Hurlford

Hurlford (Scottish Gaelic: Àth Cliath) is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Including Crookedholm, it has a population of 4,968.<ref name="SCROL">"Browser Population". Scrol.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford.<ref name="East Ayrshire Council">East Ayrshire Council Minutes, page 217, Item 7</ref> The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing the River Irvine east of Hurlford Cross, near Shawhill.<ref name="Kilmarnock Standard">"John helps put Hurlford history on the world map". Kilmarnock Standard. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> It shares its name in Gaelic, Àth Cliath ("The Ford of the Hurdles") with the Irish capital Dublin.

The village's Blair Park is home to Hurlford United F.C. and many notable footballers have been trained there.

Local Council Wards

The village is mostly contained in the Kilmarnock East and Hurlford ward of East Ayrshire Council while some outlying hamlets are in the Irvine Valley ward.<ref name="Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland">Boundary Commission for Scotland, Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements East Ayrshire Council area maps</ref>

Religion

Traditionally part of Riccarton parish,<ref name="Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland">"Site Record for Bowhouse, Air Ministry Munitions Factory Woodhead Details". Rcahms.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> the village is now a quoad sacra parish in its own right. Hurlford is home to four church buildings—the Hurlford Kirk and Hurlford Church, both in Main Road, Crookedholm; St Paul's Roman Catholic Church on Galston Road; and the Mauchline Road Church.

Hurlford Church, the former Free Church built in 1857, is part of the Church of Scotland.<ref>"Hurlford Church". Scotland's Churches Scheme. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> Mauchline Road Church was formerly part of the Unitarian Church.<ref name="Kilmarnock Standard">"John helps put Hurlford history on the world map". Kilmarnock Standard. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> It is now used as luxury housing.<ref name="Lumax Homes Limited">"Hurlford Church : Floor Plans : Lumax homes ltd :". Lumaxhomes.com. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> The Hurlford Kirk, which was the original parish church built in 1875 has also been converted into a house, having become redundant as a church in 1996 when its congregation merged with that of the Free Church.<ref name="BritishListedBuildings Kirk">"Crookedholm, Main Road, Former Hurlford Kirk and Manse, Including Boundary Walls and Gatepiers, Kilmarnock". BritishListedBuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref><ref name="Davidson">Davidson, Laura (20 July 2008). "Church conversion was answer to our prayers; Derelict kirk is the perfect family home peek in your pad". Sunday Mail. Glasgow: Scottish Daily Record & Sunday.</ref>

Education

Hurlford Primary School

Hurlford Primary School, formerly Hurlford Grammar and Secondary School is the non-denominational primary school for the area and also houses Hurlford Nursery School.<ref name="East Ayrshire Council">"Map - East Ayrshire Council". East-ayrshire.gov.uk. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> The building itself dates back to 1905.<ref name="BritishListedBuildings School">"Hurlford Primary School Including Boundary Walls, Gates and Railings, Riccarton". BritishListedBuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref>

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay, visited and congratulated the staff and children on 20 June 2005 on their achievements transforming school meals,<ref name="princeofwales.com">"TRH join children taking part in a healthy eating scheme in Ayrshire". The Prince of Wales. 21 June 2005. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> which was followed by the school winning the Soil Association's School Food Award at the BBC's Good Food Show, presented by Jamie Oliver.<ref name="Catering in Scotland">"Ayrshire school scoops Soil Association School Food Award". Catering in Scotland. 25 November 2005. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref>

Crossroads Primary School

Crossroads Primary School, now closed, formerly served the outlying areas of Hurlford and surrounding villages. It was closed by East Ayrshire Council as it was no longer financially viable to repair the building, despite parental and local protest. Pupils now attend Galston Primary School.<ref>Woodison, Alan (30 July 2010). "Scottish Government decide not to call in EAC's Crossroads Primary closure decision – the village school will not re-open,". Kilmarnock Standard. Scottish & Universal Newspapers. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref>

Economy

Shawhill House near Hurlford.

The town developed rapidly in the 19th century, following the discovery of coal. Fireclay and ironstone were also worked extensively until production ceased in the 1970s. A poignant reminder of the heyday of the iron and steel industry of Hurlford is the ship's propeller erected at the Cross in the lately redeveloped town centre.<ref name="Hurlford Living">"My Area – Hurlford". East Ayrshire Council. Retrieved 11 May 2012.</ref> Today, industries found in Hurlford include brakepad manufacturing by Eurofriction Limited and whisky production by international company Diageo.

Transport

Hurlford railway station is now closed. However, East Ayrshire Council have recently entered negotiations with First ScotRail and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to re-introduce passenger rail halts.

Hurlford also used to boast its own tramway system, which connected it to Kilmarnock. Nowadays, the main public transport links are provided by several Stagecoach Western bus services, including direct services to Glasgow.

Notable residents

• Gordon Cree - well-known pianist, composer, conductor, musician and general character
• Ross Tollerton - British Army soldier in World War I who was awarded the Victoria Cross
• Robert Dunsmuir - industrialist, politician and developer of coal mines and the E&N Railway on Vancouver Island
• Jimmy Knapp - General Secretary of the RMT transport union
• George Wylie - awarded the George Cross in honour of his heroic attempts to defuse a Nazi bomb which had landed on St Paul's Cathedral in London

The village is often referred to as a "football nursery" due to its high output of footballers.

• Ian Bryson - Sheffield United F.C., Barnsley F.C., Preston North End F.C, and Rochdale A.F.C. footballer
• David Calderhead - Queen of the South and Notts County footballer and Chelsea F.C. manager
• William Goldie - Leicester City footballer
• Jack Picken - Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle footballer
• Sandy Turnbull - Manchester City and Manchester United footballer
• Arthur Young - Manchester United footballer
• Colin Douglas - Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United footballer.
• Peter Kirkbride - weightlifter, 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medalist

See also

• Shawhill Estate, East Ayrshire