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East Ayrshire Image March 15, 2012
1. Shawhill House, Crookedholm
Photograph: 2009
Shawhill lies to the north of Hurlford on raised ground overlooking a meander in the River Irvine. The property has a westerly aspect with clear views of Crookedholm.
Shawhill House, owned by the Howie family, was the residence of John Howie (1833 - 1895), proprietor of the J & R Howie Hurlford Fireclay Works.
Howie's family owned much of the town of Hurlford, including Marchmont Place, Salisbury Place, Collier Row, Office Row, Chapel Cottages, Skerrington Row and Howie's Square.
In the mid 18th century there had been numerous small estates, with their isolated farmsteads, throughout the Irvine Valley. Agricultural improvement encouraged larger landholdings, so many of the farms fell into disuse. By 1820, many of these sites had groups of poor housing occupied by colliers.
With the uncertain financial situation around the American War of Independence (1775 - 83), many landholders with foreign interests found a need to dispose of their properties although few estates changed hand as often as Shawhill.
At this time, prior to the building of the turnpike road from Kilmarnock to Cummnock (with a new bridge at Hurlford) the road crossed the river Irvine at a ford below the Shaw estate.
John Carse acquired the estate in the 1790's and built the present house on the elevated site and named it Shawhill. The 1839 Statistical Account shows Colonel Clark as owner of the property and describes the house as "a modern and very neat building".