The Girvan Steeple is a steeple and the site of a former townhouse in

Girvan Girvan ( gd, Inbhir Gharbhain, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, ...

South Ayrshire South Ayrshire ( sco, Sooth Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir a Deas, ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. On 30 June 2 ...

, Scotland. Its popular name, "Stumpy Tower" or "Auld Stumpy", is derived from the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

''Olladh Stiom Paidh'', meaning "Great Circle of Justice". (The name of Knockcushan Street, upon which the tower sits, means "Hill r Knollof Justice".) It is a Category B

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

History

An earlier tower was erected on the corner of Knockcushan Street and Dalrymple Street in 1787. However, by the mid-1820s it was very dilapidated and on 14 January 1825, it was agreed by a meeting of the

burgess __NOTOC__ Burgess may refer to: People and fictional characters * Burgess (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Burgess (given name), a list of people Places * Burgess, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Burgess, Missouri, U ...

es to "rebuild the two houses on the Town's property adjoining the King's Arms and erect, another house on the front leading to the shore, and also a Gaol and Steeple adjoining the present market house to complete the square". The construction of the new townhouse and steeple, as well as the three new houses, was undertaken by local builders, Denham, Davidson and McWhinnie, at a cost £1,633 and was completed in 1827. The design involved a two-storey townhouse and adjacent four-stage steeple facing onto Knockcushan Street. The steeple was steeply battered and incorporated bands between the stages; it was surmounted by a smaller clock stage, an

octagon In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...

al belfy, a

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...

and a

weather vane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...

. Internally, the principal rooms in the townhouse were the prison on the ground floor and a meeting room for the burgh council on the first floor. The bell for the belfry was cast by Stephen Miller & Co 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 the clock was presented by

Sir John Hamilton-Dalrymple, 5th Baronet Sir John Hamilton-Dalrymple, 5th Baronet (2 December 1780 – 26 May 1835) was a Scottish politician and the MP for Haddington Burghs between 1805 and 1806. He was the second son of Sir Hew Dalrymple, 3rd Baronet, and the younger brother of Sir H ...

. The building was a prominent landmark, the tower being tall. The prison was inspected 1835 by the prisons inspector who reported that "a marked improvement in the peace of the town is said to have followed the building of this prison". In 1908, the townhouse demolished to make way for the McMaster Hall, of which construction began in 1909 and took two years to complete, before it opened on 17 August 1911. The McMaster Hall was a gift to the town from John McMaster, a local banker who came from Kirkoswald but who was residing in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

. The McMaster Hall was primarily a town hall, accommodating burgh council meetings and also serving as a dance hall. In 1939 the McMaster Hall was destroyed by fire, leaving only the tower still standing. The burgh council was subsequently based at 17 Dalrymple Street (now occupied by a

Bank of Scotland The Bank of Scotland plc (Scottish Gaelic: ''Banca na h-Alba'') is a commercial and clearing bank based in Scotland and is part of the Lloyds Banking Group, following the Bank of Scotland's implosion in 2008. The bank was established by th ...

Branch).

References

{{reflist Government buildings completed in 1827 Category B listed buildings in South Ayrshire Girvan City chambers and town halls in Scotland

History

See also

References