Cunninghamhead railway station

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Cunninghamhead
Cunninghamhead station looking north c.1930
Location
Place	Cunninghamhead
County	Ayrshire
Operations
Original company	Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
Pre-grouping company	Glasgow and South Western Railway
Platforms	2
History
4 April 1843	Opened
22 May 1848	Closed
November 1850	Reopened
1 September 1873	Renamed Cunninghamhead
1 January 1955	Closed permanently
Disused railway stations in Scotland
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D-F G H-J K-L M-O P-R S T-Z

Cunninghamhead railway station was a railway station serving the village of Cunninghamhead, North Ayrshire and the town of Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.

[edit] History

The station opened on 4 April 1843 as Stewarton (despite being several miles away from Stewarton itself), however closed on 22 May 1848. The station reopened again in November 1850, and was eventually renamed on 1 September 1873 to Cunninghamhead. The station closed permanently to passengers on 1 January 1955, although the line was still in use by freight trains until 1973.

[edit] Description

A good sized station building served Cunninghamhead, with two platforms and a signal box a short distance away. An unusual rectangular sandstone shelter or store was situated on the northbound platform. Maps and photographs of Cunninghamhead show a substantial goods shed and a small weigh house with extensive cattle docks and other sidings. A Stationmaster's house was also present. The 1860 map records the electric telegraph belonging to the railway, this being a novelty in those days. A single running line and some sidings were all that remained here at closure.

The station looking south c.1930

Very little remains today of the station site apart from the substantial cattle docks and the remains of a signal box. The nearby viaduct over the Annick is in excellent condition having been restored in 2005 / 2006. A footpath had run down from Cunninghamhead House to the station, reaching the road via an embankment in the field and passing through the fine sandstone wall which runs down from the bridge. The footpath 'gap' was closed in 2006 when this wall was rebuilt. The station was known locally as 'Kerr's Halt' in the 1940's as the two Kerr family sisters from Cunninghamhead House used this station frequently.

[edit] Additional information

Many of the Ayrshire or Cunninghame breed of cattle were sent from here to all parts of the United Kingdom and the British Empire beyond. The Ayrshire Cattle breed were even sent from nearby Wheatrig Farm to restock the Falkland Islands after the war with Argentina. A tragic accident is recorded in which an Elizabeth Kennedy lost both arms when she fell beneath a train here at sometime around 1885 to 1900. A dedicated horse drawn carriage service operated to carry passengers from Stewarton to the station for a number of years.

A view of Overtoun from the Capringstone Burn bridge, close to the old Overtoun Miner's Row and School.

A mineral line running from near the station passed Overtoun and running towards Southhook and Springside is shown in 1895, but is not present in the 1912 OS. A short branch seemingly to supply domestic coal to the Annick Lodge Estate is indicated in 1860, but this was not marked in 1912 or subsequently. Above the station was a cottage, called Standalane, lying on the left hand side of the old road to Springside, which is now closed as a new road has been made closer to Irvine for traffic safety reasons. The old sandstone parapet of the bridge overlooking the site of Cunninghamhead Railway Station has many niave carvings on it, made over the years by local children and pupils from the local school as they waited and watched the old steam and diesel trains going by.

Nearby a network of mineral railways linked the collieries at Annick Lodge, Perceton and elsewhere to the main railway network. Annick Colliery and the coal pit at East Wood linked directly to the G&SWR main line, the Annick Colliery lay near to the road to Holehouse Farm. Perceton Colliery, near Law Farm, linked directly to Irvine on the line from Busbie Junction at Crosshouse. A Fireclay Works was situated close to Springside where a coal pit was also located. Numerous old coal pits dot the area.

[edit] References

• Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford.