Shillford or Shilford is a hamlet to the south-west of

Barrhead Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268. History Barrhead was formed when ...

on the Lochlibo Road in

East Renfrewshire East Renfrewshire ( sco, Aest Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù an Ear) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975, it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of ...

near

Uplawmoor Uplawmoor is a village in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. Its population was 700 as of 2016. Historic Uplawmoor, associated for centuries with the Barony of Caldwell and the Mure family, is still a vibrant community today, although bereft of the sh ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

in the parish of

Neilston Neilston ( sco, Neilstoun, gd, Baile Nèill, ) is a village and parish in East Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the Levern Valley, southwest of Barrhead, south of Paisley, and south-southwest of Renfrew, at t ...

. It is located around south-west of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and north of

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

, and around south of Paisley.

Meaning of place-name

The name may derive from the word ''ford'' and the Scots word ''shill'', meaning cold or chilly; the word is also said to mean shallow. The old ford ceased to exist after the building of the railway that runs beside

Loch Libo Loch Libo is a freshwater loch in East Renfrewshire, Parish of Neilston, Scotland. The Lugton Water has its source from the southern end of loch, running 14 miles before reaching its confluence with the River Garnock near Kilwinning. The village o ...

as the nearby cutting resulted in the Thorter Burn being diverted to run into the loch.

History

In 1910 the hamlet had a population of 46. The shallow ford at the hamlet was formed by the Thorter Burn that ran into a hollow on the old road.Pride, Page 83 Shillford Mill was a substantial grain and sawmill, still operating in the 1960s. It was located close to the present day Shillford Garage. (datum 2012) The site is now used as a lorry park. The old smithy is now a roofless ruin and the site of the old toll house is an overgrown plot. Shillford Mill's office building still stands as a private dwelling named 'Shilford Mill' (sic) (datum 2012). Shillford once had two inns, however the licences were revoked prior to 1912.

Cartographic evidence

An 1821 map shows the name Shillford at the site of the present day Shillford Cottage. The 1826 map shows Shillford Toll on the Lochlibo turnpike and the crossroads with a probable toll keeper's house. In 1856 the toll gate is still shown with a group of buildings opposite the toll keepers house and another building at the site of the Shillford Mill, probably one of the inns. Two quarries are located in the woods near Shillford Cottage, one disused. In 1895 Shillford Quarry is somewhat enlarged and a smithy is marked on Lochlibo Road next to the inn. The

Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway The Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway was a railway jointly owned by the Caledonian Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway, completed in 1873, and giving the latter a shorter access to its Carlisle main line. A branch t ...

, is shown with a signal box on this the double track section. A small quarry is also marked at Taphead. By 1912 a large sawmill and a smaller meal mill are located near to the smithy and farrier. The

Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway The Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway (L&AR) was an independent railway company built to provide the Caledonian Railway with a shorter route for mineral traffic from the coalfields of Lanarkshire to Ardrossan Harbour, in Scotland. It opened in st ...

is shown for the first time with sidings running into Shillford Quarry. The buildings marked as 'Lagavulin' on the edge of the quarry wood are first shown in 1898. By 1967 the

is shown as closed and lifted, Shillford Quarry disused, the old toll keeper's house demolished, the mill used as a storage depot, and only one house remaining, 'Viewfield' near the

on which the signal box has been closed. A Smithy Cottage is marked.

Micro-history

Shillford Garage was a business located on Lochlibo Road.Shillford Garage
Retrieved : 2012-12-18 The unusual name 'Banklug' given to the nearby farm may refer to its being on the bank or 'lug' of the Thorter Burn. The old Cowdon Mill was located nearby on the Cowdon Burn.

References

;Notes Moffat, Lieutenant Commander John (2009), "I Sank the Bismark",Page 240. ;Sources # Pride, David (1910).''A History of the Parish of Neilston''. Paisley : Alexander Gardner.

Meaning of place-name

History

Cartographic evidence

Micro-history

References

See also