Highfield

Highfield is a small village or hamlet in North Ayrshire, Parish of Dalry, Scotland. It is situated between the settlements of Barkip and Dalry on the A737 at a junction with the B777. It lies in the lands of the old Barony of Kersland, the ruins of Kersland Castle and East Kersland Mill being situated nearby at East Kersland.

History

Site of the old Kersland Colliery.

A William Stewart of Hiefield is recorded in 1649.<ref>Barony of Kersland. Retrieved : 2012-05-27</ref>

Highfield is a hamlet of around twenty-five households at a crossroads on the old Beith to Dalry A737 turnpike, about half a mile from Dalry. A pub was once located here known as the Highfield Inn with a shop attached.<ref>Scran Retrieved : 2012-05-22</ref><ref name=0zs>Dalry History Group, Page 106</ref> A part of the settlement on the B777 road to Kilwinning is known as the 'Creepies' or 'Little Acre.' Creepie is a Scots work for the hedge sparrow.<ref>Scots Dictionary Retrieved : 2012-05-22</ref> The village had some miner's cottages at the 'Creepies', long since demolished.<ref name=0zs/>

Southfield, once the name of the whole settlement of 374 inhabitants in the 19th century,<ref>McMichael, Page 166</ref> is now the area of the settlement to the north of the A737, with a lodging house a surviving building that was a wash-house for the residents. A lane, later reduced to a footpath, ran from the crossroads to the old Kersland pit. Pastureland Farm no longer exists, however Pastureland Cottages are present on the A737.

Cartographic evidence

In 1747 the settlement of Hie Field (sic) is marked on Roy's map.<ref>Roy's Map Retrieved : 2012-05-22</ref> In 1775 a substantial property, Highfield, is shown on Armstrong's map.<ref>Armstrong's map Retrieved : 2012-05-22</ref> Thomson's map of 1832 shows Highfield and the dwelling of Pastureland Farm is shown off the old road; the new turnpike is now present.<ref>Thomson's map Retrieved : 2012-05-22</ref> The 1890 OS map refers to the settlement 'Southfield'.<ref>1890 OS Map Retrieved : 2012-05-27</ref>

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  The Creepies and the B777 running south

• 

  The Creepies as seen from the east

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  The old Highfield Cottage Inn

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  The old wash-house near Southfield

• 

  The rear of the Southfield houses

Industry and businesses

Coalheughglen lies nearby on the road to Dalry, a limekiln and associated quarry lay above Highfield Farm, as did the small Kersland Colliery and coal pits. An air vent is shown in the field near Coalheughglen Farm. In 1857 the OS maps show the presence of a weighing machine near Southfield and a freestone quarry was located near Littleacre.

The Highfield Inn, now a private house, stood near the lane down to Littleacre and had a small shop that also sold 'Spirits and Ales'.<ref>Dalry Remembered, Page 106</ref> An old photograph shows that Highfield Garage, now demolished with new housing on the site, stood on the Beith side of the road and sold Cleveland petrol with three pumps, a workshop, etc.

References

Sources

• Dalry History Group (1985). Dalry Remembered. ISBN 0-9510674-0-0.
• McMichael, George. Notes on the Way. Ayr : Hugh Henry.

External links

• Video and commentary on Highfield Hamlet
• Video and commentary on the industry and commerce of Highfield

North Ayrshire
Towns	Ardrossan Beith Dalry Irvine Kilbirnie Kilwinning Largs Saltcoats Stevenston West Kilbride
Villages	Ardeer Auchentiber Barrmill Benslie Dreghorn Drybridge Fairlie Gateside Girdle Toll Glengarnock Longbar Skelmorlie Springside Stanecastle
Hamlets	Barkip Broomlands Bourtreehill Burnhouse Castlepark Crosbie Chapeltoun Cunninghamhead Dalgarven Drakemyre Eglinton Fergushill Fullarton Giffordland Greenhills Hessilhead Highfield Hunterston Kelburn Lawthorn Lylestone Meigle Meikle Auchengree Montgreenan Nettlehirst Perceton Portencross Routenburn Seamill Sevenacres Shewalton Torranyard
Island settlements	Brodick Lamlash Lochranza Whiting Bay Birchburn Blackwaterfoot Catacol Cladach Corrie Dippen Kildonan Kilmory Lagg Machrie Pirnmill Sannox Shiskine Sliddery Whitefarland Millport
Neighbouring council areas	Argyll and Bute East Ayrshire Inverclyde Renfrewshire South Ayrshire