image:Silverwood Farm.JPG|Silverwood Farm from the main road.
Image:Silverwood from Grougar Mains.JPG|Silverwood Plantation from Grougar Mains.
Image:Silverwood from the farm entrance.JPG|A Scots Pine section of Silverwood seen from the farm entrance.
Image:Silverwood deciduous wood.JPG|A 'deciduous' section within the Silverwood Plantation.
Image:Stinkhorn at Silverwood.JPG|The remains of a Stinkhorn fungus from Silverwood in July 2008.
Image:Silverwood march dyke.JPG|Moss covered stones of the possible march dyke near the main road.
through it having been part of the possessions of the De Morvilles up until the time of King Robert the Bruce. In 1320 Sir Robert Cuninghame of Kilmaurs
held the lands and later the Logans of Restalrig came into possession. William Blane of Grougar held the lands in 1876. The property of 2000 acres (8.1 km²) never seems to have had a manor house built upon it. Grougar Mains Farm borders the East side of Silverwood plantation.
The 70 acres of the lands of Caprickhill lay in the barony of Grougar, including Holmhead and Miltonmill. In 1742 these lands had belonged to Thomas Millar and were sold to William Wallace for £170; in 1811 the properties were worth £7,000. Laighmilton also lay in Grougar and in 1766 its rental was 1s 8d per acre, rising to £4 per acre in 1811.
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Silverwood in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire
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. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.
The estate
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.
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:...
and the regality of Torphichen
Torphichen
Torphichen is a small village located near Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. The placename may be Gaelic in origin, eg, "Tóir Féichín" , Tor Fithichean or British, eg, modern Welsh "tref fechan" .The village church is said to have been founded by St...
; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.
Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead
Hessilhead
Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith...
and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen
Barony and Castle of Giffen
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone,...
on 19 June 1663.
In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt. The Hearth Tax records for this year show the 'Lands of Silverwood' had ten dwellings; one hearth each for Silverwood and Templeton, four for Milton.
Aiton records that Silverwood Farm was 73 acres in extent and prior to 1776 was leased for £5 and 5 bolls of meal per annum for a 19 year period; it had risen to £200 per annum in 1811.
By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. The 6 inch OS maps of the 19th century show a formal laid out garden with a nearby orchard.
Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton (sheriff)
William Aiton was a Scottish law agent, agriculturalist and sheriff-substitute of the county of Lanark. He was an authority on all matters bearing on Scottish husbandry....
, author in the early 1800s of ‘A Treatise on Moss-earth’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Ayr’; ‘General View of the Agriculture of the County of Bute’; ‘A History of the Rencounter at Drumclog and Battle at Bothwell Bridge’; ‘An Inquiry into the Pedigree of the Hamilton Family’; and an ‘Inquiry into the House of Aiton in Scotland,’ was from Silverwood.
Silverwood
It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for this habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.The Silverwood Geocache
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sporting activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world....
is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.
Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood
The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deerRoe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple
Oak apple
Oak apple is the common name for a large, round, vaguely apple-like gall commonly found on many species of oak. Oak apples range in size from 2-5cm. Oak apples are caused by chemicals injected by the larva of certain kinds of gall wasp in the family Cynipidae. The adult female wasp lays single...
Gall, unusual in the Scottish context. Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine
River Irvine
The 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...
shortly after leaving the wood. The wood contains what appears to be the remains of an old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.
Image:Silverwood Bridge.JPG|Silverwood Bridge looking towards Grougar Mains.
Image:Silverwood road looking towards Kilmarnock.JPG|Silverwood Road looking towards Kilmarnock.
Image:Silverwood Farm.JPG|Silverwood Farm from the main road.
Image:Silverwood from Grougar Mains.JPG|Silverwood Plantation from Grougar Mains.
Image:Silverwood from the farm entrance.JPG|A Scots Pine section of Silverwood seen from the farm entrance.
Image:Silverwood deciduous wood.JPG|A 'deciduous' section within the Silverwood Plantation.
Image:Stinkhorn at Silverwood.JPG|The remains of a Stinkhorn fungus from Silverwood in July 2008.
Image:Silverwood march dyke.JPG|Moss covered stones of the possible march dyke near the main road.
Templetonburn
Several properties of this name have existed nearby over the years. The 1901 Templetonburn House was designed by James K. Hunter and was one of his finest works. It was destroyed by fire shortly before it was due to open as a hotel.Grougar
This was a valuable Barony, linked to LambroughtonLambroughton
Lambroughton is a village in the old Barony of Kilmaurs, North Ayrshire, Scotland. This is a rural area famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle.-Origins of the name:...
through it having been part of the possessions of the De Morvilles up until the time of King Robert the Bruce. In 1320 Sir Robert Cuninghame of Kilmaurs
Kilmaurs
Kilmaurs 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 :...
held the lands and later the Logans of Restalrig came into possession. William Blane of Grougar held the lands in 1876. The property of 2000 acres (8.1 km²) never seems to have had a manor house built upon it. Grougar Mains Farm borders the East side of Silverwood plantation.
The 70 acres of the lands of Caprickhill lay in the barony of Grougar, including Holmhead and Miltonmill. In 1742 these lands had belonged to Thomas Millar and were sold to William Wallace for £170; in 1811 the properties were worth £7,000. Laighmilton also lay in Grougar and in 1766 its rental was 1s 8d per acre, rising to £4 per acre in 1811.