Stanecastle
Encyclopedia
Stanecastle was a medieval barony and estate in North Ayrshire
, Scotland
, first mentioned in 1363 and now part of the Irvine New Town
project. Its nearest neighbours are Bourtreehill
and Girdle Toll
.
structures. However, it is now known that stone building in Scotland
and Ayrshire
was not restricted to the Roman and Norman
periods, and need not suggest any such Roman origins.
is said to run from Seagate Castle
in Irvine to Stane Castle.
At the core of the medieval estate may have been an older medieval nunnery or convent
and evidence has been discovered (and long lost under a turnpike
road) of a small medieval chapel
, probably dedicated to St.Bridget and, as was the norm, had its own graveyard (also long buried underneath the road). In the 17th-century the twenty shilling lands of old extent called Brydskirk are recorded, but with no mention of a chapel.
In the middle-ages, Stanecastle gave way to the ever expanding Eglinton Empire and William Francis of Stane passed his estate on to the Earls of Eglinton in the 15th century. Campbell states that the present castle was built in 1520 by Montgomerie of Greenfield, a cadet branch.
In 1750 Alexander, 10th Earl of Eglinton, repaired the castle, converting it into a folly. The four open and four closed pointed windows were constructed for appearance only at this time and on the west side an armorial panel stone with the Earl of Eglinton's arms was put in place. Through some mistake this panel was said to have been placed upside down, however the shield is actually the right way up, the apparent fault is that the signet rings and fleur de lis are inside are upside down. Another error occurs on a similar sized armorial panel now preserved in the quadrangle of Eglinton Country Park in which the symbols are in the wrong quarters. An original feature is a spiral stair in the north-east corner.
The Toll Road Act of 1774 gives details of The Road from the Cockpitt near Stone-Castle by Armsheugh, .... Showing that, not unusually, a Cock Pit existed here at one time.
A Ley tunnel
is said to run from Stanecastle to Eglinton Castle
and Seagate in Irvine. Another tunnel is said to run from Stanecastle to Dundonald
. A subterranean passage was found by workmen at Stanecastle in the 19th century.
Knadgerhill was only acquired by the Earls of Eglinton in 1851 when they excambied
part of the lands of Bogside Flats for them. This allowed the construction of the new entrance to the policies at Stanecastle via Long Drive.
lived in Irvine and it is recorded that his favourite walk was through the Eglinton Woods. References to his passing Saint Bride's Well suggest that he may have passed through Stanecastle on his return journey, having walked along the old Toll Road, over the Drukken Steps
at the Red burn and back to Irvine via Millburn, Sourlie, Girdle Gate and Stanecastle.
, in his Ringan Gilhaize (1823) novel.
arched windows in the 18th century, and has a modern roof with chimney and windows. Irvine Development Corporation stabilised and carried out repairs on the structure. The Montgomery Society of Scotland had attempted to purchase it as a clan headquarters and museum, but the plans came to nothing.
Opposite the keep is the Stanecastle gate, a considerably younger structure but inkeeping with the overall design of the area. In the 20th century, this gateway, or rather its orientation, was altered. It once marked the southern entrance to the huge Eglinton Castle
estate, now the Eglinton Country Park
.
The remaining section of the estate has been fenced off and protected. For many years, the modern gate was padlocked and this has given way to a more open policy.
A record exists for the rare Rusty-Back Fern
growing on the walls of the castle in the early 1900s. A search in 2002 did not locate the fern.
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, first mentioned in 1363 and now part of the Irvine New Town
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
project. Its nearest neighbours are Bourtreehill
Bourtreehill
Bourtreehill is a housing scheme which forms part of the Irvine New Town in North Ayrshire, Scotland.- Etymology :A 'Bour Tree' is the Ayrshire name for the Common Elder tree, Sambucus nigra, often found in the older and more biodiverse local woodlands....
and Girdle Toll
Girdle Toll
Girdle Toll is a small village on the outskirts of Irvine, North Ayrshire.-Geography:It is situated off the Stanecastle Roundabout just next to the Stanecastle Keep. The village is from Prestwick Airport and only from the city of Glasgow....
.
Roman origins?
The early history of Stanecastle is obscure but it was once believed that the 'stane' (stone, Norse: steinn) prefix referred to older RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
structures. However, it is now known that stone building in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
was not restricted to the Roman and Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
periods, and need not suggest any such Roman origins.
Medieval life
The ancient name of the barony was the 'Barony of Stane (Stone)'. A ley tunnelLey tunnel
Ley tunnels are a common element of the local folklore tradition in the United Kingdom and they also occur in Europe. In Norwegian a ley tunnel-like passage is called a "lønngang" and in Swedish a "lönngång"...
is said to run from Seagate Castle
Seagate Castle
Seagate Castle is a castle in North Ayrshire, in the town of Irvine, close to the River Irvine, Scotland. The castle was formerly a stronghold, a town house, and later a dower house of the Montgomery Clan. The castle overlooks the oldest street in Irvine, which was once the main route between the...
in Irvine to Stane Castle.
Saint Bridget
William Fraunces de le Stane held lands which included a chapel dedicated to Saint Bridget. The chapel stood on the muir near to Stane on the right bank of the Annick Water.At the core of the medieval estate may have been an older medieval nunnery or convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
and evidence has been discovered (and long lost under a turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
road) of a small medieval chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, probably dedicated to St.Bridget and, as was the norm, had its own graveyard (also long buried underneath the road). In the 17th-century the twenty shilling lands of old extent called Brydskirk are recorded, but with no mention of a chapel.
Stane castle
The original castle was built circa 1417 by the Francis family, who also held land at Sprouston near Kelso. The barony passed by marriage to the Montgomerys of Greenfield.In the middle-ages, Stanecastle gave way to the ever expanding Eglinton Empire and William Francis of Stane passed his estate on to the Earls of Eglinton in the 15th century. Campbell states that the present castle was built in 1520 by Montgomerie of Greenfield, a cadet branch.
In 1750 Alexander, 10th Earl of Eglinton, repaired the castle, converting it into a folly. The four open and four closed pointed windows were constructed for appearance only at this time and on the west side an armorial panel stone with the Earl of Eglinton's arms was put in place. Through some mistake this panel was said to have been placed upside down, however the shield is actually the right way up, the apparent fault is that the signet rings and fleur de lis are inside are upside down. Another error occurs on a similar sized armorial panel now preserved in the quadrangle of Eglinton Country Park in which the symbols are in the wrong quarters. An original feature is a spiral stair in the north-east corner.
The Toll Road Act of 1774 gives details of The Road from the Cockpitt near Stone-Castle by Armsheugh, .... Showing that, not unusually, a Cock Pit existed here at one time.
A Ley tunnel
Ley tunnel
Ley tunnels are a common element of the local folklore tradition in the United Kingdom and they also occur in Europe. In Norwegian a ley tunnel-like passage is called a "lønngang" and in Swedish a "lönngång"...
is said to run from Stanecastle to Eglinton Castle
Eglinton Castle
Eglinton Castle was a large Gothic castellated mansion in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland.-The castle :The ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton, it is located just south of the town of Kilwinning...
and Seagate in Irvine. Another tunnel is said to run from Stanecastle to Dundonald
Dundonald
Dundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
. A subterranean passage was found by workmen at Stanecastle in the 19th century.
Knadgerhill was only acquired by the Earls of Eglinton in 1851 when they excambied
Excambion
-Definition:Excambion : The exchange of land. The deed whereby this is effected is termed "Contract of Excambion".There is an implied real warranty in this contract, so that if one portion is evicted or taken away on a superior title, the...
part of the lands of Bogside Flats for them. This allowed the construction of the new entrance to the policies at Stanecastle via Long Drive.
Robert Burns
During 1781 - 1782 Robert BurnsRobert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
lived in Irvine and it is recorded that his favourite walk was through the Eglinton Woods. References to his passing Saint Bride's Well suggest that he may have passed through Stanecastle on his return journey, having walked along the old Toll Road, over the Drukken Steps
Robert Burns and the Eglinton Estate
During the years 1781–1782, at the age of 23, Robert Burns lived in Irvine, North Ayrshire for a period of around 9 months, whilst learning the craft of flax-dressing from his mother's half-brother, Alexander Peacock, working at the heckling shop in the Glasgow Vennel...
at the Red burn and back to Irvine via Millburn, Sourlie, Girdle Gate and Stanecastle.
19th century
Stanecastle has been the subject of a few sentences from John Galt (born 1779), a native of IrvineIrvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
, in his Ringan Gilhaize (1823) novel.
Stanecastle today
Visible today is the superb keep of the original estate, into whose wall is set an inscribed stone. This keep was altered with the addition of eight mock-GothicGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
arched windows in the 18th century, and has a modern roof with chimney and windows. Irvine Development Corporation stabilised and carried out repairs on the structure. The Montgomery Society of Scotland had attempted to purchase it as a clan headquarters and museum, but the plans came to nothing.
Opposite the keep is the Stanecastle gate, a considerably younger structure but inkeeping with the overall design of the area. In the 20th century, this gateway, or rather its orientation, was altered. It once marked the southern entrance to the huge Eglinton Castle
Eglinton Castle
Eglinton Castle was a large Gothic castellated mansion in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland.-The castle :The ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton, it is located just south of the town of Kilwinning...
estate, now the Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park
Eglinton Country Park is located in the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland . Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 hectares...
.
The remaining section of the estate has been fenced off and protected. For many years, the modern gate was padlocked and this has given way to a more open policy.
A record exists for the rare Rusty-Back Fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
growing on the walls of the castle in the early 1900s. A search in 2002 did not locate the fern.