Highfield is a small village or hamlet in

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire (, ) is one of 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and s ...

, Parish of Dalry, Scotland. It is situated between the settlements of

Barkip Barkip, also known as The Den, is a hamlet in North Ayrshire, Scotland about southwest of Beith on the A737 road to Dalry. The earliest recorded name is 'Blairkip'.

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

A William Stewart of Hiefield is recorded in 1649. 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.Dalry History Group, Page 106 A part of the settlement on the B777 road to

Kilwinning Kilwinning (, ; ) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the banks of the River Garnock in Ayrshire, west/central Scotland, about southwest of Glasgow. Kilwinning's neighbours are the coastal towns of Stevenston to the west an ...

is known as the 'Creepies' or 'Little Acre.' Creepie is a Scots work for the hedge sparrow. The village had some miner's cottages at the 'Creepies', long since demolished. Southfield, once the name of the whole settlement of 374 inhabitants in the 19th century, 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. Pasturehill Farm no longer exists, however Pasturehill Cottages are present on the A737.

Cartographic evidence

In 1747 the settlement of Hie Field (sic) is marked on Roy's map. In 1775 a substantial property, Highfield, is shown on Armstrong's map. Thomson's map of 1832 shows Highfield and the dwelling of Pasturehill Farm is shown off the old road; the new turnpike is now present. The 1890 OS map refers to the settlement 'Southfield'. File:Highfield - The Creepies.JPG, The Creepies and the B777 running south File:Highfield and the Creepies.JPG, The Creepies as seen from the east File:Highfield Cottage.JPG, The old Highfield Cottage Inn File:Highfiled - old wash-house.JPG, The old wash-house near Southfield File:Highfield - rear of Southfield, etc.JPG, 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'.Dalry Remembered, Page 106 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

Notes

Sources

* Dalry History Group (1985). ''Dalry Remembered''. . * McMichael, George. ''Notes on the Way.'' Ayr : Hugh Henry.

External links

Video and commentary on Highfield HamletVideo and commentary on the industry and commerce of HighfieldVideo and commentary on excavations at the Highfield Lime Kiln.
{{authority control History of North Ayrshire Demolished buildings and structures in Scotland Villages in North Ayrshire