Ayr Central Conservation Area Character Appraisal - South Ayrshire ...

South Ayrshire Council 

October 2008 

CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISAL 

AYR CENTRAL

AYR CENTRAL CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISAL 

OCTOBER 2008 

Prepared by Nick Haynes & Associates for South Ayrshire Council 

Department of Development, Safety & Regulation 


Burns House 

Burns Statue Square 

AYR 

KA7 1UT 

www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk 

The production of this document is part-funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund under the 

Townscape Heritage Initiative Stage 2 Development Award for Ayr. 

Consultant Team 

Nick Haynes: buildings 

Fiona Jamieson: gardens & open spaces 

Euan Leitch: buildings 

Rob Robinson (Heritage Consulting): interpretation/awareness 

Vanessa Stephen: context and project co-ordination 

Simon Stronach (Headland Archaeology): archaeology 

© Text: South Ayrshire Council. 

© Mapping: Crown copyright. All mapping data is licensed to South Ayrshire Council from 

Ordnance Survey with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. 

All rights reserved. Licence number 100020765. 

© Images: copyright of Nick Haynes unless otherwise credited. 

Cover images: 

1. Detail of griffin, Town Buildings, New Bridge Street 

2. Aerial photograph, © South Ayrshire Council 

3. Detail of Miller’s Folly, Citadel 

4. Detail of post box and street sign, Bruce Crescent 

Frontispiece opposite: 

Sandgate looking North to the Town Buildings and New Bridge Street. 

PDF EDITION 

Part, section and sub-section headings are tagged in the index for navigation. Clicking 

on the coloured side-bars on each page returns the reader to the index. Hyperlinks to 

websites outside the document can be activated by clicking.

CONTENTS 

SUMMARY............................................................................................................... 4 

PART ONE – HISTORY, CHARACTER & APPEARANCE 

INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 7 

Conservation Areas............................................................................................... 7 

What does Conservation Area Status Mean?...................................................... 7 

Character Appraisals ............................................................................................ 7 

Designation............................................................................................................. 8 

Boundaries............................................................................................................. 8 

LOCATIONAL CONTEXT........................................................................................ 10 

Reasons for location............................................................................................. 11 

Regional context.................................................................................................... 11 

Geology................................................................................................................... 11 

Topography............................................................................................................. 11 

Important historic, social, economic and cultural associations....................... 12 

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY..................................................................................... 13 

Prehistoric.............................................................................................................. 13 

Mediaeval................................................................................................................ 13 

17th century............................................................................................................ 14 

18th Century........................................................................................................... 15 

19th Century (first half).......................................................................................... 16 

19th Century (second half).................................................................................... 18 

20th Century........................................................................................................... 19 

CHARACTER & APPEARANCE............................................................................. 20 

Setting..................................................................................................................... 20 

Street Pattern......................................................................................................... 22 

Buildings & Townscape: Archaeological Resources......................................... 25 

Buildings & Townscape: Principal Historic Buildings........................................ 28 

Buildings & Townscape: Other Buildings of Townscape Merit......................... 32 

Open Space............................................................................................................ 35 

Trees and Hedges.................................................................................................. 38 

Character Areas..................................................................................................... 39 

Character Areas: Sandgate................................................................................... 40 

Character Areas: High Street................................................................................ 46 

Character Areas: Wellington Square.................................................................... 51 

Character Areas: Citadel....................................................................................... 56 

Character Areas: Villa............................................................................................ 59 

2

PART TWO – MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 

MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND............................................................................ 62 

Assessment of Significance................................................................................. 62 

Planning Policies: General.................................................................................... 63 

Planning Policies: Conservation Area................................................................. 64 

Planning Policies: Supplementary Guidance...................................................... 65 

Planning Policies: Article 4 Directions and Advertisement Control ................ 66 

Planning Policies: Archaeology........................................................................... 66 

IDENTIFICATION OF MANAGEMENT ISSUES .................................................... 67 

Buildings At Risk................................................................................................... 67 

Sensitivity Analysis............................................................................................... 68 

Public Realm .......................................................................................................... 70 

MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES......................................................................... 72 

Development Opportunity Sites........................................................................... 72 

Planning Action...................................................................................................... 73 

Enhancement ............................................................................................................. 74 

PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INTERPRETATION................................................... 76 

Existing Provision.................................................................................................. 76 

Summary Of Key Issues........................................................................................ 80 

Suggested Projects .............................................................................................. 81 

PRIORITISED ACTION SUMMARY ....................................................................... 83 

PART THREE - BIBLIOGRAPHY & APPENDICES 

BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 86 

APPENDIX A: Archaeological resources............................................................. 87 

APPENDIX B: Listed Buildings............................................................................. 89 

APPENDIX C: Key Historic Buildings................................................................... 101 

APPENDIX D: Open Spaces.................................................................................. 104 

APPENDIX E: Summary of Local Plan Policies................................................... 124 

APPENDIX F: Potential Interpretation & Awareness Projects........................... 126 

APPENDIX G: Proposed Townscape Heritage Initiative Area Map.................... 134 

APPENDIX H: Suggested Boundary Amendments............................................. 135 

3

SUMMARY 

This document is organised in three parts. Part One outlines the history and development 

of Ayr, and describes the surviving historical features of the town. Part Two examines the 

management context of the Conservation Area including applicable planning policies and 

guidance, and presents suggested actions for future protection and enhancement. Part 

Three contains a select bibliography and appendices setting out further details of sites, 

policies and suggested actions. 

Summary of Part One: History, Character & Appearance 

The introductory section sets out the general statutory and policy framework of conservation 

areas, the implications for owners and occupiers, the purpose of Character Appraisals, 

and the specific background to the designation of the current boundaries of Ayr Central 

Conservation Area. 

The broader context of Ayr Town Centre is described, including: the strategic reasons for 

the location of the settlement; how the town relates to the surrounding region with regard 

to transport, administration, economy and education; the solid and sedimentary geological 

formation of the area; the raised beach topography of Ayr Bay; and significant cultural 

associations with figures such as William the Lion, William Wallace, Robert Bruce, Robert 

Burns and John Loudon MacAdam. 

The development history of Ayr shows that its strategic location at a confluence of trading 

routes and its natural harbour helped the settlement to flourish around two principal streets 

following the grant of a Royal Charter in 1205. The streets were planned and laid out 

to maximise the natural land formation to provide shelter for trading activities: the initial 

development of the Sandgate was susceptible to blown sand, perhaps leading to the unusual 

alignment and duplicate trading facilities in the High Street. Newton-on-Ayr also began its 

independent existence in the mediaeval period. 

The town evolved through a process of gradual expansion in the mediaeval period, followed 

by rapid expansion in planned residential developments and renewal of the centre in 

the late 18th and 19th centuries. The renewal was generally sensitive to the earlier land 

ownership patterns of long narrow ‘rigs’ and vennels set at right angles to the streets. A 

number of exceptional public buildings were constructed. The new residential areas fitted 

into and around the remains of Cromwell’s fortified hexagonal Citadel of 1652. 20th century 

developments were by and large less sensitive to the historic layouts. 

Having outlined the development history of the town, the Character Appraisal examines 

what survives in terms of archaeology, historic buildings, open spaces, and natural features. 

In summary, the Town Centre is rich in archaeological resources and historic buildings of 

national, regional and local interest. There are several open spaces of regional or higher 

interest, including the Auld Kirk Kirkyard, but the seaside location and urban nature of 

development militate against significant areas of planting. Within the overall Ayr Central 

Conservation Area, five smaller areas of distinctive character are identified: Sandgate; High 

Street, Wellington Square; Citadel; and the villa area. The characteristics of these areas, 

such as the spatial arrangement, principal buildings, building density and height, materials, 

and current usage, are described in detail. 

4

Summary of Part Two: Management Context 

The second part of the Character Appraisal sets out a brief assessment of the significance 

of Ayr Central Conservation Area in a national context, and outlines the current planning 

policies relevant to the preservation and enhancement of the area. 

The management of conservation areas involves a wide range of issues (planning, 

economic development, transport, street maintenance etc.) and people (local and national 

public authorities and agencies, voluntary and amenity bodies, businesses, and individuals 

etc.). The Appraisal attempts to identify particular issues that currently impact adversely 

on the condition or character of the Conservation Area, and to suggest possible means 

of improvement. 1–3 New Bridge Street is the only building included on the Scottish Civic 

Trust’s ‘Buildings at Risk Register’, but this is already recognised as a priority for repair in the 

recent bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a Townscape Heritage Initiative scheme. Other 

identified issues include the poor general level of basic building maintenance, weathering 

and erosion of stonework, and the loss of the mediaeval rig pattern in new developments. 

In managing the public realm it is desirable to retain any existing historic features, such as 

setted road surfaces and the distinctive cast-iron street signs. Future enhancement schemes 

could build on the success of recent high quality improvement schemes in Old Bridge Street 

and around Loudoun Hall. Several potential development sites including South Harbour Road, 

‘Affleck’s’ behind the Sandgate, and the corner site at the junction of the Sandgate and High 

Street, are highlighted as opportunities to enhance the Conservation Area. Other potential 

enhancements to the Conservation Area and its immediate surroundings are suggested: 

repair of the buildings at the south end of the New Bridge; appropriate redevelopment of the 

car parks on Boswell Park; replacement of the brick buildings fronting the river behind 12–16 

and 26–48 High Street; reinstatement of railings at Barns Terrace, Alloway Place and Miller 

Street; and environmental improvements to the riverside walk and South Harbour Street. 

Opportunities for the improvement of interpretation provision and awareness/educational 

activities to promote the understanding and enjoyment of the Conservation Area were 

considered. Whilst there are a number of tourist initiatives in place, a more co-ordinated 

and inclusive approach to the promotion of Ayr Town Centre’s cultural and built heritage 

is suggested through potential projects such as an official website and town trail, unified 

accessible signage, temporary movable exhibitions to maintain the appearance of vacant 

shopfronts, programmes of talks and community events, education packs, and new media 

information. 

As part of the Character Appraisal a review of the existing Ayr Central Conservation Area 

boundaries was undertaken. It is recommended that consideration is given to amending the 

boundaries to include key aspects of the town’s history, setting and character: Low Green, 

the Pavilion, Place de St Germain-en-Laye, the Esplanade and putting greens; the Twa’ 

Brigs and the approaches and viewpoints to the Town Centre from Newton/Wallacetown; a 

wider context for the Citadel walls to take in grassed amenity strips on the west and north 

and the former quays on South Harbour Street; the remaining historic parts of the Sandgate; 

later 19th century terraces in Dalblair Road; the Railway Station, Station Hotel and Burns 

Statue. 

5

© Washington Wilson Collection, University of Aberdeen. Licensor: www.scran.ac.uk. 

Sandgate looking north, circa 1880. Photograph by George Washington Wilson. 

© Carnegie Library, Ayr. 

View of the Auld Brig and Town Buildings, 1859. 

6

Ayr Central Conservation Area Character Appraisal 

Part One 

PART ONE – HISTORY, CHARACTER & APPEARANCE 

INTRODUCTION 

Conservation Areas 

Conservation areas are ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character of 

which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’, designated by planning authorities as required 

by Section 61 of the Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas)(Scotland) Act 1997. 

South Ayrshire Council currently has 21 designated conservation areas, varying in character 

from the urban centres and residential suburbs to rural villages 

What does Conservation Area Status Mean? 

The designation places a duty on planning authorities to draw up proposals from time to 

time for the preservation or enhancement of the area, to consider the effect of planning 

applications on the character or appearance of the area, and to apply special controls within 

the area. The conservation area controls relate to: 

• Demolition of buildings 

• Removal of, or work to, trees 

• Small house extensions, roof alterations, stone cleaning or painting of the exterior, 

provision of hard surfaces, and 

• Satellite dishes 

Further specific controls, known as ‘Article 4’ and ‘Control of Advertisements’ Directions, 

extend the requirement for planning permission for certain types of work in Ayr Central 

Conservation Area. Details of the Article 4 and Control of Advertisements Directions are set 

out on page 66. 

Character Appraisals 

Each conservation area has its own unique character and appearance. The purpose of a 

Character Appraisal is to identify the key elements that contribute to the special historic or 

architectural character of the area. Clear identification of these elements allows measures 

for their preservation or enhancement to be prioritised. 

It is intended that the history of development, townscape analysis and character assessment 

set out in the Character Appraisal will guide owners, occupiers, the planning authority, 

and other stakeholders in the ongoing management of the area. The Appraisal identifies 

opportunities and priorities for enhancement, and sets out the policy framework for the 

determination of development proposals. 

7

Part One 


This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s 

Stationery Office. Crown copyright and/or database right 2008. All rights reserved. Licence number 100020765. 

Ayr Central Conservation Area Boundary, August 2008. 

Designation 

The Ayr Central Conservation Area was originally designated in 1969. The boundaries were 

revised in 1976 and 1980. Article 4 Directions were approved on 22 March 1977 and revisions 

approved on 11 February 1982. A Control of Advertisements Direction was approved on 27 

April 1983. The conservation area was classified as ‘outstanding’ for the purposes of grantaid 

by the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland (former advisory body to the Secretary of 

State for Scotland and subsequently the Scottish Ministers) in 1978. 

This Character Appraisal includes recommendations for further amendment of the 

conservation area boundaries to include Low Green, High Green, a broader area around the 

Citadel, the South Quay, the Twa Brigs, part of Newton-on-Ayr/Wallacetown between the 

bridges, further properties on the Sandgate, part of Dalblair Road, the railway station, and 

part of Burns Statue Square. Further details are set out in Appendix H. These suggested 

amendments have not been adopted at the time of writing (August 2008). Separate public 

consultation will be undertaken before any boundary amendments are adopted formally by 

South Ayrshire Council. 

Boundaries 

The current boundary of the conservation area contains the medieval core of the town, the 

Citadel, and the villa areas as far south as Miller Road; there is substantial ‘exclusion zone’ 

within the area that takes account of the modern developments and gap sites at the back of 

the High Street around Carrick Street, Boswell Park and Dalblair Road. 

8


Part One 

Included: starting at the southern end of the New 

Bridge, and moving in a clockwise direction, the 

conservation area boundary runs as follows: along the 

south bank of the River Ayr to the south-east corner 

of the Parish Kirkyard; along the southern boundary 

of the Kirkyard, then south along the western side of 

Mill Wynd and behind the eastern side of Kyle Street; 

at Smith Street the boundary follows the building line 

along the northern side of the road and around the north 

side of Burns Statue Square; at the south-east end of 

Dablair Road the boundary runs behind the buildings 

fronting the west side of Burns Statute Square, then 

behind the south side of Miller Road (where it forms 

a mutual boundary with Ayr 2 Conservation Area); at 

Racecourse Road it runs north along the east side of the 

road, then along the northern boundary of the Fairfield 

Street properties to Low Green; the boundary follows 

the eastern edge of Low Green to Wellington Square, 

then westwards along the south side of Pavilion Road 

before heading north immediately behind the Council 

offices to Bath Place; from the south side of Bath Place 

the boundary runs along the rear of the properties on 

the west side of Queen’s Terrace to Cromwell Road 

and along the line of the Citadel Wall to Miller’s Folly; 

from Miller’s Folly the boundary runs along the south 

side of South Harbour Street back to the south end of 

the New Bridge. 

Excluded: starting at the north-east property boundary 

of 43 Sandgate, the boundary of the ‘excluded zone’ 

runs as follows: along the rear of the Newmarket 

Street and High Street rigs then behind 85–49 Dalblair 

Road; from there the boundary crosses to the south 

side of Dalblair Road and behind the properties on the 

west side of Dalblair Road and Homebriar House, to 

Fullarton Street; the boundary passes along the north 

side of Fullarton Street behind Holy Trinity Church and 

continues past the Bus Station to the east side of Fort 

Street; from the south-west corner of 54 Fort Street 

the boundary runs behind the properties at 100–60 

Sandgate before crossing to the east side of Sandgate 

at the Post Office, and back to 43 Sandgate. 

Southern boundary at Smith Street. 

Northern boundary at the Citadel. 

Part of excluded zone at Fullarton Street. 

County Buildings, included in the 

Conservation Area; Place de St 

Germain-en-Laye Gardens and Steven 

Fountain currently excluded. 

9

Part One 


LOCATIONAL CONTEXT 



Regional context map. 



Local context map. 

10


Part One 

Reasons for location 

The natural harbour at the mouth of the River Ayr and the fordable nature of the river 

immediately upstream were probably the principal reasons for the location of a town at Ayr. 

The fords across the river enabled the convergence of several land routes at this point: north 

from Irvine and Glasgow, north-east from Kilmarnock, east from Cumnock, south-east from 

Castle Douglas, and south-west from Girvan and Stranraer. 

Regional context 

Ayr is situated on the south west coast of Scotland on the Firth of Clyde at the mouth of the 

River Ayr with a population of 46,431 (census 2001). It is the administrative, business and 

judicial centre of South Ayrshire Council and serves a mainly rural hinterland from Dundonald 

in the north to Ballantrae in the south. It is identified in the National Planning Framework as 

part of a Core Investment Area with the towns of Kilmarnock and Irvine in the neighbouring 

Local Authorities. It is 35 miles south-south west of Glasgow and has strong economic and 

cultural links with the Glasgow City Region. The town is connected by rail and road (the 

A77) to Stranraer and Kilmarnock, the M77 to Glasgow and is a hub for the local bus service. 

Ayr’s close proximity to Glasgow Prestwick International Airport makes it a key gateway to 

Scotland, strengthened by the harbour links with Ireland and the Continent. Ayr is home to 

three institutions of further education; Ayr College; University of the West of Scotland, Ayr 

Campus; and the Scottish Agricultural College. 

Geology 

Ayr is situated within the relatively low-lying central part of Scotland between the Grampian 

Highlands and the Southern Uplands known as the Midland Valley. 

Defined in the north by the Highland Boundary Fault and in the south by the Southern Upland 

Fault the Midland Valley has the structure of an ancient rift valley. The floor of the Midland 

Valley comprises rocks of mainly Devonian and Carboniferous age of both sedimentary and 

igneous origin. 

Physiographically the Midland Valley is diverse and comprises areas of low-lying farmland 

and upland moor. 

Ayr is situated on the western edge of one of the largest lowland areas (below 180m) The 

solid geology is the sedimentary formation Westphalian (Coal Measures) that extends under 

the sea to the west. The drift geology is Pleistocene raised beach alluvium. 

Topography 

Ayr lies midpoint of a sweeping bay, characterised as a raised beach, which extends from 

Troon in the north to the Heads of Ayr in the south. The topography is typical of a raised 

beach being relatively level with a gentle fall from east to west. A distinctive aspect of the 

coastal scenery of South Ayrshire is the pronounced platform created by the raised beach 

and the dramatic cliff line of the Heads of Ayr. 

Ayr has grown up on the floodplain of the River Ayr, which flows across the raised beach 

from east to west dividing the town into northern and southern parts. To the east of the A79 

Bridge crossing the River Ayr flows within a natural valley that is in places deep where the 

erosive action of the river has worn down through the soft raised beach alluvium. East of 

the A79 Bridge crossing the river is channelled between walls that protect the town from 

flooding. 

The topography of the Conservation Area and the potential additions is typified as being 

relatively level with a gentle fall towards the coast. 

11

Part One 


Important historic, social, economic and cultural associations 

Established as a Royal Burgh in 1205 by William the Lion, Ayr is now best known for its 

connection with figures from history and as a county town that has provided leisure pursuits 

for the population of the Central Lowlands. Numerous stories link William Wallace and 

Robert Bruce to the town in the late 13th century. The 18th century poet Robert Burns (1759 

–1796) was born 2 miles to the south in the village of Alloway and received English and 

French lessons in a house on Sandgate. He immortalised the Auld Brig and the New Bridge 

in his poem The Briggs of Ayr (1786) and the town is now central to the annual ‘Burns an’ 

a’ That’ festival. The road engineer John Loudon MacAdam (1756–1836) who was born in 

Lady Cathcart’s House invented a method of road building using graded aggregates with a 

camber. When combined with tar in the mid 19th century the road surface became known 

as tar-macadam. 

Although having some amount of industry in the early 19th century the arrival of the railway 

in 1840 saw the town become favoured by the Victorian middle class as a holiday resort 

because of its beautiful setting on the coast within easy reach of Glasgow. This aspect of 

the town continued through the 20th century as many of the Victorian villas became hotels 

and Butlins opened a holiday camp to the south. Improved road links have ensured that Ayr 

remains a popular daytrip from Glasgow. 

There has been horse racing in Ayr since the 16th century, and a racecourse was laid out 

in 1770. Ayr Racecourse remains Scotland premier racecourse hosting the annual Scottish 

Grand National in April and the Ayr Gold Cup in September. The Ayr Flower show has been 

an annual summer event since 1960 and is the Scottish equivalent of the Chelsea Flower 

show. It is now held on the Rozelle Estate. 

Ayr is not a heavily industrialised town, but Ayr Harbour has been a busy port trading with 

Ireland and the Continent. It once had a significant fishing fleet and a busy shipbuilding yard. 

The harbour was a major exporter of coal when coalmining dominated the county, and some 

is still handled there today. In the early 21st century it remains a transport hub between road/ 

rail and sea. The harbour is a regular berth for the pleasure paddle steamship The Waverley 

and is home to Ayr Yacht Club. 

The economy of Ayr was built on its role as an administrative, business and judicial centre 

for South Ayrshire. Once a market town, it is now a regional shopping destination. 

William Wallace statue, 

Wallace Tower, 

High Street. 

Robert Burns statue, 

Burns Statue Square. 

12


Part One 

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY 

Prehistoric 

It is likely that the area now covered by the town was 

occupied in the prehistoric period. No in situ prehistoric 

remains have been recovered during excavations but 

several stray finds, such as a stone axe from Alloway 

Street and a fragment of cannel coal bangle from King 

Street in Newton, provide general evidence for activity. 

The title ‘Ayr’ is usually taken to be derived from a very 

early Indo-European word for river. 

Mediaeval 

William the Lion built a new castle at Ayr in 1197 and a 

royal burgh was founded shortly after. Presumably this 

increased the king’s control over an area that was very 

much part of Scotland’s western frontier. The castle 

provided protection to the natural harbour at the Ayr’s 

mouth. The Ayr could be forded immediately upriver 

from the harbour and this meant that several land routes 

converged here. The town was to develop into the 

west coast’s pre-eminent port and it was foreign trade, 

primarily with Ireland, that stimulated early growth. 

There may have been an existing settlement prior to the 

founding of the burgh and some excavations on High 

Street have uncovered 12th century pottery. It has been 

suggested that the earliest part of the town was located 

around Sandgate, but excavations have yet to find any 

firm evidence. The site of the original parish church of St 

John’s has been excavated and architectural fragments 

recovered suggest it too was built around the time of 

the castle. 

The town seems to have developed fairly rapidly with 

High Street becoming its main axis. Development 

presumably spread down from the junction with 

Sandgate and at least by the 14th century there were 

properties to the south of Carrick Street. Even further 

south recent excavations at Kyle Street found remains 

of a 13th to 14th century tannery. During this period 

documents record that a large proportion of exports 

from the town were hides. 

Reproduced by permission of the 

Trustees of the National Library of 

Scotland 

First pictogram of Ayr from 

Joan Blaeu’s 1654 Atlas (Kyle), probably 

based on late 16th century maps by 

Timothy Pont. The kirk, gateways and 

bridge are evident. 

© National Library of Scotland. Licensor 

www.scran.ac.uk. 

‘Auld Brig from the Black Bull, Newton’ 

by George Hutton, 1789, showing the old 

gatehouse. 



Scotland. 

St John’s Kirk, from John Slezer’s ‘The 

Prospect of the Town of Air from the 

East’ in ‘Theatrum Scotiae’, 1693. 

Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland. 

‘The Town of Aire, from ye House of Newtowne’ in John Slezer’s ‘Theatrum Scotiae, 1693. 

13

Part One 


It is not known whether these remains reflect that the 

burgh stretched this far south or whether this rather 

noxious industry was located just outside the town’s 

limits. Certainly later maps from the 17th century show 

the edge of the town to be further north, closer to Carrick 

Street. It may be the case that Ayr was bigger in the 

early mediaeval period, and contracted later because 

of a downturn in her economic fortunes. 

The town was embroiled in national events during 

the Wars of Independence and has strong historical 

associations with this period. In 1297 William Wallace 

burned the Barns of Ayr and the castle; the latter feat 

was repeated a year later by Robert the Bruce. It has 

been said that Wallace was held in the Tolbooth of Ayr 

prior to being taken to England. Following his coronation 

Robert I launched an invasion of Ireland from the town 

in 1315, after an assembly held in St John’s Church. 

Loudon Hall, Boat Vennel. 

Scotland’s oldest surviving merchant’s 

house, dating from circa 1513. 

17th century 

Several centuries later the town remained of sufficient 

strategic importance to be the location for a Cromwellian 

fort, along with Perth and Leith, one of three such in the 

south of Scotland. The construction of the fort involved 

the abandonment of the old parish church of St John, 

and the construction of a new parish church in 1654 

on the site of the Franciscan Friary between the High 

Street and the River Ayr. 

Auld Kirk, built in 1654 to replace St John’s 

Kirk, at that time occupied by Cromwell’s 

troops at the Citadel. 

Detail of datestone, Auld Kirk, 1654. 

© Krigsarkivet, Stockholm. 

‘Plan of the Town and Fort of Ayr’ by 

Hans Ewald Tessin, 1654. 

14


Part One 

18th Century 

Captain J Mackie, a traveller in 1723, described the 

‘town of Air which looks like a fine beauty in decay’. 

The collapse of trade with France during the wars, 

particularly the importation of wine, contributed to a 

decline in population to approximately two-thirds of its 

late 17th century level. 

The wine trade recovered from 1765, and other 

businesses, such as fishing, tobacco imports, coal 

exports, shoe-making, weaving and banking also 

helped to revive the town. 

The second half of the century was a time of relative 

prosperity, expansion and improvement for Ayr. Cross 

Street, now Newmarket Street, was formed within the 

boundaries of old rig plots to link the High Street and 

Sandgate in 1767. Fort Street was laid out in 1781. 

Robert Adam submitted proposals in 1785 for a grand 

scheme involving a remodelled Sandgate Tolbooth and 

the construction of a new bridge and streets lining both 

sides of the river. The New Bridge, based on Adam’s 

design, and the New Bridge Street link to Sandgate 

were built by Alexander Stevens in 1786. 

© The British Library. Licensor: www. 

scran.ac.uk. 

Plan of Ayr from William Roy’s Military 

Survey, 1747–55. 

© Carnegie Library, Ayr 

Engraving after Robert Adam’s 

unrealised scheme for a bridge and river 

front, circa 1785. 

© Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk. 

‘The New and Auld Brigs, Ayr’ by Henry Duguid, early 19th century. 

The watercolour shows: the first New Brig on an axis with the old High Tolbooth steeple in Sandgate; 

Alexander Stevens’ house to the left of the New Brig; the river before embankment; low gabled buildings 

fronting the river; the Laigh Tolbooth steeple in the High Street; and the Auld Brig. 

15

Part One 




Scotland. 

Andrew Armstrong’s Town Plan, 1775. 

19th Century (first half) 

The zeal for ‘improvement’ continued into the early 19th 

century with the demolition of the old tolbooths in the 

High Street and Sandgate, and the construction of new 

public buildings such as the Ayr Academy (1799), Ayr 

Library Society (1804), the Methodist Church (1813), 

the Theatre Royal (1815), Ayr New Church (1818), 

County Buildings (1812–22), Town Buildings (1828– 

30), and Wallace Tower (1831). 

At the same time, large parts of the Sandgate and High 

Street were remodelled or redeveloped, and large areas 

in Ayr Burgh, Newton and Wallacetown laid out for the 

construction of terraces: Fullarton Street (c1800), Barns 

Street (c1800), Alloway Place (c1800), Wellington 

Square (1808), Charlotte Street (1813), and Queen’s 

Terrace (c1845). 

Development of the town in the second half of the 

19th century was profoundly influenced by the opening 

of the Glasgow-Ayr line by the Glasgow, Paisley, 

Kilmarnock & Ayr Railway Co. in 1840. Whilst Ayr never 

became a major manufacturing centre, the arrival of the 

railway had a significant effect, boosting the harbour 

trade, enabling a wider range of industrial businesses, 

and establishing the town as a holiday resort. The 

new station of 1856 at Townhead, replacing the first 

terminus at Bridge Street in Newton, attracted a number 

of industries to the southern end of the High Street at 

Kyle Street. 

© Carnegie Library, Ayr. 

Design by Thomas Hamilton for the Town 

Buildings, 1827. 

16


Part One 


John Wood’s Town Plan, 1818. 


Ordnance Survey Town Plan, 1856. 

17

Part One 


In the commercial heart of the town, trading increasingly 

moved from carts, stalls and markets to shops, and 

many buildings were redeveloped or replaced. The 

single storey meal market in the High Street was 

replaced in 1853 by the current structure known as 

Winton Buildings. Opulent commercial premises were 

built for the Union Bank at 128–130 High Street in 1856, 

for the Royal Bank of Scotland at 39 Sandgate in 1857, 

and for the Commercial Bank at 34 Sandgate in 1863. 

19th Century (second half) 

Whilst new public structures were fewer in the second 

half of the century, significant works were undertaken 

and numerous buildings were renewed and extended. 

Following its collapse in 1877, the New Bridge was 

rebuilt and widened. Ayr Academy was also rebuilt in 

1880 and extended in 1907. The seaside Esplanade 

was begun in 1880. 

Private collection. Wallace Tower and 

High Street from the south-east, circa 

1895. James Valentine, photographer. 

The Ayr Burgh Acts of 1873 and 1885 allowed the 

widening of the High Street on the east side between 

the Union Bank and Mill Street and also at Kyle Street. 

This work allowed improved access to and from the 

dramatic new French Renaissance-style hotel and 

station of 1886 at Townhead. 

Residential development continued apace, particularly 

in the areas south of Miller Road (1852) now included 

within Ayr 2 Conservation Area. The Citadel lands, 

previously in low-density industrial use as a brewery, 

were sold to eccentric gunsmith John Miller in 1853, and 

slowly developed with a terrace and villas throughout 

the second half of the 19th century. 

Private collection. Sandgate, circa 1895. 

James Valentine, photographer. 

The end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th 

was a period of prosperity and confidence for much 

of Ayr Town Centre. The construction of the Carnegie 

Public Library in Newton in 1893 reflected the desire to 

spread the benefits of Ayr Burgh’s success to its less 

affluent suburbs. Although never completed externally, 

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Fullarton Street was 

a major addition to the ecclesiastical architecture of 

the town in 1898. The town was also well-served by 

Ayr-based architects such as James A Morris, James 

Kennedy Hunter, William Cowie, John & Henry Vincent 

Eaglesham, who expressed the civic confidence 

in bold red sandstone commercial and residential 

developments at the southern end of the core area. A 

tramway opened in 1901. 

© Dundee City Council, Central Library, 

Photographic Collection. Licensor www. 

scran.ac.uk. Photograph by Alexander 

Wilson of the High Street/Sandgate 

junction showing the tramway in 1903. 

18


Part One 

20th Century 

By the time of the First World War the urban form of 

Ayr Town Centre had reached the layout and density of 

development that is still recognisable today. 

The Inter-War years, the height of Ayr’s draw as a 

seaside resort, saw the replacement of some of the 

tenements at the northern end of the High Street with 

shops such as the former Woolworths (1933–35 and 

remodelled 1959), Burton’s (1936–37) and Marks & 

Spencer (1935) stores, and several developments 

including the former Glasgow Savings Bank at 67 High 

Street (1937), CKD Galbraith at Killoch Place (1936), 

the old fire station at 13 Sandgate (1929), the Odean 

Cinema (1937) at Burns Statue Square, the former 

Orient Cinema (1932) at Main Street, Newton, the 

extension of the County Buildings (1935), housing at 

Mill Street, and the seaside shelters. 

Private collection. Repairing the Auld 

Brig, 1910. A drypoint by Sir Muirhead 

Bone, who lived at Wellington Chambers, 

Alloway Place, in the late 19th century. 

Bone was the UK’s first official war artist 

in 1916. 

The architectural historian Colin McWilliam noted the 

town’s ‘strong urge to renewal and fragmentation’ in 

1975, a tendency that continued to the end of the 20th 

century, particularly in the area between the west side 

of the High Street and the east side of Fullarton Street/ 

Dalblair Road (now largely excluded from the Central 

Conservation Area). 

Other significant developments of the late 20th century 

within the Town Centre and Newton include: 105 

High Street (1964); demolition of the Tolbooth around 

Newton Steeple for a road scheme (1968); 147–149 

High Street (1968–69); redevelopment behind the 

façade of 168–170 High Street (1971–72); 145 High 

Street (1973); the Marks & Spencer store (1974, on 

the site of Ayr’s oldest townhouse); demolition of the 

quayside warehouses on South Harbour Street (1976); 

the Buttermarket development (BHS, 1984); Kyle 

Centre (1987); Clydesdale Bank, Alloway Street (1987). 

The most recent large-scale redevelopment is the Ayr 

Central shopping centre (2005–2008) in Kyle Street. 

© Crown copyright: RCAHMS. Licensor: 

www.rcahms.gov.uk. Newton Tolbooth 

before demolition of the surrounding 

Town House in 1968. 

© RCAHMS. Reproduced courtesy of 

J R Hume. Licensor: www.rcahms.gov.uk. 

South Harbour Street warehouses 

photographed by John Hume in 1966. 

The warehouses were damaged by fire 

and demolished in 1976. The site remains 

vacant. 

19

Part One 


CHARACTER & APPEARANCE 

Setting 

Long views to Ayr Town Centre 

The low-lying situation of Ayr beside the coast makes the town visible from long distances 

in the surrounding countryside, which rises gently inland, and on approaches to the town. 

The Town Buildings steeple is the most conspicuous element in the profile of the town from 

distances at least as far away as Troon (9 miles). 

Long views from Ayr Town Centre 

The most spectacular views from Ayr are the open coastal views from the vicinity of the 

Esplanade, which stretch round from Greenan and the Heads of Ayr in the south, out 

westwards to the rugged profile of Arran, and north to Bute. There are fine views across Low 

Green to Newark, Brown Carrick and Blacktop Hills. Otherwise long-distance views from 

ground level are largely constrained by surrounding development in other parts of Ayr. 

Short views to Ayr Town Centre 

There are fine views to Ayr Town Centre from the north bank and bridges/viaduct over the 

River Ayr. Key historic features in the views include the Town Buildings steeple, the bridges, 

the Auld Kirk, 1–17 (odd nos.) and 2–10 (even nos.) New Bridge Street, 1–13 (odd nos.) 

South Harbour Street, and Miller’s Folly/citadel walls. Negative features in these views 

include the backland buildings of 12–24 (even nos.) and 42–48 (even nos.) High Street, which 

present long unrelieved 1930s brick elevations to the riverfront. Although the architectural 

articulation of 66–90 (even nos.) High Street is more varied, the monolithic nature of these 

1970s buildings is at odds with the medieval rig pattern and diversity of buildings in this core 

area. 

Similarly there are good views to the Town Centre from the Esplanade. The continuous open 

ground of the citadel car park, putting greens, Place de St Germain-en-Laye Gardens, and 

Low Green allow a variety of viewpoints back into the Town Centre. Key historic elements 

in these views are the steeple, citadel walls, St John’s Tower, County Buildings and the 

Pavilion. 

Short views from Ayr Town Centre Conservation Area 

From South Harbour Road there are views along and across the River Ayr from the Port of 

Ayr to Newton and the New Brig. Whilst there are few historic features, apart from New Brig 

and the Borderline Theatre, the open aspect across the river is pleasant. 

From the south end of the Auld Brig there are good views of the other bridges and Newton/ 

Wallacetown. From the riverside walkway behind Marks & Spencer and BHS there are views 

of the Auld Brig, Turner’s Bridge, and the architecturally varied 1960s and 1970s Wallacetown 

developments, including the three monumental towerblocks (1969–70). 

Views within Ayr Town Centre Conservation Area 

Notable views within the Town Centre include: 

Up and down the Sandgate/New Bridge Street. 

Up and down the High Street. 

Along Kirkport to the Kirkyard Gateway. 

Along Boat Vennel to Loudoun Hall. 

To Miller’s Folly and the Citadel from the surrounding streets/paths. 

To St John’s Tower from surrounding streets. 

Across Wellington Square to the County Buildings. 

Views across the Auld and New brigs to Newton/Wallacetown. 

To Newton Tower from Main Street and King Street. 

To the back of the County Buildings across St Germain-en-Laye Gardens. 

Across Low Green to the Pavilion. 

20


Part One 



Long views to and from Ayr Central Conservation Area. 



Short views to/from and in/around Ayr Central Conservation Area. 

The noted views are indicative, not comprehensive; other viewpoints are possible. 

21

Part One 


Street Pattern 

KEY 

Earliest development 



Sketch plan showing the how the layout of the town might have appeared in the early 13th century at the time of 

the foundation of the Royal Burgh. Based on current Ordnance Survey mapping and plans drawn by Willam Dodd 

in his 1969 study of Ayr’s development. The Sandgate forms the main street with long narrow land holdings, 

or ‘rigs’, set out at right-angles. William the Lion built his castle in about 1197 and founded the burgh in 1205. 

KEY 


2nd phase 



Sketch plan showing the how the layout of the town might have appeared in the mid 13th century. The burgh 

grew rapidly in the space between the Sandgate and the River Ayr, forming the distinctive shape of what is now 

the High Street. The ‘Seagate’, modernday Boat Vennel, led to the Common Quay. The Blackfriars established 

a church and community on the outskirts of the burgh in 1230. The River Ayr was forded in four places and a 

timber bridge stood in the location of the existing Auld Brig. 

22


Part One 

KEY 


2nd phase 

Later mediaeval 

Citadel. 1652 



Sketch plan showing the approximate layout of the town in about 1660, based on current Ordnance Survey 

mapping, Tessin’s 1654 plan, and William Dodd’s 1969 plans. Apart from the Sandgate, High Street and Boat 

Vennel, today’s Academy Street, St John Street, Carrick Street, Mill Street, Kyle Street and Alloway Street were 

all developing. 

Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey Map of 1858 

overlaid with the coloured extent of Ayr in about 1660, showing the development of the town in the 18th and 

early 19th centuries (in black and white). The loose grid of streets to the south of the Citadel was laid out in the 

early 19th century. Newmarket Street linked the Sandgate and High Street in 1767. The first New Bridge was built 

in 1786. Development of the Citadel lands was to follow in the 1860s. 

23

Part One 


Street Pattern 

The earliest development of streets in Ayr is not known with any certainty. A plausible outline 

was proposed by William A Dodd in his 1972 essay ‘Ayr: a Study in Urban Development’. 

Dodd suggested that development of the pre-burghal settlement began with Sandgate, 

then the Doongate, as a broad and gated street axially aligned with the ford across the 

River Ayr (at the site of the current New Brig), and almost parallel to the sand dunes along 

the coast. The street sloped gently towards the river, but terminated a safe distance from 

the flood level. Buildings lined the street with vennels providing access to outbuildings and 

the long narrow rigs behind. Blown sand is known to have been a significant problem in 

the mediaeval period. The alignment parallel to the shore, with backlands in between, was 

presumably planned to provide a civic space protected from the wind and sand. In spite of 

this, the northern end of the street was eventually narrowed to prevent sand blown from this 

direction into the street. 

The early church, located adjacent to the surviving St John’s Tower, was some distance 

to the west, between the town and the dunes. The burgh was founded formally by William 

the Lion in 1205 in support of his new castle of 1197. Dodd speculated that the grant of a 

royal charter was the spur to creation of the upper end of the High Street where it joins the 

northern end of the Sandgate. The rig pattern suggests that it was planned to curve around 

the existing Sandgate rigs in the sheltered eastern area constrained by the river (possibly 

following an existing route to Galloway and Dumfries). 

The layout of Sandgate appears to have changed little in the following centuries, during which 

development activity was concentrated on the High Street. By 1230, when the Blackfriars 

acquired peripheral lands behind the east side of the High Street, development is thought to 

have reached the modern-day Carrick and Mill Streets. 250 years later, the High Street had 

extended southwards to the point where it now divides into Kyle and Alloway Streets. By the 

late 16th century development activity had returned to the Sandgate, which was extended 

southwards and a new tolbooth built. Following the Reformation in 1559 the Blackfriars’ 

lands were developed on the east side of Mill Street. All this early development followed a 

similar pattern of buildings constructed hard against the sides of the street with long narrow 

rigs stretching behind at right angles to the street. 

The town is shown at a similar extent in 1654 when Hans Ewald Tessin marked the street 

plan on his plan of the new citadel fortifications. It was not until the second half of the 18th 

century that new streets were planned and constructed. Newmarket Street was built in 1767, 

linking the Sandgate with the High Street. Its distinctive bend in the middle is the result of 

following the pattern of the mediaeval rigs. Other ancient routes, such as Harbour Street and 

Fort Street along the back of the Sandgate rigs, were formalised into streets. 

A small part of Robert Adam’s grand town plan was realised by Alexander Stevens in the 

creation of New Bridge Street and the New Brig in 1786–87. However, the rational largescale 

planning and building of streets and squares came relatively late to Ayr in the early 

1800s on ‘greenfield’ sites beside the ancient routes to the south and west of the historic 

core. These streets were built over a number of years by different developers on variouslyowned 

land, leading to the creation of a loose grid-pattern, rather than the formal geometric 

arrangements of Glasgow and Edinburgh or even the small scheme at Wallacetown. 

A formal plan was prepared for the citadel in 1799, but by the time building began in the 

1860s the prevailing fashion was for a more informal mixture of terraces and crescents. The 

new streets remained within the old boundaries of the Citadel, and what remained of the 

walls was incorporated into property boundaries. 

The Esplanade and sea-wall were built from the 1880s. The last major street to be constructed 

in the historic core was Boswell Park in 1907–08, built on the lands of the old Sandgate 

House and the Carrick Oval cycle track. 

24


Part One 

Buildings & Townscape: Archaeological Resources 



KEY 

Noted sites 

1. Laigh Tolbooth (site) 

2. Over Tolbooth (site) 

3. Hospital (site) 

4. Newton Tolbooth Tower 

5. Wallace Tower 

6. Loudoun Hall 

7. Lady Cathcart’s House 

8. Ayr Castle (site) 

9. Newton Castle (site) 

10. St John’s Tower 

11. Blackfriars (site) 

12. Auld Kirk/Greyfriars 

13. Newton Parish Church 

Please see Appendix A for further 

details of these sites. 

Excavated archaeological sites 

• 

A. Garden Street Excavation 

B. Kyle Street Excavation 

C. 167–169 High Street Excavation 

Cromwellian Citadel 

Upstanding outer wall 

Scheduled sections 

Former extent of outer wall 

Conservation Area 

Historic core (West of 

Scotland Archaeology 

Service action zone) 

25

Part One 


Compared to most Scottish towns a large amount of 

archaeological work has been undertaken within Ayr and 

Newton. Much of this was undertaken in the 1980s as 

part of the Ayr Rescue Archaeology Project, a publiclyfunded 

programme to excavate sites threatened by 

redevelopment. 

Since the introduction of planning policy guidance 

relating to archaeology in 1994 a variety of mostly smallscale 

work has been commissioned by developers in 

connection with planning applications. The locations 

of all excavations that have recorded archaeological 

remains are shown on the map on page 25. An 

assessment of the town’s archaeological resource was 

undertaken and reported in a Burgh Survey of 1977 and 

an update was produced in 1996. 

Loudoun Hall, Boat Vennel 

Above and below: 

Listed, but not scheduled, parts of 

the Citadel wall at Cromwell Road and 

Miller’s Folly respectively. The Citadel 

was designed in 1652 by Hans Ewald 

Tessin. Parts of the fortifications are 

no longer visible, but large sections of 

the walls survive on the western and 

northern sides. 

The results gathered from the Ayr Rescue Archaeology 

Project have been synthesised into a single, as yet 

unpublished, academic article (written by D Perry of 

SUAT Ltd). Summary results from more recent work are 

accessible digitally within local and national databases. 

Within Ayr mediaeval deposits have been shown to 

survive on South Harbour Street, Sandgate and along 

the length of High Street; even extending some way 

down Kyle Street. This information, as well as historic 

mapping and documentary evidence, can be used to 

define a historic core where archaeological deposits 

can be expected to survive if not previously removed 

by ground reduction for modern developments. The 

West of Scotland Archaeology Service (WoSAS) have 

defined this area for planning purposes and it is shown 

on the map on the previous page. The same is true of 

Newton, however far less archaeological work has been 

done here and our knowledge of how far the mediaeval 

town might have extended is less well developed. 

The potential for archaeological remains within any 

individual site will reflect the particular circumstances 

of that site, the most important factor being the scale 

of any modern development and associated clearance. 

The specific potential of individual sites can only be 

assessed on a case-by-case basis. 

26


Part One 

In terms of quality of remains the archaeological resource of Ayr should be defined as rich. 

In common with many coastal burghs the town was regularly inundated with windblown 

sand. Although a nuisance to the inhabitants this sand has buried and protected layers of 

archaeological remains. At 167–169 High Street, a depth of some 2.5 m of archaeological 

material was excavated. The types of remains recorded have been varied, for example 

burials from the former parish church, timber buildings near the harbour, and features 

relating to industrial processes. 

Further details of sites of particular archaeological interest and potential are set out in 

Appendix A. 

St John’s Tower, 15th century, the only above-ground remains of the Parish Kirk of St John the Baptist 

(founded circa 1200). Excavations in 1987 revealed foundations of parts of the older nave, south porch, and 

south transept. 

27

Part One 


Buildings & Townscape: Principal Historic Buildings 



KEY 


• 

Principal historic building 

Upstanding Citadel walls and gate 

28


Part One 

All the principal historic buildings in and around the 

town centre are protected from damaging changes by 

statutory listing. The listed buildings of Ayr Burgh were 

resurveyed by Historic Scotland in 1999. Nos. 8–10 

(even nos.) High Street, the Bus Station frontage to 

the Sandgate and the Provost Kennedy monument in 

Wellington Square Gardens are not currently listed, 

but possibly merit further assessment. Listed building 

consent is needed for most works to listed buildings. 

A summary of all listed buildings in Ayr Central 

Conservation Area is included at Appendix B. 

Note: an item can contain more than one 

building (e.g. a terrace of houses can be 

listed as one item). 

The principles of selection for statutory listing are 

primarily based on: 

• Age and rarity 

• Architectural interest 

• Close historical associations 

Listed buildings are categorised according to their 

national, regional, or local importance in the following 

categories: 

• Category A: buildings of national or international 

importance, either architectural of historic, or fine 

little-altered examples of some particular period 

style or building type; 

• Category B: buildings of regional or more than local 

importance, or major examples of some particular 

period, style or building type; 

• Category C(S): buildings of local importance, lesser 

examples of any period, style, or building type, 

as originally constructed or altered; and simple, 

traditional buildings which group well with others. 

Queen’s Court House, 

39 Sandgate (Category A). 

In addition, a system of group categories exists to 

highlight the contextual relationship that an individual 

listed building may possess in relation to others (e.g. 

a planned square). These are A and B Groups. They 

are in addition to the individual category. They serve to 

flag considerations of setting, function, design, planning 

and historic combinations where the individual value is 

enhanced by its association with others. 

Ayr Town Centre is particularly well endowed with a 

wide variety of historic buildings of all periods, including 

11 listed at Category A, denoting national significance. 

Parts of the Citadel walls are both scheduled (of national 

importance by definition) and listed. 

Holy Trinity Church, 

Fullarton Street (Category A). 

29

Part One 


It is not possible to describe the character and interest 

of all 268 listed items in the Town Centre Conservation 

Area in detail in this Appraisal, but some indication of 

their special qualities can be found in a number of key 

buildings. 

For the purposes of this Appraisal twenty-one key 

historic buildings are identified, either listed at Category 

A or those in Category B that have a significant individual 

impact on the Town Centre Conservation Area or its 

immediate surroundings. With the exception of Barns 

House, which is set in its own grounds and in private 

ownership, the key buildings are widely visible from 

public spaces and form important structural elements of 

the town’s layout, character and history. 

Lady Carthcart’s House, 

22 Sandgate (Category A). 

Three buildings survive from the mediaeval period: 

St John’s Tower (14th century); Auld Brig (1470 

onwards); and Loudoun Hall (1513 with 1534 north 

wing). Whilst these structures and their surrounding 

sites offer archaeological potential (as noted above), 

the structures are protected by listing at Category A 

rather than as Scheduled Monuments. All three are 

landmark structures in various views of the town centre. 

Several large 17th–century structures can also be found 

in Ayr. Parts of Lady Cathcart’s House, 22 Sandgate, 

are thought to date from the early 17th century. The 

construction of Cromwell’s massive Citadel (1652) 

had a profound effect on the development of the town, 

superseding William the Lion’s castle, displacing the 

town kirk, and influencing the layout and development 

of the area into the 19th century. The Auld Kirk along 

Auld Kirk Gateway, Kirkport, 1654 

(Category A). 

New Bridge (Category B). 

30


Part One 

with its gateway and kirkyard were built from 1654 to 

replace the secularised St John’s Kirk in the Citadel. 

The site is a green oasis in the town centre because 

initially it stood outside the burgh boundaries in the 

ownership of the Blackfriars; the Greyfriars built a 

church in the northern part of the site from 1472, and 

the burgh expanded around it. Although Newton Cross 

has been moved several times, the shaft is thought to 

date from 1675. 

The great age of civic improvement in Ayr began in the 

late 18th century with the construction of the first New 

Bridge (replaced on the same site in a similar style by the 

second New Bridge in 1877). 1–3 New Bridge Street 

formed part of the impressive new approach to the town 

from Newton. Newton’s own civic pride was expressed 

in reconstruction of its Tolbooth in 1795, including the 

tower that now survives on the King Street traffic island. 

The County Buildings of 1818–22 brought new urban 

sophistication to the planned suburb of Wellington 

Square. The apogee of civic building was reached in 

Thomas Hamilton’s Town Buildings of 1827 with its 

spectacular 64m steeple. Hamilton also designed the 

Tudor-Gothic Wallace Tower (1831–34) in the High 

Street and the former Ayrshire Bank (1832) opposite 

the Town Buildings in the Sandgate. 

If the late 18th century and early 19th century was the 

great period of civic improvement in Ayr, the mid and 

late 19th century was a time of commercial confidence 

and renewal. A number of banks built new premises, 

including the palazzo-style 39 Sandgate (1857) of the 

Royal Bank of Scotland by Edinburgh architects, Peddie 

& Kinnear. Much of the wealth was fuelled by newfound 

mobility and trading opportunities brought by the 

railway. The importance of the railway to Ayr, both for 

its trading links and its growing popularity as a holiday 

resort, is reflected in the grand hotel and station built in 

1886 for the Glasgow & South Western Railway by their 

Chief Engineer, Andrew Galloway. 

The spiritual and social well-being of the town was 

enhanced by the construction of John L Pearson’s 

magnificent Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (1898) in 

Fullarton Street, and by the Carnegie Library (1893) 

in Main Street, a design from the Glasgow architects 

Campbell Douglas & Morrison. The light-hearted 

holiday atmosphere of the Esplanade is captured in 

the white-harled landmark of the Pavilion, 1911 by 

James K Hunter – prominent in views to the southwestern 

side of the town. 

Town Buildings Steeple, designed by the 

Edinburgh architect Thomas Hamilton 

in 1827. Set in a low-lying position, the 

steeple was designed to ensure that 

the bells could be heard throughout the 

town. (Category A). 

31

Part One 


Buildings & Townscape: Other Buildings of Townscape Merit 



Buildings of townscape merit. 

KEY 

Individual buildings 

18th/19th–Century Terraces 

• 

Wellington Chambers, Fort St/Fullarton St 

Academy Street 

Ayr Academy, Fort Street 

Alloway Place 

Dansarena, Fort Street 

Barns Street 

Winton Buildings, High Street 

Barns Terrace 

75 High Street/2 Newmarket Street 

Charlotte Street 

Tam O’Shanter Inn, 230 High Street 

Dalblair Road* 

1–3 Alloway Street/3 Kyle Street 

Eglinton Terrace 

Borderline Theatre, Main Street* 

Miller Road 

Ayr Martyrs’ Free Church, George St* 

Queen’s Terrace 

Wellington Square 

Late 19th/early 20th century corner blocks 

• 

77–85 Dalblair Rd/54–62 Alloway St 

18 Smith Street 

48–52 Smith Street 

67–71 Sandgate* 

1–23 Burns Statue Square 

26–30 Fort Street 

2–6 Main Street* 

34–36 Main Street* 

Ayr Central Conservation Area 

* indicates outside current boundary of 


32


Part One 

Apart from the main architectural set pieces and buildings of historical interest, a number of 

other buildings are considered to make a significant contribution to the townscape or setting 

of the Ayr Central Conservation Area. These are either individual buildings that provide 

variety or structure to the street scene, or groups of buildings that have a combined impact. 

Omission from the following selection does not imply a lack of merit, rather that there is not 

space to describe every building of interest, and that the selected buildings appear to have a 

particular presence. Buildings visible from, or on the approaches to, the Conservation Area 

are also mentioned. 

Wellington Chambers, 62–74 (Even Nos) Fort St and 2–10 (Even Nos) Fullarton St 

Designed in 1895 by H V Eaglesham, this large red sandstone block of tenements is a 

significant presence opposite the southern end of the Sandgate. 

Early and mid 19th–century terraces 

A number of fine unified terraces of houses contribute to the character of the inner suburbs 

of Ayr. Notable examples include: Fullarton Street (c1800), Barns Street (c1800), Alloway 

Place (c 1800), Wellington Square (1808), Charlotte Street (1813), Queen’s Terrace (c1845), 

Barns Terrace (1845–60), Eglinton Terrace (1860s), Miller Road (1860s), Dalblair Road 

(1880). 

Late 19th/early 20th–century corner blocks 

Ayr possesses a number of high quality tenement and shop blocks that articulate the street 

junctions with a variety of gables, towers and domes, particularly at the south end of the town 

centre. Valuable examples include: 77–85 (Odd Nos) Dalblair Road and 54–62 (Even Nos) 

Alloway Street (1896, J K Hunter); 18 Smith Street (1897); 48–52 (even nos.) Smith Street 

(circa 1895); 67–71 (Odd Nos.) Sandgate (1911, J R Johnstone); and the curving group at 

1–23 (odd nos.) Burns Statue Square (Nos. 1–7, James A Morris, 1901; Nos. 9–15, William 

Cowie, 1900; Nos. 17–23, J & HV Eaglesham, 1894). Unlisted blocks of lesser impact are: 

2–6 (even nos.) Main Street; 34–36 (even nos.) Main Street; 26–30 (even nos.) Fort Street. 

Ayr Academy, Fort Street 

With its imposing classical frontage of 1880 by Clarke & Bell, Ayr Academy dominates the 

northern end of Fort Street. To the side is a large art school extension of 1907 by James A 

Morris, with expansive north-facing windows overlooking the River Ayr. 

48–52 Smith Street. 

33

Part One 


Dansarena, Fort Street 

Temple-fronted relief church for the Auld Parish Kirk, 

designed by David Hamilton in 1807–10. 

Tam O’Shanter Inn, 230 High Street 

The last of the thatched cottages to survive at the south 

end of the High Street. Photographs from the second 

half of the 19th century show that this section of the 

High Street was once principally composed of this type 

of vernacular dwelling. The name of the inn is thought 

to have been adopted by an enterprising publican, John 

Glass, in the 1840s, cashing in on the success of Burns’ 

poem, rather being the genuine setting of the poem. 

Borderline Theatre, Main Street. 

Borderline Theatre, Main Street 

Built as the Darlington Place Church by Clarke & Bell 

in 1860. Converted to a theatre in 1986, the building 

stands on a prominent site at the east end of New Brig, 

and encloses the northern end of River Street where it 

meets Main Street. 

Winton Buildings, High Street 

1844 replacement for the old meal market. The site in 

the middle of the High Street was occupied at an early 

date by the Laigh Tolbooth. Originally part of the High 

Street, the area behind was named as Hope Street from 

about 1855. At that time it had a bad reputation as a 

thieves’ den. It is still commonly known as the ‘Back of 

the Isle’. 

75 High Street. 

75 High Street and 2 Newmarket Street 

A Baronial tenement and shops of 1886 by Allan 

Stevenson, notable for its lively profile and 1810 statue 

of William Wallace (who was reputed to have been 

imprisoned in the Laigh Tolbooth, which once stood 

nearby). 

The West Kirk Bar, Sandgate 

Although not of the highest level of architectural 

sophistication, the former Free Kirk of 1845 by William 

Gale makes a decent contribution to the variety of 

building styles and types in the Sandgate. 

Ayr Martyrs Free Church, George Street 

Constructed in 1832 as the first Reformed Presbyterian 

Church, or Covenanting Church, in Ayr. The restrained 

classical temple front groups well with the adjacent 

contemporary terrace. 

West Kirk Bar, Sandgate. 

34


Part One 

Open Space 



KEY 

Open Space 

1. New Bridge Street 

2. Fish Market 

3. High Street 


5. Miller’s Folly 

6. Ailsa Place 

7. Miller Road 

8. Barns Park 


10. Wellington Square 

11. Fort Tennis Courts 

12. Ayr Bowling Green 

13. Auld Kirk 

14. Alloway Park Field* 

15. Barns Terrace 

16. South Harbour Street* 

17. Seabank Road* 

18. Citadel Wall North* 

19. Citadel Wall West* 

20. Newton Cross* 

21. King Street* 

22. Miniature Golf* 

23. Putting Green* 

24. Place de St Germain-en-Laye* 

25. Low Green* 

26. Burns Statue Square* 

27. Ramsay Garden* 

River Ayr/Firth of Clyde* 


Ayr 2 Conservation Area 

* indicates outside current Conservation Area boundary 

35

Part One 


The town is characterised by a largely commercial 

centre with little public or private amenity open 

space in and around Sandgate and High Street, from 

which former rigs and gardens to the rear have been 

progressively lost to development over the past 300 

years. On the once pastoral burgh fringes, the two 

mediaeval monastic foundations beside the River Ayr 

were similarly displaced as the old town expanded 

under fluctuating political and economic conditions. 

© Fiona Jamieson. Public space beside 

Winton Buildings, Hope Street/High 

Street. ‘Poet & Scholar’ bronze sculpture 

by Douglas Cocker, 1995. 

The 20th century saw Carrick oval, a 19th–century 

cycling track formerly in the vicinity of Boswell Park, 

decay and disappear under a new street layout 

(Newspaper Cutting, 1907, Carnegie Library, Ayr), while 

the small John Welch garden, restored in the 1930s 

(Ayrshire Post, June 10, 1932), was later overwhelmed 

by Littlewoods in the High Street. Welch was one 

of Ayr’s first Protestant ministers and a son-in-law of 

John Knox. His garden was revered as ‘one of the 

most sacred and historic spaces in Ayr’ (Close, p.36, 

2005). This and the ample grounds of Dalblair House, a 

fine neo-classical mansion, later a hotel, on the corner 

of Alloway Street and Dalblair Road were lost to late 

1960s–80s commercial developments. 

As the conservation movement gathered strength, 

Loudoun Hall, on the north side of Sandgate, became a 

cause celèbre. Here, an open forecourt was reclaimed 

in the 1970s, otherwise few spaces now survive tucked 

in behind main-street frontages. 



Scotland. Dalblair House gardens, 

Ordnance Survey town Plan, 1856. 

From the crowded High Street/Sandgate, lesser streets 

and vennels feed west and south into the more open, 

tranquil domestic terraces and villa areas displaying 

small street-front plots and long gardens behind, 

© Fiona Jamieson. Wellington Square Gardens. 

36


Part One 

serviced from a rear lane or mews. Such streets or lanes find their way directly or indirectly 

into wide expansive public open spaces—Esplanade, Low Green and Wellington Square. 

Smaller green areas are interspersed, e.g., St John’s Tower grounds and the adjacent tennis 

courts, Ayr Bowling Club in Cassillis Street/Bath Place, supported by simple roadside strips 

of amenity grassland or planting too narrow to be developed. 

These residential 19th–century suburbs to Ayr’s old heartland have spread over former 

common ground or the private policies of a few large mansions, e.g. Barns House, a once 

considerable estate on the south side of the town (an earlier house of c.1690 is preserved 

in the low side wing), or lie within the abandoned defensive walls of the former 17th–century 

Citadel. 

East and north-east of the High Street, the town’s natural expansion was impeded by 

the river where the banks were formerly occupied by fishing or harbour-related activities, 

warehousing or noxious industries. These have been superseded by residential or shopping 

units. 

A few ancient lanes still lead to the riverside and to the four bridges. The fine structures 

allowed the town to escape its bounds northwards, connecting it with the former separate 

Barony burgh of Newtown, with Wallacetown and districts much further afield. 

A key, longstanding green space alongside the river today and integrated into a 20th–century 

riverside walk is the mid 17th–century Auld Kirk and graveyard. This overlays the site of the 

earlier, medieval Franciscan monastery. A tree-lined grassy bank and children’s playground 

to the south, between Turner’s bridge and the railway viaduct, is outwith the Conservation 

Area, but also contributes to the amenity of this stretch of the river. 

The river, a prominent water feature, inadvertently functions as one of the town’s open 

spaces, providing fresh air and calm from the congestion and bustle of the busy centre. The 

riverside walk, an underused asset, interacts with its wider setting, now largely contained by 

modern housing developments on the north-east bank. A walk was formed on the south bank, 

just outwith the Conservation Area, in 1910 (Strawhorn, p.213, 1989), then later extended 

down to the Auld Brig. The seaside ‘partner’ to the west, the Esplanade promenade, has no 

confinement, It offers uninterrupted expansive views over the wide crescent-shaped bay 

with the sea stretching to the horizon. Both waterways are important wildlife corridors. 

© Fiona Jamieson. Auld Kirk Kirkyard. 

37

Part One 


© Fiona Jamieson. 

Trees at Barns House. 

© Fiona Jamieson. Barns Terrace. 

© Fiona Jamieson. Hedges at Park 

Terrace. 

Place de St Germain-en-Laye Gardens. 

Further details and analysis of individual sites are set 

out in Appendix D. The sites are considered under the 

following types: public real open space; public amenity 

verges or strips; public parks; recreational grounds (public 

and private); other public spaces; and private open space. 

Further details and analysis of individual sites are set 

out in Appendix D. The sites are considered under the 

following types: public real open space; public amenity 

verges or strips; public parks; recreational grounds (public 

and private); other public spaces; and private open space. 

Trees and Hedges 

The Conservation Area is not heavily planted with trees 

due to the proximity of public spaces to the sea front, the 

sandy soil conditions and the limited size of many private 

gardens. Most surviving tree planting was undertaken in 

the 19th or 20th century, in sheltered locations, and is 

to be found mainly in the more ample Victorian terraces 

or villa gardens. Barns House has a good collection of 

beech, lime, sycamore, ash, Portugal laurel, holly and 

other specimens. Planting around the Auld Kirk includes 

pine, horse chestnut sweet chestnut, variegated holly as 

well as the more common sycamore. Other notable tree 

groups are around Fort Tennis Courts, St John’s Tower 

and in front of Barns Terrace. Park Terrace, Miller Road, 

Barns Park and Crescent shelter various backland and 

roadside trees. Behind the Edwardian tenements and 

triangle of Alloway Place/Fullarton Street/Barns Street a 

few surprisingly mature trees can still be found. Likewise 

on the south side of the former Cathcart Church in Fort 

Street (now Dansarena) and on the corner of Bruce 

Crescent and Citadel Place. In more sterile locations, 

e.g. Dalblair Road or around the edge of municipal car 

parks trees have been planted by the Council. Sycamores 

thrive best in the Conservation Area, but lime appears to 

cope well in the High Street. Dutch elm disease has been 

problematic, with losses in Alloway Place and Miller Road 

(information courtesy of Fiona Ross). Trees in Burns 

Statue Square are now planted in a different location from 

their historic predecessors. A few fruit trees are tucked 

away in private gardens. 

Where railings were removed for the War effort these 

have sometimes been replaced by hedges behind the 

low walling. However, this is not a strong feature of 

the Conservation Area. Many copes were simply left 

unadorned and gardens ‘undefended’. Significant hedging 

is found is Park Terrace where a fine stretch of privet 

neatly supports the original surviving, decorative cast-iron 

gateways. A short section of thorn and privet flanks the 

tennis pavilion in Montgomery Terrace. Privet surrounds 

Wellington Square and the sunken Rose Garden in Place 

St Germain-en-Laye, much needed protection for these 

public parks following removal of the original railings 

during World War II. A long section of hedge defines the 

high part of Low Green alongside County Buildings and 

shelters a simple bedding scheme here. 

38


Part One 

Character Areas 



Character Areas. 

KEY 

Character Areas 


Sandgate 

High Street 

Wellington Square 

Citadel 

Villa Area 

Within the current conservation area boundary there are five zones that exhibit their own 

distinctive characteristics in terms of development history, layout, scale and density, and 

architectural style and detailing: Sandgate; High Street; Wellington Square; Citadel; and the 

southern villa area. These areas are shown on the map above, and described by area below. 

39

Part One 


Character Areas: Sandgate 



Sandgate Character Area 

Sandgate Character Area 

The identified ‘Sandgate’ area covers probably the earliest developed area of the town, 

including Sandgate itself, the old rig lands running off the street at right angles, Fort Street 

(the western boundary of the Sandgate rigs), and the lands between Fort Street and the line 

of the 17th century Citadel walls. 

William the Lion’s royal castle, to which the early town was closely linked, stood in the northeastern 

part of the ‘Citadel’ area immediately adjoining ‘Sandgate’. 

40


Part One 

East side of Sandgate, from the corner of Newmarket Street to New Bridge Street. 

Spatial Analysis 

Sandgate follows an axis east-northeast to south-southwest from the New Bridge crossing of 

the River Ayr, rising gently to a level at its broadest between 39 and 24 Sandgate. Both sides 

follow a continuous building line abutting the footway. Particularly on the western side of 

New Bridge Street and Sandgate, the buildings behind the main street are arranged in long 

narrow strips equating to the ancient pattern of rigs. Almost all the street frontages appear 

to relate to the rig widths, either as single or combined units. New Bridge Street is narrow, 

becoming broader where it joins Sandgate at the point where the Over Tolbooth once stood. 

Fort Street runs broadly parallel along the back of the old Sandgate rigs, running away from 

the river but curving to meet the south end of Sandgate. Many buildings abut the footway, 

apart from those at the north end, which are set back to varying distances. South Harbour 

Street runs parallel to the river with buildings primarily on the south side. With the exception 

of the old lifeboat station, it has an open north aspect to the River Ayr. 

The cross streets of Academy Street and Cathcart Street are narrow, with buildings abutting 

the footway. St John Street is narrow and enclosed by tall rubble walls. Street openings are 

narrow, apart from the opening to High Street, which is very broad with a landscaped area. 

Boat Vennel is narrow at its junction with New Bridge Street but opens into a landscaped 

enclosed courtyard. There are one or two very narrow vennels, one adjacent to the Town 

Buildings, one between 41 and 43 Sandgate, another between 6 and 8 Sandgate and one 

arched pend at 1–3 New Bridge Street. 

Architecture 

The architecture of Sandgate and its environs consists of predominantly 19th century 3– 

storey classical tenements and contains Ayr’s most spectacular and historic buildings on its 

mediaeval street pattern. Much of the 19th century redevelopment of Sandgate appears to 

have aimed to regularise the frontages in terms of height and the arrangement of window 

openings. It is very possible that much earlier fabric survives behind the 19th century 

frontages, as was discovered during the archaeological analysis of Lady Cathcart’s House 

41

Part One 


at 22 Sandgate in 1988. The pared classicism is interspersed with former banks and public 

buildings competing in Greek Revival, Italian Renaissance, Scottish Baronial and Edwardian 

Baroque. The buildings remain commercial premises on the ground floor with the upper 

storeys residential. 

The most significant building in Ayr is undoubtedly the category A–listed neoclassical Town 

Buildings (1827–32), 21–29 New Bridge Street, by Thomas Hamilton. The 225–foot obelisk 

steeple that rises from an octagonal belfry guarded by torch-bearing gryphons sitting on a 

swagged base provides a landmark par excellence. 

The earliest buildings that remain in the area are the 2–storey, L–plan Loudoun Hall (circa 

1513), Boat Vennel, and Lady Cathcart’s House (circa 1600), 22 Sandgate, a 3–storey 

townhouse, both of which have been much restored in the late 20th century and are category 

A–listed. Loudon Hall is a rare and outstanding example of a 16th century townhouse built 

for a wealthy burgess, and the quality of restoration in the 20th century by the Marquess of 

Bute and the architect Robert Hurd adds to its importance. 

The decorative double-bowed river facade of nos. 1–3 New Bridge Street (1787), with the 

pared classicism of no. 2 across the street, presents an elegant Georgian gateway to the 

town centre on the approach across the New Bridge from Newton. The category A–listed 

building was designed by the architect Alexander Stevens to compliment his design of the 

first New Bridge of 1786–8, and the fine detailing set the bar high for the later redevelopment 

on Sandgate. The fenestrated quadrant corners of 10 and 12 New Bridge Street frame 

Boat Vennel attractively. 

The Sandgate area contains four buildings constructed for banks in the 19th century, the 

most notable being the category A–listed 34 New Bridge Street (1832) for the Ayrshire Bank, 

by Thomas Hamilton, in bold Greek Revival featuring an Ionic colonnade over channelled 

ashlar on the ground floor. Two other former banks are excellent examples of commercial 

Italian Renaissance palazzos, at 39 Sandgate (1857) and 34 Sandgate (1863), category A– 

and B–listed respectively. Both have finely sculpted stonework. The baronial 24 Sandgate 

(1877) has crow-stepped gables and was built for the Bank of Scotland. 

34 New Bridge Street, built for the Ayrshire Bank by 

Thomas Hamilton in 1832. 

39 Sandgate, built for the Royal Bank of Scotland by 

Peddie & Kinnear in 1857. 

42


Part One 

Ayr Academy, Fort Street. Re-built on the site in 1880 by Clarke and Bell. 

Amidst the restrained classical tenements, the B–listed 33–35 & 37 Sandgate are notable 

for their greater use of classical reference. The sequence of 5 round-headed windows on 

nos. 33–35 and the Venetian windows on no. 37 offer pleasing variety to the street, the latter 

painted a deep red in contrast to the prevailing off-white. 27–29 Sandgate shares their 

greater decoration and is markedly taller. 

The terrace of 8–20 Sandgate follows irregular plot widths in a variety of 1–, 2– and 3–bay 

tenements. 14 Sandgate is notable, being a single bay and lower than its neighbours, with 

a tripartite, pedimented first floor window. Although all are 19th century buildings, the variety 

in feu widths suggests that they follow the pattern of the mediaeval burgage plots. 

The building line steps into the street significantly at the B–listed, crow-stepped 41 Sandgate 

former County Club (1873) and stables, no doubt maintaining the narrowing of the street 

to prevent the ingress of sand from the dunes as recorded in 1425. The stables form a 

pleasant sequence of courtyards that lead on to Newmarket Street. The B–listed former 

Post Office at 43 Sandgate (outside the current conservation area) stands out with its crowstepped 

gable, the conical tower in the re-entrant corner narrowing the street further. 

The southern part of Sandgate is more workaday with a much altered late 19th–century 2– 

storey dropping to 1–storey terrace forming the west side, broken by the pedimented church 

hall at 54 Sandgate and the striking former Sandgate Church (1845), an early exercise in 

Norman Gothic Revival (B–listed). The east side of lower Sandgate has seen the Georgian 

Sandgate House that stood on the corner of Boswell Park replaced with the unremarkable 

post-war General Post Office. The Edwardian Baroque of the former Liberal Club at 67–71 

Sandgate (1911) provides a robust anchor to the corner with Fullarton Street. The adjacent 

single storey Bus Station offers a sedate conclusion to Sandgate, with its regular 11–bay 

elevation of nine round-headed windows and entrances. 

The town has provided a school since 1233 and it has been on Fort Street since the late 18th 

century. Ayr Academy (1880) continues the tradition and this Grecian building represents 

the teaching of Art, Science & Literature with medallions of Sir David Wilkie, James Watt and 

Robert Burns above the entrance. The Mackintosh-inspired Art and Science Department 

43

Part One 


Dansarena, Fort Street, 1807–10. 

Cathcart Street Relief Church, 1816. 

Doorpiece, 20 Cathcart Street. 

(1907), by local architect James A Morris, is a prominent 

contribution to the skyline when viewed from Newtonon-Ayr. 

Neighbour to the school is Dansarena (1807– 

10), formerly the Cathcart Church and built when the 

congregation of Ayr Auld Kirk exceeded its capacity. 

The Art Nouveau arched gateway is an attractive 

addition to the street. The Victorian tenements are 

simply detailed and the domed corner of 26 Fort Street 

is a pleasing contribution to the streetscape. There 

are some B–listed examples of early 19th–century 

townhouses at 47–49 Fort Street (1824) and 52–54 

Fort Street and Ayr Baptist Church (1817), formerly 

the Theatre Royal, at 51 Fort Street is a local landmark 

on the square where Fort Street and Sandgate meet. 

10–22 Academy Street (1780) is a fine terrace of 

tenements with corniced doorpieces denoting it as 

a fashionable late 18th–century address. In a row of 

townhouses 5 Cathcart Street (early–19th century) is 

notable for a cavetto splayed doorpiece, a recurring 

and attractive motif of Georgian and early Victorian 

Ayr. Cathcart Street Relief Church (1816) has been 

converted into residential use and St Columba Church 

is of interest as a restrained piece of Art Deco with a 

geometric frieze over three long windows. The arched 

windows of the triple-bayed 6 Cathcart Street (1890) 

are unusual in the area, the building having been 

coachworks. 

South Harbour Street is predominantly composed of 

early 19th–century tenements facing the river with 1–5 

being B–listed and notable for its pedimented doorpiece 

and tripartite windows. 9–13 South Harbour Street has 

a distinctive 1–storey section with bows separated by 

pilasters and is also B–listed. The single storey building 

that sits on the quay (The Waterside Bar, formerly the 

lifeboat station) offers a positive contribution to the 

street and the gable-hooded pulleys of 37–49 South 

Harbour Street are a good relic of warehousing from 

the street’s industrial past. The B–listed Miller’s Folly 

is a mid 19th–century bartizan added to the Citadel wall 

that terminates the street. 

Materials 

The Old Customs House, 2 Fort Street, 

c1810. 

Sandstone is the main material employed in the 

construction of the buildings on Sandgate, although 

much of it is ashlar hidden beneath a layer of off-white 

paint (e.g. 1–3 New Bridge Street). Window surrounds 

are commonly painted a darker colour. Those that 

remain unpainted are in pale sandstone, with the notable 

exceptions in red (27–29, 43 & 56–58 Sandgate; Bus 

Station; and 26–36 Fort Street). The surface treatments 

include rubble (41 Sandgate), coursed, squared (37 

Sandgate), stugged (23 Sandgate), snecked, bull-faced 

44


Part One 

(no. 43 Sandgate), ashlar (Town Buildings; 13, 24 & 56 Sandgate) and polished ashlar (34 

New Bridge Street; 27–29, 39, 67–71 & 58 Sandgate). A number are painted render or harl 

and only Lady Cathcart’s House is a lime wash render, the use of which possibly reflects a 

shift in conservation practice from that evidenced by the exposed rubble of Loudoun Hall. 

There is one building with brick upper storeys at 3 Academy Street and the sides and rear 

of most buildings are of rubble sandstone, occasionally harled apart from the red brick side 

elevation of 56–58 Sandgate. 

The majority of buildings have original timber sash and case windows in a variety of 

configurations crown, cylinder or plate glass. New Bridge Street retains a 6-over-6 pattern 

but Sandgate employs a greater variety with only the 20th century windows having horn 

details (e.g. 16–18 New Bridge Street; 13 and 54 Sandgate). Leaded and stained glass are 

to be found on the ecclesiastical buildings. The Bridges Bar retains patterned etched glass. 

The shopfronts predominantly have simple display windows with modern, plate glass in 

timber or aluminium frames. 33 Sandgate has particularly attractive traditional multi-paned 

upper sections. Most are beneath a continuous cornice and some New Bridge Street 

shopfronts are divided by fluted pilasters. 1–3 Sandgate has Ionic pilasters between the 

bays. Most finishes are ashlar, painted stone or timber. Traditional doors are 2–leaf to 

shops and panelled doors to tenement stair entrances with rectilinear fanlights over. 

The pitched roofs retain their grey Scottish slate with diminishing courses and lead ridge 

details; only no. 43 Sandgate has a terracotta ridge tile and Lady Cathcart’s House a stone 

ridge tile. 10–12 Sandgate is more unusual, being piended. The corner dome of 67–71 

Sandgate is tiled in red. Dormers are predominantly canted and piended but with segmentalheaded 

(8–10 New Bridge Street; 21–25 Sandgate) and gable-headed (41 Sandgate) also 

making an appearance. Most buildings retain their cast-iron rainwater goods fed from either 

lead parapet guttering or half-round gutters. 

The chimney wallheads are either corniced or coped stacks with circular cans, apart from 

7–9 Cathcart Street which has an attractive fluted can on the tympanum gable. The majority 

appear to be cement rendered, bar some that are brick rebuilds (e.g. 22 Academy Street) or 

that on 56–58 Sandgate. 

Few buildings have boundary walls or railings but Dansarena and Ayr Academy have square 

plan gatepiers, low coped stone walls with iron railings. 41 Sandgate has a low coped stone 

wall, with spearheaded iron railings and particularly notable lamp standards with barleysugar 

posts. 58 Sandgate has iron gate-piers and railings on a low coped stone wall. 20 Cathcart 

Street has low coped stone walls with spiked iron railings and 2 Fort Street has a low coped 

boundary wall. Walls to the rear of properties tend to be high with stone copes, as seen on 

St John Street. 

Fluted chimney cans, 7–9 Cathcart Street 

45

Part One 


Character Areas: High Street 



High Street Character Area 

High Street Character Area 

The ‘High Street’ Character Area comprises the full length of the High Street and its 

continuation in Kyle and Alloway Streets, along with the remaining historic backlands, 

including Newmarket Street. Parts of the north sides of Smith Street and Burns Statue 

Square and Dalblair Road form the southern boundary. Large parts of the western backlands 

of the High Street have been redeveloped, and are not included in the conservation area 

or the High Street character zone. For similar reasons Mill Street is also excluded from this 

character assessment, although historically it was closely associated with the development 

of the High Street. Today the area is predominantly a busy retail centre. 

46


Part One 

North end of the High Street from the site of the Malt Cross, Sandgate. 


The oldest part of the High Street is the northern end, where it meets Sandgate at the Town 

Buildings. The arrangement of the old rig pattern at this point suggests that the High Street 

was a later (planned) development than Sandgate, and needed to wrap around the existing 

Sandgate rigs in the space between Sandgate and the River Ayr. At the eastern edge of the 

Sandgate rigs there is a sharp bend where the alignment of the High Street changes from 

east-west to north-south. From an early date a market was held at the Malt Cross at the 

junction of Sandgate with the High Street, which probably explains the generous breadth 

of the street (about 20m) at this point. Narrow vennels, characteristic of planned mediaeval 

settlements, lead off at right angles to the street. The vennels are offset so that wind is not 

channelled directly across the main street. 

As the street turns southwards, the width pinches to about 12m before opening out again 

into a very broad (42m) area around the Fish Cross and Winton Buildings. The Hope Street 

area was originally part of the High Street. This was the principal market area and site of the 

Laigh Tolbooth. An ancient narrow lane forms the approach to the Auld Brig on the east side. 

Newmarket Street leads off to the west to form a link between the High Street and Sandgate. 

Created in 1767, the alignment and width of Newmarket Street also reflects the mediaeval rig 

pattern. The low scale of the buildings here provides an attractive pedestrian environment. 

On the east side Kirkport is a narrow route to Auld Kirk and the surrounding open area of 

the kirkyard. Travelling further south the main street narrows again to about 15m at No. 146, 

and continues until the Wallace Tower and Carrick Street – this width was achieved by street 

widening in the 1880s. The Kyle Port, one of the numerous mediaeval gateways, stood in 

this vicinity. Nile Court, a small enclave of red sandstone buildings leads off a pend on the 

east side. The street broadens again south of Wallace Tower to Kyle Street. 

High Street bifurcates towards Townhead at Kyle and Alloway Streets. Although Alloway 

Street is wider, the prime alignment is Kyle Street, parallel to the River Ayr – Alloway Street 

was a turning off the main route. The two streets are linked at the southern end by the 

broad curve of tenements on Smith Street and the north side of Burns Statue Square. The 

enclosure of the street space is lost at this point as the roads open out into the square and 

Station forecourt. 

47

Part One 


High Street from the south end 

Architecture 

The architecture of the High Street and its surrounds comprises a mixture of tenements 

and Ayr’s main retail buildings. Many of the High Street buildings were redeveloped in the 

19th century and 20th century. Less sympathetic late 20th century developments have 

concentrated in and around this commercial heart. Stylistically there is a huge range of 

buildings, from refined classical tenements of the early 1800s to the more florid historicist 

styles of the late 19th century and touches of Art Nouveau in the early 20th century. The 

scale is mainly 2– or 3–storey; taller in the northern part of the area, lower in Kyle and 

Alloway Streets. 

At the junction with Sandgate, the Town Buildings (described in the Sandgate Character 

Area) dominate. The other principal public building on the High Street, Wallace Tower 

(1833), is also by the architect Thomas Hamilton, this time in the style of a Tudor-Gothic folly. 

Between the High Street and the River Ayr, on the lands of the Greyfriars, stands the Auld 

Kirk (1654–66) and its associated gateway and kirkyard. One of four churches of the 

Cromwellian occupation period in Ayrshire (Ayr, Fenwick, New Cumnock and Sorn), the size 

and design of the Auld Kirk expresses the wealth and urban confidence of the burgh at this 

period – it cost nearly ten times the grant given by Cromwell for the replacement of St John’s 

Kirk at the Citadel. 

For the most part Newmarket Street comprises simple 2–storey houses of about 1830, 

but Nos. 4–10 and 27–35 of circa 1780 show the earlier building typology of this street. On 

the corner with the High Street is a lively baronial tenement of 1886 by Allan Stevenson 

containing William Reid’s 1810 statue of William Wallace. 

Banks to rival those in the Sandgate were drawn to the High Street. Among the best remaining 

buildings are those at 128–130 High Street for the Union Bank (1856) in Grecian style by 

Robert Paton, 67 High Street for the Savings Bank of Glasgow (1937) in miniature Tuscan 

style by Eric A Sutherland, and 119–123 High Street for the Bank of Scotland (1902) in neo- 

Georgian style by Peddie & Washington Browne. 

48


Part One 

There are few remaining historic shopfronts in the High 

Street. Perhaps the finest can be found at the early 19th 

century bow-fronted shop at the division of Kyle and 

Alloway Streets: No. 2 Kyle Street and 1–3 Alloway 

Street. Hourstons department store at 22–30 Alloway 

Street has a good 1950s shopfront of grey marble 

effect. 

Several shops on the north side of the High Street near 

Sandgate were constructed in the 1930s: Nos. 12–24 

High Street (1933–35, built as Woolworths), Nos. 34– 

40 (1936–37, built as Burton’s) and Nos. 42–48 (1935, 

built as Marks & Spencer). The High Street frontages 

appear to be of low to moderate interest for their period, 

but substantial damage was caused to the historic rig 

pattern and the appearance of the waterfront by the 

construction of these stores. 

Last remaining thatched cottage on the 

High Street: Tam O’Shanter Inn, 230 High 

Street. 

None of the historic domestic buildings on the High 

Street remains as originally constructed. No. 45 High 

Street, at Fish Cross opposite the end of Old Bridge 

Street, was a typical mid 18th–century tenement with a 

‘nepus’ (wallhead) gable, but it was reconstructed to a 

similar design in the 1990s following a structural failure. 

8–10 High Street is a fine late 18th century tenement, 

altered at the ground floor for shops. Its pair on the 

corner with Sandgate (see bottom photo on page 18) 

is now demolished. Mid 19th century frontages to the 

buildings at 18–24 High Street might conceal earlier 

fabric. 

The town houses at 85–103 High Street have also 

been changed at the ground floor for retail purposes, 

but above the appearance is little-altered from its 

early 19th century form. Photographs from the 1880s 

show a number of 2–storey thatched cottages at the 

southern end of the High Street. Of these only the Tam 

O’Shanter Inn, 230 High Street, now remains. It is 

likely that this end of the High Street was always less 

intensely developed. 

Early shopfront, 2 Kyle Street/1–3 

Alloway Street. 

At Smith Street and Burns Statue Square the building 

heights increase from Kyle and Alloway Streets to finish 

the block with a confident sweep of red sandstone 

shops and tenements at 1–23 Burns Statue Square 

(1894–1901), 18 Smith Street (1897), and 48–52 

Smith Street (c 1895). 77–85 Dalblair Road continues 

this style of development. 

Late 20th century retail developments, such as Marks & 

Spencer (1974) and BHS (1984, Ian Burke & Partners) 

at 66–90 High Street and 147–149 High Street (1968– 

69), took a comprehensive approach to redevelopment 

in monolithic blocks. The Kyle Centre (1987, Shepherd 

Robson with Cowie & Partners) is largely screened from 

Former Union Bank, 128–130 High Street 

49

Part One 


Long narrow rigs and vennels at the back of the High Street/Hope Street. 

the High Street by the retention of façades at 209 and 

213. The lower scale, high quality facing materials, and 

street integration of the recent Ayr Central shopping 

centre in Kyle Street have proved successful. 

Red sandstone tenement with carved 

details, corner dome and small-pane 

upper sashes in the windows. 18 Smith 

Street. 

Materials 

As in the Sandgate, the predominant building material 

at the northern end of the High Street is reddish blonde 

sandstone, probably from local quarries. The New 

Statistical Account of 1837 describes the local freestone 

as difficult and expensive to quarry, so most building 

stone was brought from surrounding parishes. Many 

of these buildings are now painted. At the Townhead 

(southern) end of the High Street, near to the railway, 

red sandstone is the main building material. 

Although most shopfronts at ground floor level have 

been altered, timber sash and case windows survive 

in large numbers at the upper floors. Some 12–pane 

windows survive, but the majority are later 4– or 2–pane 

windows dating from the mid 19th century onwards. 

More unusual lying-pane windows can be found at 

47–49 High Street. Small-pane upper sashes over 

single pane lower sashes were popular in the late 19th 

century, and these types of window are common in the 

red sandstone tenements of that period at the southern 

end of the area. 

The main roofing material is grey Scottish slate, laid 

in diminishing courses on pitched roofs. Most of the 

cast-iron rainwater goods are utilitarian rather than 

decorative features. 

50


Part One 

Character Areas: Wellington Square 



Wellington Square Character Area 

Wellington Square Character Area 

The defined area includes the planned terraces south of the Citadel, the Sheriff Court/County 

Buildings, Wellington Chambers, and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Fullarton Street. The 

area is largely characterised by early 19th century terraces of classical houses laid out in 

broad streets on an informal grid-pattern. 


The grid of Wellington Square and the surrounding streets were laid out in the early 19th 

century on a broadly north-south axis to the south of the Citadel. Wellington Square is large 

with a park bound by the one-sided terraced roadway and the north and south terraces 

separated from the footway by a sunken basement. The adjacent streets are predominantly 

terraces abutting the footway although Alloway Terrace, Barns Terrace and Park Terrace are 

set back and the west side of Queen’s Terrace is set back with basements. Park Terrace 

is one-sided facing an open area of paddock. Alloway Park curves south off Alloway Place, 

open on one side. 

Architecture 

14 Wellington Square provides civic status with the Sheriff Court (1818–22) and its tetrastyle 

portico of Ionic columns beneath a modest dome. It is the A–listed lynchpin of a B–listed 

group formed by the north and south terraces of early 19th–century 2–storey classical 

51

Part One 


houses with basements and attics, all painted in pale colours. They are predominantly 

3–bays, with some mirrored 2–bay pairs, most with appropriate architraves, cornicing and 

block-pedimented doorpieces. 26 and 27 Wellington Square differ slightly by being 3– 

storey without basements and 26 has a double columnar doorpiece. To the rear of the 

Court are the County Buildings (1931) by Alexander Mair, an excellently executed B–listed 

example of inter-war classicism. Taking its cues from the Georgian courthouse, it subtly 

translates them into a confident classical yet modern statement of the British Empire in the 

20th century. Just outside the current conservation area boundary is Ayr Pavilion (1911) by 

James K Hunter, a B–listed Italianate confection with 4–corner campanile. Standing on the 

edge of the Low Green it is an Ayr landmark. 

Barns Street is the earliest completed terrace of Georgian Ayr. While both sides form a B– 

listed group, the north side is the earlier; it is a row of 3– and 4–bay 2–storey houses, with 

several cavetto-splayed doorpieces. The south side is a terrace of 2–storey mirrored pairs 

of houses with a number sharing 3–columned fluted doorpieces. 1 Barns Street (circa 

1803) is noteworthy as a classical, 3–bay detached residence with an advanced fluted Ionic 

porch. 

3–15 Charlotte Street is an early 19th–century terrace of 2–storey, 3–bay houses, some 

with cavetto-splayed doorpieces. Opposite is a later 19th–century terrace of 2–storey 

tenements on the site formerly occupied by Templeton’s carpet factory. 28 Charlotte Street 

has a notable angled entrance porch and 32C is the particularly attractive Old Headmaster’s 

House of the 19th century Infant School. 39 Charlotte Street is the sole mid 19th–century 

classical villa, now a hotel with an intriguing extension on Queen’s Terrace by James A Morris 

that has a large arched window at the ground floor. 

The west side of Queen’s Terrace consists of two B–listed terraces of single storey, 3–bay 

houses over a raised basement, 1–17 (1844–1851) being the template for 19–33 (1861), 

painted a variety of hues beneath a mutuled cornice. They face a late 19th–century 2–storey, 

11–bay terrace of 2–bay houses with canted bays apart from the flat-fronted no.12. While 

dominated by the County Buildings, 14 and 16 Bath Place (1846) should be noted for the 

Tudor-Gothic hood-moulds on a classical house, and 4 Bath Place is an attractive mid19th– 

North side of Wellington Square. 

52


Part One 

century, single storey grouping of gabled bays. Cassillis Street connects Wellington Square 

with the development within the Citadel and has a fine B–listed terrace at 6–14 (mid19th 

century) of 2–storey mirrored pairs of houses with basements. Cromwell Road is tucked 

beneath the southern Citadel wall with a row of single storey cottages and one 2–storey, 3– 

bay classical villa. Initially it led to Ayr’s first gas works, and was called ‘Gas Works Road’. 

1–14 Alloway Place (earlier 19th century) is a B–listed terrace of 2–storey, 3–bay houses 

with columned doorpieces and a pronounced vermiculated base course. It is the only 

completed portion of a square proposed by Lord Alloway. Opposite is a typically Victorian 

Italianate villa, Dereel (circa 1875) and the adjacent 1–14 Barns Terrace (1845–1860). 

Both are B–listed and Barns Terrace is a simple classical terrace of paired and mirrored 

houses sharing a 36–bay palace front. 1–4 Barns Park (later 19th–century) combines the 

simplicity of Barns Terrace with the addition of the Doric porticoes on Alloway Place and is 

B–listed. 1–8 Park Terrace (later 19th century) should have followed the pattern of Alloway 

Place but remains a solid example of a Victorian terrace of paired 2–storey, 3–bay houses 

with canted outer bays. Alloway Park has paired Victorian villas with rounded bays looking 

across the paddock to the detached villas of Park Terrace; Reigate is notable for its tower. 

The service lanes remain free from significant development with a notable 19th century 

outbuilding to the rear of 22 Wellington Square with an arched entrance and another to 

the rear of 13 Alloway Place. Other lane buildings are 1–storey or 1–storey and attic. The 

rhythmic rear elevation of diminishing storeys at 18–38 Queen’s Terrace provides an 

intriguing view from Charlotte Street. 

Standing at the end of Sandgate are HV Eaglesham’s Wellington Chambers (1895). Sited 

on the corner of Fort Street and Fullarton Street, it visually terminates Sandgate with its 5– 

storey corner tower. The polished red ashlar groups well with the Bus Station and former 

Liberal Club. 

Holy Trinity Church, Fullarton Street (1888), is an impressive example of JL Pearson’s 

Wellington Chambers, 62–74 Fort Street and 2–10 Fullarton Street. Designed in 1895 by H V Eaglesham. A 

red sandstone landmark at the end of the Sandgate and the east side of Wellington Square. Window-frames, 

balcony guards and doors are all painted in contrasting green. 

53

Part One 


Sheriff Court and County Buildings, Wellington Square. Designed by Robert Wallace,1818–1822. 

work in an Early English Gothic style, and his most 

complete work in Scotland. The intended tower and 

spire were never completed and the short tower was 

finished in precast concrete in 1964 by Roger Pinckney. 

The context of the church is very poor, surrounded by 

car parks. Fullarton Street also has a 2–storey early 

19th–century terrace. Outside the current conservation 

area boundary is the Boswell Park Bingo Hall (1930), 

formerly the Ayr Playhouse, a prominent local landmark 

with its large fanlight over the entrance. It is the earliest 

surviving of Fairweather’s ‘super-cinemas’ in Scotland. 

Previously on the site was the baroque-fronted roller 

skating rink. 

Paired doorways, Barns Street. 

Queen’s Terrace, 1844 onwards. 

Materials 


construction of the buildings with the majority being 

painted. The surface treatments include rubble, 

coursed, squared (e.g. 22–24 Barns Place), snecked 

(4 Bath Place), tuck pointed (7 Charlotte Street), ashlar 

and polished ashlar (Sheriff Court). Painted render 

(e.g. 26, 27 Wellington Square; 1 Barns Street) and 

harl (e.g. 20–22 Wellington Square; Ayr Pavilion) are 

also used. Red sandstone is rarely used (10 Charlotte 

Street; Dereel, Alloway Place; the dressings of 19–37 

Charlotte Street). Rear and side elevations are primarily 

sandstone rubble or harl with noted brick exceptions 

(18–38 Queen’s Terrace; 6 and 8 Charlotte Street). 

The majority of buildings have original timber sash and 

case windows in a variety of configurations with float 

and plate glass. 12–pane predominate on Wellington 

Square and 4–pane on Barns Street with a mixture 

54


Part One 

on other streets. There is some distinctive lying-pane 

glazing (Bath Place; 6–14 Cassillis Street) and the 

County Buildings have well detailed metal- framed 

windows. Some stained glass can be found on Queen’s 

Terrace. Doors are timber panelled with letterbox 

fanlights in the main. 

The pitched roofs are of grey Scottish slate with 

diminishing courses and lead ridge details (only 26 

Wellington Square and ‘Reigate’ on Park Terrace have 

red ridge tiles). Dormers are in the main piended or 

piended-and-canted but there are leaded segmentalarched 

dormers at 27 Wellington Square. Some 

terraces still remain free from dormers (e.g. Alloway 

Place; Barns Terrace). Most buildings have cast-iron 

rainwater goods fed from either lead parapet guttering 

or half-round gutters. There is also a trumpet-flared 

ventilation pipe that appears across the area. 

The chimney stacks are primarily coped, occasionally 

corniced (e.g. 3–11 Charlotte Street), with circular, 

square (4 Wellington Square) and polygonal cans 

(with some remarkably tall cans at 2 Barns Street). 10 

Charlotte Street has a notable detailed chimney wallhead 

and corniced stack on its main elevation. The 

majority appear to be stone with some cement rendered 

and brick rebuilds. 

Boundaries on principal street fronts are low coped 

stone walls with some square plan stone gate-piers 

(e.g. Barns Terrace; Alloway Park). The balusters on 

the wall at the Ayr Pavilion are from the first New Bridge. 

Rear boundaries tend to be high coped rubble walls 

(terracotta copes remain on the garden walls to the rear 

of Wellington Square) with some rendered. Traditional 

spear-headed railings remain (e.g. Wellington Square; 

Barns Street; Barns Park), more decorative railings 

elsewhere (e.g. Queen’s Terrace). Park Terrace has 

some original cast-iron gate-piers and railings. 

Lying pane windows, Bath Place. 

10 Wellington Square. 

© South Ayrshire Council. Aerial view of Wellington Square. 

55

Part One 


Character Areas: Citadel 



Citadel Character Area 

Citadel Character Area 

The Citadel Character Area comprises the land formerly enclosed by the Cromwellian Citadel 

of 1652. At the centre of the area is St John’s Tower and gardens. The surrounding ground 

is developed with low density housing, either in terraces or as detached or semi-detached 

villas in their own plots. Whilst the southern wall of the Citadel is fragmentary and there is 

little above-ground evidence of the eastern wall, large sections of the northern and western 

walls survive as the defining feature of the area. 

56


Part One 

Part of the north-east bastion of Cromwell’s 1652 Citadel. Miller’s Folly was added in the 19th century. 


Set within the boundary walls of the hexagonal Cromwellian fort are a group of terraces, 

primarily built on one side. Bruce Crescent and Montgomerie Terrace are built facing 

Eglinton Terrace around the open park of St John’s Tower and the Ayr Tennis Club. Arran 

Terrace faces out over the fort with views to the sea. All buildings are set back from the 

public footpath in their own gardens. Citadel Place is a broad street that leads into the 

terraced group and has buildings that abut the footway on the south side. Where the wall 

has ceased to exist, buildings and building plots still reflect the outline of the Citadel. 

Architecture 

The Citadel area is dominated by St John’s Tower (14th century), all that remains of the 

earlier church. The corbelled parapet and cap house are a distinctive landmark. Historical 

associations with Robert the Bruce, John Knox, Mary Queen of Scots and Oliver Cromwell 

mark it of great cultural significance. Losing the church in the early 18th century and gaining 

romantic accretions by its 19th–century owner, John Miller, it was restored in the early 20th 

century by JK Hunter, under the ownership of the Marquess of Bute, to the 17th century 

appearance as recorded in John Slezer’s view of 1693. 

The grounds within the Citadel were feued by John Miller in the mid 19th century and the 

architecture reflects the period. Citadel Place has a fine row of 19th century dwellings, 

paired and detached houses. 5 and 7 Citadel Place (later 19th century) feature a variant 

of an Ayr motif with round-arched cavetto-splayed doorpieces. There remains a portion of 

moulded arch to what would have been the east entrance to the Citadel on Citadel Place 

Lane (1652). Bruce Crescent forms a row of single-storey and attic villas with a variety 

of particularly striking dormers. Montgomerie Terrace is primarily 2-storey paired villas 

but with 4–7 a group of single villas with angled entrance porches that may have taken 

inspiration from the earlier 28 Charlotte Street. 1–27 Eglinton Terrace (later 19th century) is 

an unbroken 2–storey terrace of mirrored pairs of 3–bay houses in restrained neoclassicism 

and the most imposing and elegant properties within the Citadel. The balustraded entrances 

with ball finials are a discretely decorative feature. Arran Terrace is a pretty street of single– 

storey and attic cottages with a modillion cornice that faces landscaped strip and the wall of 

the Citadel. Just outside the current conservation area boundary 2 and 3 Seabank Road 

(later 19th century) feature unusual bowed dormers with curved eaves. 

57

Part One 


Materials 


construction of the buildings within the Citadel with some 

being painted (e.g. 15 and 17 Citadel Place). 3 Bruce 

Crescent has red ashlar dressing and red sandstone is 

used on some villas (e.g. 8 and 9 Montgomerie Street; 

6 Citadel Place; 13 and 14 Arran Terrace). The surface 

treatments include rubble, coursed, squared, ashlar and 

polished ashlar. Render and harl appear on occasional 

side elevations (e.g. 19–25 Citadel Place) the remainder 

being sandstone rubble. The rear elevations of Eglinton 

Terrace are distinctive in red sandstone rubble. 

Decorative bargeboards and diamond 

slates over the porch of a cottage ornée 

in Bruce Crescent. 


case windows in a 2-over-2 configuration with plate 

glass. There is some distinctive lying-pane glazing 

retained (e.g. 1 and 3 Citadel Place; 5 Bruce Crescent) 

and 3 Seabank Road has 12– and 18–paned windows. 

St John’s Tower has leaded glass windows. Timber 

panelled doors prevail with letter box fanlights. 


diminishing courses and lead ridge details; only 8 and 

9 Montgomerie Terrace and 6 Citadel Place have a 

terracotta ridge tile. Dormers are in the main gableheaded 

or canted and piended but there are leaded 

round-arched (24 and 25 Eglinton Terrace). Most 

buildings have cast iron rainwater goods fed from 

either lead parapet guttering or half-round gutters. The 

chimney stacks are either corniced or coped with circular 

or octagonal cans. The majority appear to be stone or 

cement rendered, bar some that are brick rebuilds. 1 

Arran Terrace has a notable modillion corniced stack 

and 3 Bruce Crescent has attractively detailed double 

height stacks in dressed red sandstone. 

St John’s Tower. 

Boundaries on principal street fronts are low coped 

stone walls with some square plan stone gate-piers on 

Bruce Street and Montgomerie Terrace. A coped rubble 

wall encloses St John’s Tower. Rear boundaries tend 

to be high coped rubble walls with some rendered (e.g. 

Eglinton Place). The original iron railings have been 

removed although many iron gate-piers remain and the 

railings to the platt on 1 Montgomerie Terrace remain. 

There are decorative iron gates to the park entrances 

of St John’s Tower. 

Eglinton Terrace. 

58


Part One 

Character Areas: Villa 



Villa Character Area 

Villa Character Area 

The Villa Character Area contains just two streets: Miller Road and Barns Crescent. There 

are two short runs of terraced houses, but otherwise the buildings are detached or semidetached 

villas in their own grounds. The area is similar in character to Ayr 2 Conservation 

Area immediately to the south. 


The streets of Barns Crescent and Miller Road are characterised by their broad roadway and 

the buildings being set significantly back within their plots. Miller Road runs on an east-west 

axis; Barns Crescent runs north before curving to meet Alloway Place. 

Architecture 

Barns House (17th & 19th century) is a 2–storey A–listed 3–bay villa with a Doric detailed 

entrance porch, formerly the house of the Barns Estate. The neighbouring properties on 

Barns Crescent are mirrored, paired Victorian villas of 2–storey to the east side and single– 

storey and attic cottages to the west side. 6 and 8 Barns Crescent have particularly finely 

detailed stonework. 

Miller Road has a selection of mid-to-late 19th–century villas and terrace with 10–24 Miller 

Road a B–listed 16–bay terrace of 2–storey mirrored 2–bay houses, some with Doric 

columned porticoes. Other buildings are paired mirrored villas and 30 Miller Terrace is 

a fine B–listed detached villa with coupled Corinthian columns and barley sugar window 

mullions. 33–43 Miller Terrace is a simple 15–bay terrace of 2–storey tenements. 

59

Part One 


Materials 


construction of the buildings with some being painted. 

The surface treatments include coursed, ashlar and 

polished ashlar. Rear and side elevations are primarily 

sandstone rubble or harl. 


case windows in 4– and 2–pane configurations with 

plate glass, a notable exception being 3– and 6–pane 

at 22–43 Miller Place. Doors are timber panelled with 

letterbox fanlights in the main. 

Barns House. 


diminishing courses and lead ridge details. Only Barns 

Crescent has decorative canted dormers with some 

small round-arched, leaded dormers. Most buildings 

have cast-iron rainwater goods fed from either lead 

parapet guttering or half-round gutters. 

The chimney stacks are primarily coped, occasionally 

corniced, with circular and polygonal cans. The majority 

appear to be stone with some cement rendered and 

brick rebuilds. 

Pair of villas, Miller Road. Fluted columns 

to the doorpieces and an unusual 

wallhead chimney. 

Boundaries on street fronts are low coped stone walls 

with some square and circular plan stone gate-piers. 

Barns House is enclosed by a high rubble wall as 

are some side boundary walls. Original iron railings 

remain at 6 Barns Crescent and iron gate-piers remain 

elsewhere. 

Terraced villas, Miller Road. 

60


Part Two 

PART TWO – MANAGEMENT CONTEXT 

MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND............................................................................ 62 

Assessment of Significance................................................................................. 62 

Planning Policies: General.................................................................................... 63 

Planning Policies: Conservation Area................................................................. 64 

Planning Policies: Supplementary Guidance...................................................... 65 

Planning Policies: Article 4 Directions and Advertisement Control ................ 66 

Planning Policies: Archaeology........................................................................... 66 

IDENTIFICATION OF MANAGEMENT ISSUES .................................................... 67 

Buildings At Risk................................................................................................... 67 

Sensitivity Analysis............................................................................................... 68 

Public Realm .......................................................................................................... 70 

MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES......................................................................... 72 

Development Opportunity Sites........................................................................... 72 

Planning Action...................................................................................................... 73 

Enhancement ............................................................................................................. 74 

PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INTERPRETATION................................................... 76 

Existing Provision.................................................................................................. 76 

Summary Of Key Issues........................................................................................ 80 

Suggested Projects .............................................................................................. 81 

PRIORITISED ACTION SUMMARY ....................................................................... 83 

61

Part Two 


MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND 

Assessment of Significance 

In writing his classic account of Scottish towns in 1975, Scottish Townscape, the architectural 

historian Colin McWilliam selected Ayr as one of his ten townscapes for detailed study 

alongside Aberdeen, Banff, Cupar, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Haddington, Inverness 

and Montrose. Whilst not necessarily the ‘best’ example of any particular size or type of town, 

the towns (and cities) were chosen for their exemplary qualities in place-making: quietly, 

and always with good functional reason, exploiting their natural setting; adapting a modest 

range of building types to suit their circumstances; attention to rational planning rather than 

fancy building; both looking back to historical roots and reaching outwards for new ideas. 

McWilliam defined key components of his best townscapes as: their abstract sculptural 

qualities of space and enclosure; diversity and contrast in scale, hierarchy, architectural 

style; the ‘town-mark’, or signature with which the town announces itself from a distance; 

and the memorable entry. 

Three decades after McWilliam’s account, Ayr continues to hold its place as one of the finest 

Scottish townscapes: the mediaeval street and land ownership patterns, planned and formed 

in response to the natural location and functional requirements, are still discernable in the 

core area around Sandgate and the High Street; Scotland’s oldest merchant’s townhouse 

survives in Loudoun Hall; the dramatic approach to the town across the River Ayr remains 

intact; one of the most significant surviving Cromwellian fortifications continues to exert its 

influence on the plan of the town; the replacement 1654 church remains in active use; the 

most spectacular ‘town-mark’ of any Scottish burgh, Thomas Hamilton’s Town Buildings 

steeple, can still be seen for miles around; the early 19th century planned streets bring a calm 

and rational order to the southern outskirts of the busy centre; late 19th–early 20th–century 

confidence is expressed in the red sandstone tenements around Burns Statue Square; and 

the lively seaside activities can be found at the Pavilion and Esplanade. 

The late 20th century was not entirely kind to the historic fabric of the core, as the ‘hole’ in the 

Town Centre Conservation Area boundary and the lack of really high quality new buildings 

on the High Street testify, but neither was it completely destructive. 

In a national context Ayr should be considered of outstanding architectural and historic 

significance for its mediaeval survivals and archaeological potential, 17th century 

interventions, early 19th century public buildings, planned streets and open spaces, and 

historical associations. 

62


Part Two 



Aerial view of the current Ayr Central Conservation Area. 

Planning Policies: General 

Legislation and Statutory Instruments 

Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas)(Scotland) Act 1997. 

Town & Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. 

Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 (and 

subsequent amendments). 

Policy and guidance 

Approved Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan (2007). 

Adopted South Ayrshire Local Plan (2007) 

The Scottish Ministers, Memorandum of Guidance on Listed Buildings and Conservation 

Areas (1998). 

Scottish Executive, National Planning Policy Guideline 5 (Archaeology and Planning) (1998). 

Scottish Executive, National Planning Policy Guideline 18 (Planning and the Historic 

Environment) (1999). 

Scottish Government, Consultative Draft Scottish Planning Policy 23 (Planning and the 

Historic Environment) (2008). 

Scottish Executive, A Policy on Architecture for Scotland (2001). 

Scottish Executive, Designing Places – A Policy Statement for Scotland (2001). 

63

Part Two 


Planning Policies: Conservation Area 

A summary of all South Ayrshire Local Plan policies relevant to Ayr Central Conservation 

Area is included in Appendix E. The Local Plan guidance on development in conservation 

areas is set out in full below. 

Criteria for Development in Conservation Areas 

General 

1. Applications for development within conservation areas will be expected to include 

detailed plans, sections and elevations of the existing building(s) and any proposed 

alterations. Details of materials proposed for use, external finishing materials, 

landscaping, (where appropriate) and the relationship of the proposed development 

within the overall townscape will also be expected. 

Redevelopment 

2. Where it has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that a listed building 

or building within a conservation area cannot be retained, preference will be given to 

proposals which retain building frontages which are important to the townscape over 

demolition and redevelopment proposals. 

3. The demolition of listed buildings, or buildings considered to be important within 

conservation areas will normally only be approved where acceptable re-development 

proposals are submitted and approved concurrently. Short term landscaping or 

appropriate screening of such sites may also be required. 

Townscape Features 

4. In addition to the general guidance of design for new development in Panel One, 

proposals for new development in conservation areas should also, where practical, 

incorporate local townscape characteristics, for example pedestrian or vehicle pends, 

surfaced by whin setts stone or blockwork. 

Building Materials 

5. Within conservation areas, building materials used will be expected to comprise 

natural stone, wet dash harling or lime washed smooth render. Windows and doors 

will be required to be proportioned sympathetically to adjacent properties, and roofs 

will be required to be finished in natural slate or acceptable slate substitute. 

Views and Vistas 

6. Development proposals should have due regard to their wider impact in terms of their 

visibility from distant points and the preservation of important landmarks, views and 

vistas from and through the development site. 

Alterations and Extensions 

7. Proposed alterations or extensions to buildings should utilise similar materials as used 

in the original structure, and be sympathetic to the design features, character and 

proportions of the original property. The original building will normally be expected 

to remain the dominant feature when viewed from its main frontage(s). Important 

features (e.g. string courses) should not be removed or obscured — especially 

where the property forms an element of a terrace or coherent group of buildings. 

Repairs 

8. Repairs to property within conservation areas should utilise the same materials as 

those which require repair wherever they remain available. Proposals to replace 

previous work which used non-traditional methods or materials, and restore original 

features will be favourably viewed. 

Dormer Windows 

9. The design of dormer extensions should complement the existing property and neither 

change its character nor alter the original profile. They should be kept as small as 

64


Part Two 

possible, set away from gables, hips, and below the roof ridge. They should have a 

traditional appearance, normally with hipped or gabled roof. Windows should reflect 

the style and proportion of existing windows and be positioned so as to form a definite 

relationship with the main facade of the building. It is the preference of the Council 

that dormers should generally be restricted to rear or secondary frontages. Additional 

detailed guidance is given in the Council’s Dormer Window Policy Guide. 

Stone Cleaning 

10. Stone cleaning of listed buildings and all buildings within conservation areas requires 

the approval of the Council. The stone cleaning of listed buildings will be encouraged 

only where the proposed method is proven not to be detrimental to stone finish or 

detailing. The stone cleaning of individual properties within a terrace or listed group of 

premises will only be encouraged where the group is to be cleaned in one phase, and 

by the same method (approved by the Council). 

Painting Buildings 

11. Generally, unpainted stone frontages should remain unpainted, unless it is proven 

that the property was painted originally and forms an element of a terrace or group of 

painted buildings. 

12. The repainting of frontages should utilise traditional, muted colour schemes with 

strong colours used sparingly. Window and door mouldings or other features may be 

emphasised with different colour tones where appropriate. Window and door frames, 

mullions and transoms should normally be painted white. 

Retail/Commercial Buildings 

13. Original retail and commercial frontages and features are now rare. Those remaining 

will be protected from insensitive alteration. Proposals which seek to restore or replicate 

such features will be supported. 

14. The design of the frontages of shops, offices, restaurants etc., should be based on 

a carefully considered composition of traditional elements at ground floor level, i.e. 

fascia, shop window, door stallrisers, pillasters and advertising signs. The proportions 

of any shopfront and fascia should complement the balance of the complete frontage 

and it is insufficient to consider the design of the individual shopfront in isolation from 

the frontage as a whole. 

Additional, detailed guidance is available in the Council’s guidelines for shopfronts, signage, 

sunshades and canopies in conservation areas. 

Planning Policies: Supplementary Guidance 

Supplementary planning guidance relevant to Ayr Central Conservation Area is available 

on the following topics: 

Window Alterations: Policy Guidelines for Listed Buildings and Buildings in Conservation 

Areas (www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk) 

Planning Policy No.7 - Dormer Windows (1994) 

Planning Policy No.12 - Sunshades & Canopies on Commercial Frontages (1981) 

Planning Policy Report No.13 – Advertisement Signs General (1982) 

Planning Policy No.14 - Velux Rooflights (1982) 

Planning Policy No.17 - Advertisement Signs - Wellington Square, Ayr (1986) 

Planning Policy No.19 - Satellite Receiver Dishes (1987) 

Planning Policy No.20 - Design guidelines for Shopfronts and Signage in Ayr Central Conservation 

Area (1992) 

Planning Policy No.24 - Shopfront Security (1994) 

Much of the guidance is from the 1980s and early ‘90s and could be usefully updated. 

65

Part Two 


Planning Policies: Article 4 Directions and Advertisement Control 

Permitted development rights within a conservation area are restricted under the Town and 

Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992. In summary, 

planning permission is required amongst other things for stonecleaning, cladding, external 

painting, roof alterations and the formation of hard surfaces within the conservation area. 

The area of extensions to dwelling houses which may be erected without permission is 

restricted to 16m² or 10% of the existing size, whichever is greater. There are additional 

controls over satellite dishes. For full details please see the 1992 Order and subsequent 

amendments. 

Under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) 

(Scotland) Order 1992, the planning authority can seek approval of the Scottish Ministers 

for additional Directions that restrict permitted development rights. The Directions effectively 

control the proliferation of relatively minor alterations to buildings in conservation areas 

that can cumulatively lead to erosion of character and appearance. Development is not 

precluded, but such alterations will require planning permission and special attention will be 

paid to the potential effect of proposals. 

In order to safeguard and enhance the qualities of the conservation area the following 

classes of restriction to permitted development rights in Ayr Central Conservation Area apply 

by means of Article 4 Directions: 

Class 1 Enlargement, improvement or other alteration to a dwelling house. 

Class 2 Any alteration to the roof of a dwellinghouse including the enlargement of a 

dwellinghouse by way of an addition or alteration to its roof. 

Class 3 Provision or alteration of buildings or enclosures within the curtilage of a dwelling 

house. 

Class 5 The erection or provision within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse of a container for 

the storage of oil. 

Class 7 Construction or alteration of gates, fences, walls or other means of enclosure. 

Class 15 The use of land (other than a building or land within the curtilage of a building) for 

any purpose, except as a caravan site or an open air market, on not more than 28 days in 

total in any calendar year, and the erection or placing of moveable structures on the land for 

the purposes of that use. 

Class 43 Development required for the purposes of the Post Office. 

A separate Direction under the 1984 Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) 

(Scotland) Regulations removes permitted development rights for advertisements on 

business premises in Ayr Central Conservation Area. 

Planning Policies: Archaeology 

Three standing sections of the surviving Cromwellian Citadel are scheduled ancient 

monuments. These comprise two stretches of wall (SAM 6140 & 6141) and the only 

surviving gateway (SAM 6142). As stated in National Planning Policy Guideline 5 (NPPG5) 

’Scheduled ancient monuments are of national importance and it is particularly important 

that they are preserved in situ and within an appropriate setting. Development which would 

have an adverse effect on scheduled monuments or the integrity of their setting, should 

not be permitted unless there are exceptional circumstances.’ Historic Scotland should be 

consulted on all potential impacts on scheduled ancient monuments. 

Although this last paragraph deals with scheduled ancient monuments, it is also stated that 

many sites of national importance are not yet scheduled, and where these sites are known 

to the planning authority they should be treated as if they were scheduled. With regard to the 

Cromwellian Citadel those surviving sections that have not been scheduled would also be 

regarded as of national importance and afforded the same level of protection. 

The protection of the below ground archaeological resource is dealt with as part of the 

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planning process on a case by case basis as advised by the Council’s archaeological advisors 

(WoSAS) and outlined in the South Ayrshire Local Plan. Advice will follow guidance provided 

in NPPG5 and NPPG18 (both likely to be replaced in the near future by Scottish Planning 

Policy 23); namely that the primary policy objective is that archaeological remains should be 

preserved wherever feasible and where this is not possible, an archaeological excavation 

incorporating the recording and analysis of remains and publication of the findings, together 

with the deposition of the artefacts in an appropriate museum and the records in the National 

Monuments Record of Scotland, can be an acceptable alternative. 

In the case of standing buildings guidance has been provided in National Planning Policy 

Guideline 18. NPPG18 introduces the concept of building recording as a potential condition 

on planning applications. 

Of particular note it states ‘In all cases of demolition or significant alteration of historic buildings, 

structures and streetscape, planning authorities are also encouraged to make it a condition 

of consent that applicants arrange suitable programmes of recording features that would be 

destroyed in the course of the proposed works.’ and ‘Where important hidden features or 

buried remains may be revealed during the course of the works, planning authorities should 

ensure that suitable arrangements can be made for their retention or recording.’ 

The latter guidance should be followed when considering planning applications concerning 

historic buildings and such applications should routinely be passed for comment to WoSAS. 

The benefits of such recording programmes are well illustrated by the example of Lady 

Cathcart’s House, 22 Sandgate, where much earlier fabric was discovered during the survey 

of what appeared to be a 19th century building. 

IDENTIFICATION OF MANAGEMENT ISSUES 

Buildings At Risk 

1–3 New Bridge Street (category A) is included on the 

Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland as compiled by 

the Scottish Civic Trust. It is hoped that a successful 

Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) bid to the Heritage 

Lottery Fund will act as a catalyst for repair of this 

building. Although not included on the Buildings at 

Risk Register, substantial structural repairs have been 

identified at 1–5 South Harbour Street (category B). 

Again it is hoped that the THI will stimulate action to 

address these repairs. 1–5 Fort Street, with a distinctive 

quadrant corner, also appears to be in poor condition. 

The former Drill Hall at 1–7 Burns Statue Square has 

suffered severe fire damage. Although not widely 

visible in the Conservation Area, it would be desirable 

to maintain as much of James A Morris’ 1901 buildings 

as is possible in any redevelopment scheme. 

Some former industrial buildings remain in the backlands 

of the main streets. Although not listed these 

contribute to the history of Ayr’s development. Derelict 

examples can be seen between the Town Buildings and 

Newmarket Street, in the linear buildings running the 

length of some feus on Sandgate, and in the service 

lanes to the rear of properties on Wellington Square and 

Alloway Place. It is recommended that further study of 

these structures is undertaken before any application 

for conservation area consent is considered. 

1–3 New Bridge Street. 

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Sensitivity Analysis 

National guidance on conservation area appraisals, as 

set out in Planning Advice Note 71: Conservation Area 

Management, calls for analysis of ‘sensitivity’ in the 

conservation area. For the purpose of this Appraisal, 

‘sensitivity’ is understood to include issues that impact 

negatively on the special qualities of the area, and 

which offer reasonable potential for improvement or for 

further study/guidance. 

Vegetation likely to cause damage to 

stonework over the long term through 

root penetration into joints and excessive 

absorption of water into the stone. 

Erosion has removed the carved fluting 

detail from the seaward (right) side of 

these doorpiece columns. Long-term 

leakage from the downpipe has stained 

the stone to the right of the doorpiece. 

Stone erosion. The erosion of stonework is a general 

problem throughout the conservation area, but 

particularly on the west side nearest the coast. Rain, 

wind, salt and sand are likely to be the main contributory 

factors. It is recommended that more detailed guidance 

on the problem, and how to respond to it, is drawn up 

for use by householders and businesses. 

Painting of stonework. Painting of stonework can 

exacerbate erosion problems by trapping moisture in 

stone. Further guidance for householders on this issue 

is also required. Where stonework remains unpainted, 

new painting should not be attempted. In some places, 

particularly planned terraces and the Sandgate buildings 

regularised in the 19th century, the wide variety of 

colours detracts from the overall harmony of the group. 

There may be a case for an agreed palette of colours to 

minimise strong contrasts in unified terraces. 

Poor maintenance. There is widespread evidence of 

the neglect of basic regular maintenance of buildings 

throughout the conservation area, in particular the 

clearance of rhones and downpipes and removal of 

vegetation at roof level. Apart from the visual impact 

of neglect, blocked rainwater goods and consequent 

vegetation can cause structural damage over the long 

term. 

Windows. Replacement windows in non-traditional 

materials, using different opening methods can cause 

a gradual diminution in the authenticity and quality 

of historic buildings and areas over a period of time. 

There appears to be scope for confusion in the current 

web-based windows guidance, which offers different 

advice for different categories of listing and for unlisted 

buildings in the conservation area. 

Satellite dishes. There are some areas where satellite 

dishes are evident in such numbers that they detract 

from the historic character of the area. It would be 

desirable to encourage multiple owners/occupiers to 

collaborate in using a single dish or cable system. 

© Fiona Jamieson 

Large breaches in boundary walls and 

loss of garden to car parking. 

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Boundary walls. Some former mews lanes have 

large sections of garden walling missing exposing 

gardens with uninterrupted areas of tarmac, lacking 

greenery and revealing sterile backlands. A few 

gardens are overdeveloped, but loss to car parking 

is seen as the greatest problem. Much of this is now 

irreversible while properties remain in commercial use. 

Planning permissions or Article 4 Direction Orders 

under the Planning Acts were either too late or not 

applied vigorously enough in the past to protect the 

garden setting and amenity of many properties. More 

detailed guidance and incentives may be necessary to 

encourage retention or restitution of a portion of garden 

ground and to gradually restore the historic character 

of the Conservation Area, where this can be achieved. 

Tree Preservation Orders. There are no Tree 

Preservation Orders in the Conservation Area. Although 

it is an offence to fell, lop or wilfully destroy trees in 

the designated area and consent is required from the 

Local Authority for such action, this situation would be 

strengthened with Tree Preservation Orders. A number 

of prominent tree groups merit a TPO—namely, Barns 

Park, Barns House, Barns Terrace, The Auld Kirk, 

Dalblair Road, Fort Tennis Courts and St John’s Tower. 

Tree Preservation Orders exist for individual groups of 

trees ‘which are seen as giving amenity value to the 

community’. There may be other groups or individual 

trees that the local community cherish. A detailed tree 

survey is recommended. 

Poorly detailed uPVC replacement 

windows on the top floor do not reflect 

the qualities of the traditional materials, 

opening method, slender frames and 

mouldings of the original windows on the 

floors below. 

Mediaeval development pattern. The mediaeval 

development pattern of long rigs and vennels leading off 

the High Street and Sandgate survives in a surprisingly 

large number of locations. Whilst the fabric may not be 

medieval, the pattern of subsequent developments often 

follows the original arrangement and division of landownership. 

The survival of this degree of early medieval 

planning is unusual. Many 20th century developments 

have failed to recognise or take account of this 

distinctive pattern. It would be desirable to develop a 

specific policy and accompanying guidance to protect 

the surviving pattern – mainly in the area currently 

proposed for the Townscape Heritage Initiative. 

Traffic. Key locations where the volume and speed of 

traffic at certain times of day make pedestrian movement 

around the Conservation Area difficult include Sandgate 

and Burns Statue Square. In longer term strategies for 

traffic management it would be desirable to improve 

priority for pedestrians in these areas. 

Satellite dishes in historic Boat Vennel 

fronting the public space at Loudoun 

Hall. 

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Public Realm 

Setted road surface at Cromwell Road. 

Street sign and post box at Bruce 

Crescent. 

© Euan Leitch 

Street lamp at Barns Crescent. 

Historic surfaces 

Kirkport, Academy Street and Cromwell Road remain 

setted. Some tarmac roads have setted gutters e.g. 

Kyle Street and the roads around the Citadel. It may 

be that some surfaces remain setted under a layer of 

tarmac leaving a strip of exposed setts as gutters, or 

that the centre of the road was originally ‘metalled’ and 

replaced in tarmac. The setts appear to be whinstone 

and probably date from the second half of the 19th 

century. 

A significant quantity of late 19th century granite and 

whinstone kerbing survives, particularly outside the 

pedestrianised historic core. Historic photographs (e.g. 

Sandgate, p6) suggest that the normal gutter treatment 

was setts. Some stone gutters also survive. 

No early public paving surfaces are apparent, although 

there are remnants of sandstone and setted paving in 

the pends to vennels off the Sandgate. Further research 

is required to establish the type and source of early 

paving in the town. 

Historic signage 

The earliest street signs were probably painted directly 

onto buildings or boundary walls. In the early 19th 

century some street names were cut into the stonework. 

Fine examples of this exist at 1 Wellington Square and 

10 Dalblair Road (just outside the current Conservation 

Area boundary). 

Ayr has a very fine collection of historic cast-iron street 

name signs, the oldest probably dating from the 1870s. 

These signs are painted with a white background and 

black lettering and borders. A distinctive feature is the 

circular moulding around the fixture bolts at the outer 

edges. The originals were supplied over a number of 

years, so are not entirely consistent in appearance, 

and there are several modern replacements of varying 

quality. 

Historic lighting 

Very few lamp standards of any age survive in the 

Conservation Area. Six street lamps were first provided 

in 1747, but their appearance is not known. A gas works 

was established at the Citadel in 1824, and street 

lighting followed on the main streets in 1826. 

Barns Place and Barns Crescent retain a number of 

lamp standards with highly exaggerated swan necks – 

the date is uncertain, as swan necked designs became 

popular for both gas and electric fittings from the 1890s 

(to avoid the shadow cast by mounting the lamp fixing 

directly on the pole). There are also cast-iron lamp 

standards at 41 Sandgate and on the New Bridge and 

wrought-iron standards on the Auld Brig. 

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Modern public realm 

There are good public realm schemes using high quality 

natural materials at Old Bridge Street, Loudoun Hall, the 

new Ayr Central Shopping Centre (including the paving 

of Kyle Street), Fish Cross, and around the south side 

of Winton Buildings on the High Street. 

The largest public realm scheme in the High Street uses 

pink concrete slab and block paving and ‘black-top’ 

tarmac road surfacing. Similar concrete paving is also 

to be found in Sandgate and Newmarket Street. Whilst 

the schemes are relatively recent, the materials and 

design are not of a sufficiently high standard to match 

the quality of the spaces and surrounding buildings. 

In the longer term it would be desirable to replace the 

schemes with higher quality natural materials that last, 

weather and perform in harmony with the best of the 

surrounding buildings. 

Outside the pedestrianised centre the quality of public 

realm is generally not high – mainly black-top surfaces 

to both streets and pavements, but also some streets 

with poured concrete or precast concrete slab paving. 

Whilst resources for public realm work will always be 

limited, a co-ordinated approach in targeted locations 

might achieve gradual improvements. In view of the 

large numbers of departments, agencies and statutory 

undertakers involved in the creation and maintenance 

of the public realm, there may be a case for establishing 

a co-ordinating group and production of pubic realm 

guidance specific to the Town Centre Conservation 

Area. 

Remains of a historic setted surface, 

partly covered in concrete, in a vennel off 

the Sandgate. 

Whinstone setts marking the entrance 

to Charlotte Street Mews, badly repaired 

with tarmac after road works. 

High quality traditional surfacing 

materials with contemporary detailing, 

above in Old Bridge Street, left at 

Loudoun Hall. 

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MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

Development site and poor quality public 

realm at South Harbour Street. 

Part of the ‘Affleck’s’ site behind 

Sandgate. 

Potential development site at the corner 

of the High Street and New Bridge Street. 

Development Opportunity Sites 

South Harbour Street. There is a long-term 

development site adjacent to Miller’s Folly on South 

Harbour Street. It is strongly recommended that a 

specific design and development brief is prepared for 

this key site to ensure that any development is of the 

highest quality, taking into account the setting and 

archaeology of the Citadel and views to and from the 

conservation area behind. 

Affleck’s Site, behind Sandgate. This site is identified 

as a development opportunity site in the Local Plan. 

Two former industrial buildings and a low range of 

former stabling occupy part of the site. The original use 

of the buildings is not known, but the oldest is thought 

to predate 1818. The feasibility for incorporation of the 

buildings into new development should be considered. 

A development brief is recommended to ensure that 

any new development is of an appropriate scale and 

design for these ancient backlands (probably part of the 

earliest planned settlement in the 12th century). 

High Street/New Bridge Street. The demolition of 2–6 

High Street has left a small gap site on the prominent 

junction between the High Street and New Bridge 

Street, opposite the Town Buildings. Whilst the small 

garden ground has some amenity value, the two gables 

looming over the site make it appear unresolved. It would 

be appropriate to reinstate a building on this site, as 

proposed by the Ayr Renaissance initiative. A building of 

the highest quality is required for this important location. 

A development brief is recommended. 

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Planning Action 

The principal planning action recommendation of this Appraisal is that consideration be 

given to amending the Conservation Area boundaries to include more of the approaches 

and context of the town centre. The proposed amendments are shown on the map below 

and set out in detail with reasoned justifications in Appendix H. 



KEY 

Existing Ayr Central Conservation Area 

Proposed boundary amendments 


Proposed inclusion areas 

1. Bridges/Newton/Wallacetown 

2. Low Green/Esplanade 

3. Citadel 

4. Sandgate 

5. Station/Burns Statue Square 

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Townscape Heritage Initiative Area: New 

Bridge Street/South Harbour Street. 

Large area of blank corrugated cladding 

at the 1st floor. 

View from the Auld Brig to the Town 

Buildings. The unattractive long brick 

frontages (behind 12–16 and 26–48 

High Street) are aligned contrary to the 

direction of the medieval development 

pattern and prevent access from the High 

Street to the riverside. 

Enhancement 

New Bridge Street, High Street, South Harbour 

Street, Newmarket Street. A Townscape Heritage 

Initiative (THI) area is proposed for the historic core of 

the town around the main approach from New Bridge. A 

map of the proposed THI area is included at Appendix 

G. A number of buildings are in need of repair, and the 

quality of the public realm throughout the area could be 

improved. 

Boswell Park and surrounding area. The current 

‘excluded zone’ within the overall Town Centre 

Conservation Area boundary has a significant negative 

effect on the appearance of the historic core. Whilst the 

area has always been a ‘backland’, it has the potential to 

augment the special qualities of the Conservation Area 

with appropriately scaled contemporary development. 

The large open car parks and undefined street 

boundaries provide a very poor quality of urban space. 

The Ayr Renaissance initiative proposes substantial 

upgrading and repair of this area. 

Blind upper storeys. The characteristic pattern of 

windows to the upper storeys of retail units has been 

lost at two buildings in the conservation area: 48 

Sandgate and 26–30 High Street. In the long term it 

would be beneficial to articulate these frontages more 

sympathetically. 

Riverfront behind 12–16 and 26–48 High Street. This 

is another area recognised by the Ayr Renaissance 

initiative as having a poor impact on the Town Centre 

Conservation Area. Highly visible on the main approach 

to the town centre over the New and Auld Brigs, these 

brick-built structures present a physical and visual 

barrier between the River Ayr and the High Street. The 

proximity of the buildings to the water’s edge prevents 

the continuation of the riverside walkway. 

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South Harbour Street. Whilst the street and waterfront 

are not currently included in the Conservation Area, 

they are potential assets to its setting and appearance 

in principal views. Both are badly served by the poor 

quality of the public realm. The area is identified as 

a priority for environmental improvement in the Local 

Plan Planning Policy Framework for Ayr Town Centre. 

Riverside Walk. The riverside walk from the Auld Brig 

now forms part of the extensive 66km River Ayr Way, 

Scotland’s first source to sea path network. It would 

be extremely desirable to enhance the amenity of this 

unsightly pedestrian route, improving existing building 

frontages alongside it, upgrading the walkway itself 

but retaining any relevant historic sections of riverside 

walling or railings, if appropriate. This linear space 

could be better linked into the town centre, and into 

other major public open spaces—Low Green and the 

Esplanade—possibly by creating a green corridor or 

pathway along Harbour Street. This would accord with 

Ayrshire’s Biodiversity Action Plan (2001). A detailed 

wildlife and habitat audit of the Conservation Area 

would be beneficial. 

Railings. In common with many other towns, great 

quantities of 18th and 19th century iron railings were 

removed from Ayr in support of the war effort during the 

Second World War. The loss of these original architectural 

features is still noticeable today. Enhancement of the 

conservation area could be achieved by reinstatement 

of these missing elements, especially in unified terraces. 

Barns Street, Alloway Place, and Miller Road are main 

thoroughfares where reinstatement of railings would 

have a particularly beneficial impact. 

South Harbour Street. 

© Fiona Jamieson 

Alloway Place, where iron railings were 

removed during the Second World War. 

Only the dwarf supporting walls survive. 

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PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INTERPRETATION 

This section of the report addresses public awareness, and specifically the public’s awareness 

of the value and importance of the historic environment. 

As with the rest of the Conservation Area Appraisal it relates to the geographical area as 

defined by the conservation area boundary, however, many of the projects listed in the 

opportunities section may be applied on much wider or much more concentrated areas as 

required. 

The core objective of this section is to: 

Identify a broad range of appropriate and necessary media and activities to raise the public’s 

awareness and understanding of Ayr’s history and heritage and contribute to a greater 

appreciation of Ayr’s historic environment 

The section begins with a brief summary of existing provision followed by key issues to be 

addressed and concludes with opportunities for raising awareness. 

Existing Provision 

The Conservation Area currently benefits from a variety of interpretive structures which do 

to some extent demonstrate the town’s importance and help raise awareness of the historic 

environment and Ayr’s rich heritage. Based upon site visits the current provision includes, 

but is not exclusively limited to: 

© Rob Robinson 

Cromwell Citadel information panel. 

• Site specific graphic panels 

• Ayr-Ways orientation panels 

• The Lang Scots Mile panels 

• Directional finger posts 

• Building plaques 

• Interpretive art installations 

• Monuments and statues 

• Indoor exhibitions 

• Self guided walks 

• Tour guides (bus and walking) 

• Websites 

• Events 

Each is taken in turn and elaborated upon below. 

© Rob Robinson 

Replica Saker and info board. 

Site specific graphic panels 

These are in a variety of styles and materials. Cast metal 

plaques can be found at Miller’s Folly, St John’s Tower 

and Wallace’s Tower while engraved metal plaques can 

be found at St John’s Tower and the replica Saker. In 

addition there is also a large printed laminated panel 

covering Cromwell’s citadel also at the replica Saker 

(indeed the replica Saker itself should be noted as an 

interpretive tool). Most of these panels are set into 

stone (existing walls or made structures). Although the 

panels are interesting, they have been installed some 

time ago and are ‘dry’ in presentational style and most 

are not Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant, 

due to the use of capital letters, the lack of graphic 

material, colour contrasts and positioning, with the 

exception of Cromwell’s Citadel panel. 

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Ayr-Ways orientation panels 

In total there are some seven free standing structures 

located throughout the town centre. Although primarily 

an orientation tool, with maps on the reverse side, they 

also serve important interpretive functions with each 

fore panel covering key topics and stories of relevance 

to the local area, although some topic related sites 

are more immediate than others. These have been 

installed recently and are of high quality, although 

several typos were noticed and they could, arguably, 

have been written in a more engaging style. 

The Lang Scots Mile panels 

These are a series of panels cover the one–mile long 

esplanade walk from the Citadel Leisure Centre to the 

southern end of the esplanade. The panels, which are 

directly repeated (with different ‘you are here’ signs) 

along the route highlight points of interest accompanied 

by a short piece of text, although it appears that not 

all highlights can be seen directly from the route. The 

interpretive or informative sign is accompanied by 

directional waymarker signs with footprint symbols at 

their top. 

© Rob Robinson. Ayr-Ways orientation 

panel 

Directional finger posts 

Finger posts to points of interest and facilities can be 

found throughout the town, these are generally found at 

key junctions or resting areas. They may be considered 

to indirectly raise awareness of key historic buildings. 

Building plaques 

A number of key historic buildings also have external 

wall mounted plaques, such as Lady Cathcart’s House, 

the Auld Kirk and residences associated with Robert 

Burns and other local historical figures of note. 

© Rob Robinson. Lang Scots Mile panel. 

Interpretive art installations 

There are a wide variety of art installations installed 

throughout the town centre, many of which can be 

regarded to be interpretive and more importantly 

many should be considered to be interpreting Ayr’s 

rich cultural heritage. Of particular note are the fish 

cross and some of the installations at Loudoun Hall, 

especially the hall model and engraving. It is worthy of 

note that the Loudoun Hall forecourt installations were 

accompanied by a small booklet explaining the history 

of the site, the project and information on the sculptures, 

although copies of this are now difficult to find. 

© Rob Robinson. Interpretive art at 

Loudoun Hall 

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Monuments and memorials 

Numerous statues and monuments, located throughout 

the town centre, reference Ayr’s historical celebrities and 

celebrate Ayr’s cultural importance. These include the 

likes of Robert Burns, William Wallace and numerous 

memorials in the vicinity of Wellington Square. 

Indoor exhibitions 

© Rob Robinson. Fish Cross: art and 

commemoration. 

Although there are likely to be more, the only indoor 

exhibitions or panels seen were in the waiting area 

of the Council buildings (Burns House) and a small 

exhibition in the Carnegie Library, although the latter 

at the time of visit primarily related to Ayrshire Railway 

Preservation Group and the Dunaskin Heritage Centre 

and further exhibitions on Charles Rennie Mackintosh 

(and the Ayr connection) and Nelson Mandela. 

Self-guided walks 

There are at least three means of undertaking selfguided 

walks in Ayr and at least eight routes, not 

including the riverside walk or the Lang Scots Mile. 

These are: 

© Rob Robinson. Indoor exhibition, 

Carnegie Library. 

• Using the Ayr-Ways panels and accompanying 

leaflet to visit the key sites of note and the panels 

(the leaflets are an excellent orientation tool for 

visitors and are available in the Council buildings 

and library, but not in the TIC at the time of visit. 

• Using the TIC map and print out – the TIC, on 

request, will print a two page A4 trail comprising an 

overview of Ayr’s history and ten points of interest 

• Purchasing and using the Historic Ayr (a guide 

for visitors) publication – this includes six trails for 

Ayr and one for Newton-upon-Ayr. Each Ayr trail 

is around a mile long and focuses on a different 

aspect of Ayr’s history or geographical area – the 

two colour map within the publication makes it 

difficult to follow the routes as all seven routes are 

coloured red. 

Tour guides (bus and walking) 

There are also tour guides to help visitors, and locals, 

experience Ayr. This includes an open top bus, although 

this really coverers Burn’s and Ayrshire rather than 

Ayr town itself. The tour leaves Ayr bus station hourly 

during June, July and August. 

© Rob Robinson. Information board, 

Cromwell Road Car Park. 

Walking and private group tours of Ayr are, however, 

much more widely promoted and with the key tour 

operator appearing to be ‘Walk About Ayr’, http://www. 

walkaboutayr.com/. Donald offers first or third person 

tours of Ayr and Ayrshire, focusing on the area’s heritage 

and historical figures, most notably Robert Burns. 

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Websites 

There are numerous websites covering Ayr’s history 

and heritage, some of which provide virtual tours of 

the town, highlighting the key buildings and points of 

interest. The most visible through ‘Google’ searches 

are: 

www.clydesite.co.uk/ayr/ 

www.maybole.org/community/ayr/ayr.htm 

www.intayrnet.com/ayr/ayr_town.html 

www.ayrshirescotland.com/towns/ayr.html 

For most of these sites it is not clear who the site 

belongs to and there does not appear to be an official 

site for Ayr or its heritage. 

Events 

Although Ayr has an extensive events programme, few 

focus specifically on the town’s historic environment. 

The only directly related event appears to the Doors 

Open Day, this year to be held on Sunday 7th September, 

with participating buildings including Loudoun Hall, the 

Tower of St John’s and the Masonic Lodge amongst 

others. 

© Rob Robinson. Directional finger and 

‘What’s On’ board at the junction of New 

Bridge Street and the High Street. 

Lang Scots Mile information panel next to 

the Citadel Leisure Centre. 

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Summary Of Key Issues 

Although there is currently a reasonably wide variety of interpretive media on offer that 

relates Ayr’s heritage to visitors and residents, there are numerous issues too. These may 

be summarised, in no particular order, as: 

• A focus on specifics – the majority of interpretation focuses on specific key buildings, 

features and past events or people. While this is appropriate and quite normal, it does 

mean that there is little in terms of interpretive provision that addresses the wider subject 

of Ayr’s historic environment in general or that helps pull it all together. The interpretation 

is made up of components that do not fit together to form a cohesive story as well as 

they might. 

• Understanding levels of awareness – to what extent is there an understanding of 

what local people know and think about their local historic environment. Do they care, 

understand, appreciate? They need to be asked! 

• Behaviour – some monuments and media, including the replica Saker have been the 

subject of vandalism. 

• Audiences – the majority of provision caters for either visitors to the town or those with 

a considerable predisposition to the historic environment. 

• Topics – although the Ayr-Ways systems is broad in terms of topics covered, the majority 

of interpretive provision focuses on Burns and Cromwell, to the detriment and omission 

of other topics, namely the river (and old bridge) and Ayr’s coastal connections. 

• Disability Discrimination Act – many of the older panels and plaques are not DDA 

compliant due to the use of capital letters, the lack of graphic material, colour contrasts 

and positioning. 

• Uncoordinated interpretation and tours – the existing interpretation has been installed 

in phases over several decades and this is clear in terms of the material covered with 

overlaps between different panels covering the same topics. The walking tours are of 

particular note in that there is no one single self guided highlights tour. 

• Some damaged or dirty panels – although not a major issue a number of panel frames 

are slightly damaged a several graphic panels are in need of a clean, particularly the 

Lang Scots Mile. 

• Lack of a focal point / town museum – it is surprising that an administrative centre of 

the standing of Ayr does not have a town museum or focal point for its artefact based 

heritage. At present Loudoun Hall may be that focal point but it is not regularly accessible 

to the public. 

• Style mix and clutter – the nature of installing different interpretive structures over 

time has led to media clutter in some areas (Miller’s Folly) and has in general led to a 

profusion of structure styles that detracts from the visitor experience (at least six different 

styles of interpretive panel are used at present). 

• Need to engage young people – there is arguably a need to engage more with younger 

people, including those of primary school age, teenagers and young adults. 

• Vacant shops and lack of appreciation – the vacant and poor condition of a number 

of shops and buildings in the upper High Street area is unsightly and their unkempt state 

of disrepair will breed a further lack of appreciation for local heritage. 

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Suggested Projects 

The following opportunities have been identified as desirable projects which could contribute 

to a growing awareness of the importance and value of Ayr’s historic environment in both 

local people and visitors (further information on each suggested project is included at 

“APPENDIX F: Potential Interpretation & Awareness Projects” on page 126): 

Project 1 

Objective 

Project 2 

Objective 

Project 3 

Objective 

Project 4 

Objective 

Project 5 

Objective 

Project 6 

Objective 

Project 7 

Objective 

Project 8 

Objective 

Project 9 

Objective 

Project 10 

Objective 

Project 11 

Objective 

Project 12 

Objective 

Consultation and Involvement 

To find out exactly what a broad section of local residents think about 

their town centre and allow them the opportunity to contribute towards 

its enhancement and interpretation. 

Interpretive Audit, Plan and Style Guide 

To provide a fully coordinated and integrated approach to interpretation 

and visitor signage. 

Official Town Heritage Trail 

To develop and promote a single unified town trail with accompanying 

literature . 

Ayr-Waves 

To cater for younger audiences through the media led approach. 

Shop Front Exhibition 

To highlight the importance of Ayr’s historic buildings and improve the 

appearance of the upper High Street area. 

Mobile Exhibition 

To raise awareness amongst local audiences of the value of Ayr’s 

historic environment in general. 

Lectures For All Programme 

To develop and deliver a programme of lectures, talks and 

demonstrations to a diverse range of audiences on the importance of 

Ayr’s historic environment. 

Community Heritage Event – The Ayr Time Festival 

To celebrate Ayr’s unique and distinctive cultural heritage in order 

to generate tourism and day trip visits and develop a sense of pride 

and appreciation amongst local people. The Lanark Medieval History 

Festival is a good similar historical based festival to look at as a 

comparator. 

Education Pack and Local Schools Involvement 

To engage local school children with the historic environment. 

Official Historic Ayr Website 

To create an official website for the town of Ayr, its heritage and its 

historic buildings. 

Ayr in Pictures (Town Hall Public Screen) 

To utilise the currently redundant LCD / Plasma screen on the High 

Street window of the Town Hall to deliver key messages regarding the 

importance of the building in this part of the town. 

Town Museum Feasibility – Scoping Study 

To scope the feasibility of developing a town museum for Ayr – with 

the ultimate objective of providing a focal point for the heritage of Ayr. 

81

Part Two 


Although Ayr already has a variety of interpretive media covering a range of topics, there 

is definitely scope for improvement, particularly under the banner of improving awareness 

and appreciation of the historic environment. The majority of provision at present is geared 

towards either visitors to the town or those who have a keen interest in history and heritage, 

while a lack of integration or cohesion in terms of messages, audiences and media styles 

lessens their impact and success. 

There are considerable opportunities to further raise awareness and appreciation of Ayr as a 

historic town and the twelve projects listed above are only suggestions. It is likely that others 

may emerge as funding allows or as ideas are developed by local individuals. Nevertheless 

the projects listed above are intended to provide a fairly broad and comprehensive line of 

possibilities; aiming to reach as broad an audience profile as possible through a diverse 

range of media and activities. 

It is also envisaged that the opportunities or projects listed above may be selected as 

required to form a part of either the Ayr Townscape Heritage Initiative phases or the wider 

Ayr Renaissance project, and with this in mind the scale of the projects may vary accordingly. 

Taking the projects forward is always the most difficult, but usually the most rewarding 

part, and as stated above the scale of the projects may vary to suit specific objectives, 

budgets or personnel. The latter is crucial as all projects will require ‘people time’ in order 

to develop, plan, organise and deliver them, and the amount of time required should not be 

underestimated, especially for events. Identifying the project champion for each element will 

be vital to each project’s success. 

82


Part Two 

PRIORITISED ACTION SUMMARY 

The following summary tables draw together suggested actions identified in Part 2 of the 

Appraisal (and associated Open Space actions identified in on page 104). These actions are 

intended in addition to the day-to-day operation of planning controls to protect the essential 

character of the Conservation Area. 

Short Term (1–2 Years) 

• Establish Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) Area. 

• Bring forward proposals for Conservation Area boundary amendments. 

• Commission householder guidance on stone repairs and painting. 

• Update Supplementary Planning Policy Guidance as necessary. 

• Bring forward proposals for tackling maintenance issues. 

• Bring forward proposals for raising awareness/interpretation/education. 

• Draw up development briefs for sensitive sites. 

• Reinstate missing parts of hedge at Wellington Square Gardens. 

• Establish a co-ordination group for works to the public realm. 

Medium Term (2–5 Years) 

• Operate Townscape Heritage Initiative Area. 

• Implement public realm improvements at South Harbour Street (Local Plan priority). 

• Implement public realm improvements to riverside walkway. 

• Bring forward a policy and guidance to protect the medieval rigs. 

Long Term (5 Years or more) 

• Replacement of the riverfront buildings behind 12–16 and 26–48 High Street (Ayr 

Renaissance project). 

• Re-design of Burns Statue Square (Ayr Renaissance project) 

• Redevelopment of Boswell Park area (Ayr Renaissance project). 

• Replace the public realm surfaces in the Sandgate, High Street and Newmarket Street 

with appropriate high quality natural materials. 

• Improve pedestrian priority at Sandgate and Burns Statue Square. 

• Encourage reinstatement of railings in Alloway Place, Barns Street, and Miller Road. 

• Encourage reinstatement of garden ground and boundary walls to service lanes. 

• Encourage improvements to design of upper storeys at 48 Sandgate (and 26–30 High 

Street, if not already covered by the Ayr Renaissance project above). 

83

Part Two 


84


Bibliography 

& Appendices 

PART THREE - BIBLIOGRAPHY & APPENDICES 

BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 86 

APPENDIX A: Archaeological resources............................................................. 87 

APPENDIX B: Listed Buildings............................................................................. 89 

APPENDIX C: Key Historic Buildings................................................................... 101 

APPENDIX D: Open Spaces.................................................................................. 104 

APPENDIX E: Summary of Local Plan Policies................................................... 124 

APPENDIX F: Potential Interpretation & Awareness Projects........................... 126 

APPENDIX G: Proposed Townscape Heritage Initiative Area Map.................... 134 

APPENDIX H: Suggested Boundary Amendments............................................. 135 

85

Bibliography 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Books 

Author 

Ayrshire Archaeological & Natural 

History Society 

Title 

Historic Ayr: A Guide for Visitors (2001) 

Close, Rob 

Ayrshire & Arran RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guide 

(1992) 

Close, Rob The Street Names of Ayr (2001) 

Close, Rob Ayr: A History & Celebration (2005) 

Dodd, William A Ayr: A Study of Urban Growth (1972) 

Gourlay, Robert & Turner, Anne Burgh Survey of Ayr (1977; revised 1994) 

Howard, Deborah 

Scottish Architecture from the Reformation to the Restoration, 

1560–1660 (1995) 

Kennedy, R & J Old Ayr (1992) 

Love, Dane Ayr Past & Present (2003) 

Love, Dane Ayr Stories (2000) 

Love, Dane Pictorial History of Ayr (1995) 

Mays, Deborah (ed.) The Architecture of Scottish Cities (1997) 

McWilliam, Colin Scottish Townscape (1975) 

Reid, Denholm & Andrew, Ken Ayr Remembered (2001) 

Strawhorn, John The History of Ayr (1989) 

Websites 

Website Address 

www.britishmuseum.org 

www.edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot 

Details 

British Museum: online images of Ayr. 

Text of the Old and New Statistical Accounts of Scotland, 

1791–99 and 1837. 

www.gazetteerofscotland.org.uk Text of Francis Groome’s Gazetteer of Scotland, 1896 

(2nd edition). 

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk Historic Scotland: information on scheduled monuments 

and listed buildings. 

www.nas.gov.uk 

National Archives of Scotland: catalogue of holdings. 

www.nls.uk 

National Library of Scotland: catalogue of books; online 

historical maps. 

www.pastmap.org.uk 

Online mapping of scheduled monuments, listed 

buildings, designed landscapes, National Monuments 

Record of Scotland catalogue, local Sites & Monuments 

Record catalogues. 

www.rcahms.gov.uk 

Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments 

of Scotland: catalogue of holdings. 

www.scottisharchitects.org.uk Online Dictionary of Scottish Architects. 

www.scran.ac.uk 

Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network: online 

images. 

www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk South Ayrshire Council: planning, library and archives 

information. 

86


APPENDIX A: Archaeological resources 

Appendix A 



Archaeological events and sites in Ayr and Newton. 

KEY 

Noted sites 

1. Laigh Tolbooth (site) 

2. Over Tolbooth (site) 

3. Hospital (site) 

4. Newton Tolbooth Tower 

5. Wallace Tower 


7. Lady Cathcart’s House 

8. Ayr Castle (site) 

9. Newton Castle (site) 


11. Blackfriars (site) 

12. Auld Kirk/Greyfriars 

13. Newton Parish Church 

Excavated archaeological sites 

• 

A. Garden Street Excavation 

B. Kyle Street Excavation 

C. 167–169 High Street Excavation 

Cromwellian Citadel 

Upstanding outer wall 

Scheduled sections 

Former extent of outer wall 


Historic core (West of 

Scotland Archaeology 

Service action zone) 

87

Appendix A 


Public buildings 

Unusually Ayr had two tollbooths: the Laigh Tolbooth (1) in the High Street, which was the 

older and apparently fell into disuse in the 16th century, and the Over Tolbooth in Sandgate 

(2). Both were demolished in the early 19th century. A hospital (3) was established by the 

burgh in the 17th century and was located to the southwest of the town. Newton had a 

tolbooth built in 1795 on Main Street; the tower remains standing (4). 

A bridge existed at Ayr in the 13th century, presumably made of wood. The standing stone 

‘Auld Brig’ is thought to date to the 15th century and is a rare example of a mediaeval 

bridge. 

Private Buildings 

The Auld Toor (5) may have started life as a private building in the 16th century. It was 

purchased by the town in the 17th century and the current building, named the Wallace 

Tower, is a re-building from 1832. 

Loudoun Hall (6) dates from at least the early 16th century and is a rare survival of a private 

town house from this date. Lady Cathcart’s House (7) is a good example of the discovery 

of earlier elements in an ostensibly later structure. The building was initially thought to be 

19th century in date but renovations revealed that later alterations hid a largely 17th century 

structure. Archaeological recording led to the further discovery of 16th century features, 

suggesting that an even earlier building had been absorbed. 

Fortifications 

The royal castle at Ayr (8) overlooked the harbour to the northwest of town. It seems to have 

stood until after 1542, as it was occupied by French troops at that time. No archaeological 

remains related to the castle have been recorded and nothing certain is known about its 

form. 

The castle was not standing when the Cromwellian Citadel was constructed between 

1652 and 1654. Some parts of the Citadel’s defences are now scheduled and it is the best 

preserved example of such a fort in Scotland. Several excavations have been undertaken 

in and around the Citadel. The earliest, in 1976 was carried out to the immediate rear of the 

north bastion that hosts Miller’s Folly. This recovered large amounts of medieval pottery, 

probably brought from elsewhere along with soil to form a rampart behind the outer wall. 

It also recorded another wall thought to be associated with the defences. More recently an 

evaluation undertaken in Citadel Place in 2007 found evidence for both the moat and wall of 

the citadel, although these had been very disturbed. These discoveries confirm that remains 

of the fort can survive below the surface where no visible remains are present and the line 

of the defences and interior should be viewed as archaeologically sensitive. 

A tower or manor existed in Newton (9) by 1540, and it was recorded as having been blown 

down in a storm during 1701. A ditch possibly related to the tower was recorded during an 

excavation near its supposed location. 

Ecclesiastical sites 

The parish church of St John’s was abandoned after construction of the citadel and has since 

been demolished, except for the standing tower (10). The tower is a 15th century addition, 

and the church itself has been dated to around the time of the founding of the burgh. Several 

excavations have been undertaken on the site, the most recent in 2001, and have confirmed 

that burials still survive in the vicinity. 

The Dominicans or Blackfriars had a monastery at Ayr by 1242. The buildings were 

demolished after the Reformation but documents indicate that they were located at the foot 

of Mill Street (11). 

Much later the Franciscans or Greyfriars had a friary in the town by 1498. The site was 

later used to build the Auld Kirk in 1654 (12). Excavations uncovered part of the friary 

graveyard in 1982 and the Auld Kirk still stands. 

A parish church was built relatively late, 1779, in Newton (13). It does not stand any longer 

but was formerly behind the tolbooth. 

88


APPENDIX B: Listed Buildings 

Appendix B 



Listed buildings in and around Ayr Central Conservation Area. Listed building points as at June 2008. Crown 

copyright, courtesy of Historic Scotland. 

KEY 

• 

• 

• 

Category A 

Category B 

Category C(S) 


In the following summary list entries are ordered by street, then number, then name. The 

date of listing is expressed as yyyy/mm/dd. 

‘HS Ref’ is the listing reference number allocated by Historic Scotland. It is possible to access 

the full list description online by adding the reference number to the following web address: 

http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM= 

‘RCAHMS Ref’ is the reference number allocated by the Royal Commission on the Ancient 

& Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) to records in their collections. It is possible 

to view the catalogue entries by adding the reference number to the following web address: 

http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.newcandig_details_gis?inumlink= 

89

Appendix B 


Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Academy Street 9 and 11 C(S) 1980/01/10 21466 201391 

Academy Street 10-14 (Even Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21467 201393 



Academy Street 2 C(S) 2000/03/29 47131 201794 

Lane 

Ailsa Place, Citadel Fortifications B 1971/02/05 21547 201795 

Arran Terrace, 

Bruce Crescent 

(Rear), 

Citadel Lane, 

Mountgomerie 

Terarace (Rear) 

and South 

Harbour Street 

Including Miller’s Folly 

Alloway Place 1-5a (Inclusive Nos), B B 1971/02/05 21488 41832 

Including Boundary Walls 

Alloway Place 6-9 (Inclusive Nos), B B 1971/02/05 21489 41833 


and Railings 

Alloway Place 10-14 (Inclusive Nos), B B 1971/02/05 21490 41834 


Alloway Place Dereel, Ayr Ex- 

B 1980/01/10 21491 201395 

Servicemen’s Club 

Including Gatepier, Gates 

and Boundary Walls 

Alloway Street 22-28 (Even Nos) C(S) 1999/03/29 47136 201807 

Alloway Street 30 C(S) 1999/03/29 47137 265126 

Arran Terrace 1, (Clyde Cottage) and C(S) 1980/01/10 21492 244012 

1a, Including Boundary 

Wall, Gatepiers and 

Gates 

Barns Crescent 1, Barns House Including A 1971/02/05 21496 200949 

Ancillary Structures, 

Walled Garden, 

Gatepiers, Gates and 

Boundary Wall 

Barns Crescent 6, 6a and 8, Including C(S) 1980/01/10 21497 201513 

Boundary Wall 

Barns Park 1-4 (Inclusive Nos), B 1971/02/05 21498 201514 

Including Gatepiers, 

Railings and Boundary 

Wall 

Barns Street 1, Berkeley House, B B 1971/02/05 21499 41825 


Barns Street 2 B B 1971/02/05 21502 41830 

90


Appendix B 

Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Barns Street 3, Including Railings B B 1971/02/05 21500 41828 


Barns Street 5 and 5a, Including B B 1971/02/05 47138 240427 

Railings 


Barns Street 7, Including Railings B B 1971/02/05 21501 41826 


Barns Street 9 and 11, Town Hotel B B 1971/02/05 47139 240419 



Barns Street 14 Barns Street and 30 B B 1971/02/05 47158 239862 

and Fullarton 

Street 

Fullarton Street 

Barns Street 15 and 17, Including 

Railings 

B B 1971/02/05 47140 201809 

Barns Street 

and Fullarton 

Street 

16 Barns Street and 32 


B B 1971/02/05 47159 239863 

Barns Street 18 C(S) B 1971/02/05 47160 239864 

Barns Street 19 and 21 B B 1971/02/05 47141 240421 

Barns Street 20 C(S) B 1971/02/05 47161 239865 

Barns Street 22 and 24 C(S) B 1971/02/05 47162 239866 

Barns Street 23 and 25, Including B B 1971/02/05 47142 240423 

Railings 

Barns Street 26 and 28, Including C(S) B 1971/02/05 47163 239869 

Railings 

Barns Street 27 and 29, Including B B 1971/02/05 47143 201810 

Railings 

Barns Terrace 1-14 (Inclusive Nos), B 1971/02/05 21503 41831 

Including Boundary Wall 

and Gatepiers 

Bath Place 4, Wellington Lodge, C(S) 1999/03/29 47164 201813 

Including Boundary Wall, 

Gatepiers and Railings 

Bath Place 14 and 16, Including B 1971/02/05 21504 201515 

Boundary Wall, 

Gatepiers, Gates and 

Railings 

Boat Vennal Loudoun Hall A 1980/01/10 21656 41819 

Boswell Park Bingo Hall (Former Ayr B 1999/03/29 47166 201814 

Playhouse) 

Bruce Crescent 1 and 2, inc Boundary C(S) 1980/01/10 21511 201523 

Wall and Gatepiers 

Bruce Crescent 3, Including Boundary 


C(S) 1980/01/10 21512 201524 

91

Appendix B 


Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 




Burns Statue 

Square 

Burns Statue 

Square 

Burns Statue 

Square 

Burns Statue 

Square 

4, Including Boundary 


C(S) 1980/01/10 21513 201526 

5, Including Boundary C(S) 1980/01/10 21514 201527 

Wall, Gatepiers and 

Postbox 

St John The Baptist’s B 1971/02/05 21766 41745 

Tower inc Gatepiers, 

Gates & Boundary Wall 

1-7 (Odd Nos) B 1980/01/10 21517 201822 

9-15 (Odd Nos) B 1980/01/10 21518 265131 

17-23 (Odd Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21519 265132 

Monument To Robert 

Burns Including Railings 

B 1971/02/05 21515 41744 

Carrick Street Gaiety Theatre B 1972/12/08 21522 201278 

Cassilis Street 5 Including Boundary B 1980/01/10 21526 201425 

Wall 

Cassilis Street 6 and 6a, Including B 1980/01/10 21525 201429 

Railings and Gate 

Cassilis Street 8 and 10, Including B 1980/01/10 47167 201823 

Railings and Gates 

Cassilis Street 12 and 14, Including B 1980/01/10 47168 244502 


Cathcart Street 5 C(S) 1971/02/05 21527 41874 


Cathcart Street 7 and 9 C(S) 1971/02/05 21528 41735 


Cathcart Street 10, 12, 12a and 14 C(S) 1971/02/05 21531 201830 

Cathcart Street 16 and 18 C(S) 1971/02/05 21532 244507 

Cathcart Street 17, Flats A-N, (Former B 1980/01/10 21534 201431 

Relief Church) Including 

Boundary Wall and 

Gatepiers 

Cathcart Street 20, Cathcart House B 1971/02/05 21533 244508 


and Railings 


and Fort Street 

2, 4 Charlotte Street and 

43 Fort Street 

C(S) 1980/01/10 21545 244459 


and Fort Street 

3 Charlotte Street and 

45b Fort Street 

C(S) 1980/01/10 21536 244461 

Charlotte Street 5 C(S) 1980/01/10 21537 244462 

Charlotte Street 6 and 8 C(S) 1980/01/10 21546 201421 

Charlotte Street 7, Grant House C(S) 1980/01/10 21538 244463 

92


Appendix B 

Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Charlotte Street 9, Shangri-La C(S) 1980/01/10 21539 244464 

Charlotte Street 11 B 1980/01/10 21540 201435 



Charlotte Street 17 B 1980/01/10 21543 201838 

Charlotte Street 39, Almont Hotel, C(S) 1980/01/10 21544 201417 


and Postbox 

Citadel Lane (Rear Of 2 Montgomerie B 1971/02/05 21548 41779 

Terrace), Citadel Gate 

Citadel Place 1, 3 Citadel Pl & 19 Fort B 1971/02/05 21549 201449 

and Fort Street St 

Citadel Place 5 and 7, Including Gates B 1980/01/10 21550 244514 

Citadel 

Place and 

Montgomerie 

Terrace 

Citadel Place 

Citadel Place 

8-12 (Even Nos) Citadel 

Place and 1 Montgomerie 

Terrace Including 

Boundary Walls 

15 and 17, Including 

Gates and Railings 

19-25 (Odd Nos), 

Including Boundary Wall, 

Gatepiers and Railings 

C(S) 1971/02/05 21553 201452 

B 1971/02/05 21551 201450 

C(S) 1971/02/05 21552 201451 

Cromwell Road 6 and 8 C(S) 1999/03/29 47173 201857 

Dalblair Road 17-25 (Odd Nos), C(S) 1980/01/10 21560 201549 


Dalblair Road 27-39 (Odd Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21561 201858 

Dalblair Road 36-40 (Even Nos), C(S) 1980/01/10 21564 201861 


Dalblair Road 49-53 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1999/03/29 47174 201859 




Dalblair Road 77-85 (Odd Nos) Dalblair B B 1980/01/10 21563 200937 

and Alloway 

Street 

Road and 54-62 (Even 

Nos) Alloway Street 

Eglinton Terrace 1-27 (Inclusive Nos), B 1971/02/05 21573 201585 

Including Boundary 

Walls, Gatepiers, Railings 

& Gates 

Fort Street 2, Old Custom House B 1977/02/15 21579 201223 


Fort Street 47 and 49 B 1980/01/10 21578 201610 

Fort Street 52 and 54 B 1980/01/10 21581 201607 

93

Appendix B 


Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Fort Street and 


62-74 (Even Nos) Fort 

Street and 2-10 (Even 

Nos) Fullarton Street, 

Wellington Chambers 

B 1980/01/10 21584 201608 

Fort Street Ayr Academy B 1971/02/05 21582 200777 

Fort Street Former Cathcart Church B 1971/02/05 21583 201247 

Including Archway, 

Gatepiers, Gates, 

Railings 

Fullarton Street 18 and 20 C(S) 1999/03/29 47186 201890 

Fullarton Street 22 and 24 C(S) 1999/03/29 47187 201892 

Fullarton Street 25 and 27, Including C(S) 1980/01/10 21585 201893 

Boundary Wall 

Fullarton Street Holy Trinity Church A 1971/02/05 21586 201273 

(Scottish Episcopal) Inc 

Church Hall 

High Street 11-15 (Odd Nos) B 1980/01/10 21593 201680 


High Street 23 and 25 B 1980/01/10 21595 245324 

High Street 35-39 (Odd Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21596 201668 

High Street 47 and 49 C(S) 1971/02/05 21597 245624 

High Street 50 B 1980/01/10 21620 265085 

High Street 51 C(S) 1971/02/05 21598 201706 

High Street 53 and 53a B 1980/01/10 21599 201682 

High Street 54 High Street and 1 Old B 1980/01/10 21621 201677 

and Old Bridge 

Street 

Bridge Street 




High Street and 

Newmarket 

Street 


Newmarket 

Street 

75 High Street and 2 

Newmarket Street 

77-81 (Odd Nos) High 

Street and 1 Newmarket 

Street 

B 1980/01/10 21603 245349 

B 1980/01/10 21604 201742 



High Street 88-98 (Even Nos) B 1977/02/15 21623 265083 






94


Appendix B 

Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 


Kirk Port 

112 and 114 High Street 

and 1 Kirk Port 

B 1980/01/10 21627 245147 



High Street 123 B 1971/02/05 21610 201703 




High Street 146 B 1980/01/10 21632 201725 


High Street and 155, 157 High Street and B 1999/03/29 47200 201745 

Carrick Street 2, 4 Carrick Street 


High Street 162-170 (Even Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21635 201715 


Mill Street 

172-176 (Even Nos) High 

Street and 1-7 (Odd Nos) 

Mill Street, Wallace Tower 

B 1971/02/05 21636 41775 


High Street 211-217 (Odd Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21613 265079 

High Street 212-218 (Even Nos) C(S) 1999/03/29 47206 201752 

High Street 219-223 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21615 201711 



High Street 228 C(S) 1980/01/10 21637 201754 

High Street 230 B 1971/02/05 21638 201664 

High Street 233 and 235 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21618 265118 

High Street 234 C(S) 1980/01/10 21639 201757 


Hope Street 18 and 20 C(S) 1980/01/10 21646 205774 

Kirk Port 9 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21650 202691 

Kirk Port 10 and 12 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21651 202690 

Kirk Port 14 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21652 205828 

Kirk Port Auld Kirk Of Ayr, Church A 1971/02/05 21653 41840 

Of Scotland 

Kirk Port Auld Kirk Of Ayr Gateway A 1971/02/05 21654 41842 

Kirk Port Auld Kirk Of Ayr 

B 1971/02/05 21655 205801 

Graveyard Including 

Boundary Walls and 

Lamp Standard 

Kyle Street and 

Alloway Street 

2 Kyle Street and 1 and 3 

Alloway Street 

C(S) 1999/03/29 47208 205829 

95

Appendix B 


Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Miller Road 1-5 (Odd Nos), Including B 1980/01/10 21673 202749 

Gatepiers and Boundary 

Wall 

Miller Road 4 and 6, Including B 1971/02/05 21678 205952 


Wall 

Miller Road 7 and 9, Including C(S) 1980/01/10 21674 205946 

Boundary Wall 

Miller Road 8 C(S) 1971/02/05 21679 205953 

Miller Road 10-24 (Even Nos), B 1971/02/05 21680 202754 


Gates, Railings and 


Miller Road 25 and 27, Including C(S) 1980/01/10 21675 202750 

Boundary Wall 

Miller Road 26 and 28, Including B 1971/02/05 21681 202755 

Boundary Wall 

Miller Road 30, Including Gatepiers, B 1980/01/10 21682 202756 

Gates and Boundary Wall 

Miller Road 32, Including Gatepiers C(S) 1980/01/10 21683 202757 

and Boundary Wall 

Miller Road 33-43 (Odd Nos), 



Wall 

C(S) 1980/01/10 21677 202758 

Montgomerie 

Terrace 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street and High 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 



Gatepiers 

C(S) 1971/02/05 21684 202760 

1 and 3 A 1971/02/05 21689 41862 

2-6 (Even Nos) B 1971/02/05 21693 41865 

7-11 (Odd Nos) B 1980/01/10 21690 41863 

8 and 10 B 1971/02/05 21694 41866 

12 and 14 B 1980/01/10 21695 41867 

13-17 (Odd Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21691 205997 

21 and 29 New Bridge 

Street and 1-9 (Odd 

Nos) High Street, Town 

Buildings 

A 1980/01/10 21692 41822 

22 C(S) 1980/01/10 21696 41868 

96


Appendix B 

Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street 

New Bridge 

Street and 

Academy Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

Newmarket 

Street 

24 and 26 B 1980/01/10 21697 41869 

28 and 30 C(S) 1980/01/10 21698 41870 

32 C(S) 1980/01/10 21699 41871 

34 New Bridge Street and A 1980/01/10 21700 41872 

2, 2a Academy Street 


3 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21703 206094 

4 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21711 202788 

5-9 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21704 202786 

6-10 (Even Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21712 228627 

11 and 13 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21705 206095 

12 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21713 202448 

15-19 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 47221 206096 

18-22 (Even Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21714 246067 

21-25 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21706 206097 

27 and 29 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21707 206099 

30-38 (Even Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21715 202789 

31-39 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 47222 246079 

40 and 42 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21716 202836 

41 and 43 C(S) B 1980/01/01 21708 206100 

44 and 46 C(S) B 1980/01/10 47224 202776 

45-51 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 47223 206101 

48 C(S) B 1980/01/10 47225 202790 

50-66 (Even Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21717 202449 

97

Appendix B 


Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Newmarket 53-57 (Odd Nos) C(S) B 1980/01/10 21709 202450 

Street 

Newmarket 71 C(S) B 1982/01/19 21710 206103 

Street 

Nile Court Former Masonic Hall B 1999/03/29 47226 206226 

Park Terrace 1-8a (Inclusive Nos), C(S) 1980/01/10 21723 202546 

Including Boundary 

Walls, Gatepiers, Gates 

& Railings 

Queen’s Terrace 1-17 (Odd Nos), Including B 1971/02/05 21724 202594 


Railings 


and Bath Place 


2 Queen’s Terrace and 

18 Bath Place Including 

Boundary Wall 


Railings 

B 1971/02/05 21726 202835 

C(S) 1971/02/05 47229 206229 

Queen’s Terrace 8-16 (Even Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21727 202834 

Queen’s Terrace 19-33 (Odd Nos), B 1971/02/05 21725 202598 


and Railings 

Racecourse 

Road 


Gatepiers and Boundary 

Wall 

B 1971/02/05 21728 41835 

Racecourse 

Road 

5, Meteor Hotel Including 


Wall 

C(S) 1980/01/10 21729 202610 

Sandgate 1 and 3 B 1971/02/05 21769 41836 

Sandgate and 2 and 4 Sandgate and 1 B 1980/01/10 21782 41861 

Academy Street Academy Street 

Sandgate 7-11 (Odd Nos) B 1971/02/05 21770 41837 

Sandgate 8 B 1980/01/10 21783 41847 

Sandgate 10 and 12 C(S) 1980/01/10 21784 41848 

Sandgate 13 C(S) 1980/01/10 21771 206116 

Sandgate 14 B 1980/01/10 21785 41849 

Sandgate 15 and 17 B 1980/01/10 21772 41839 


Sandgate and 

Cathcart Street 

20 Sandgate and 1 

Cathcart Street 

B 1980/01/10 21787 41851 

Sandgate 21-25 (Odd Nos) B 1980/01/10 21773 41737 

Sandgate and 22 Sandgate and 2 and 4 A 1980/01/10 21788 41852 

Cathcart Street Cathcart Street 

Sandgate 24 C(S) 1980/01/10 21789 41854 


98


Appendix B 

Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Sandgate 33 and 35 B 1980/01/10 21775 41844 

Sandgate 34 and 34a B 1977/02/15 21790 41855 

Sandgate 37 B 1971/02/05 21776 41736 

Sandgate 39, Queen’s Court House A 1971/02/05 21777 41845 

Sandgate 41, Queen’s Court B 1977/02/15 21778 41846 

Centre, Including Lamp 

Standards, Railings and 


Sandgate 43 B 1980/01/10 21779 202866 

Sandgate 67-71 (Odd Nos) C(S) 1980/01/10 21781 203190 

Sandgate 58a, Former Sandgate B 1980/01/10 21794 41873 

Church and Church Hall, 


Gates, Railings & 

Boundary Wall 


Sandgate 54 and 54a C(S) 1980/01/10 47576 41858 

Smith Street 18 B 1980/01/10 21799 202897 

Smith Street 24-30 (Even Nos) C(S) B 1999/03/29 47237 202890 



Smith Street 48-56 (Even Nos) B B 1999/03/29 47240 206206 

South Harbour 1-5 (Odd Nos) B 1971/02/05 21800 41859 

Street 

South Harbour 7 C(S) 1971/02/05 21801 245009 

Street 

South Harbour 9-13 (Odd Nos) B 1971/02/05 21802 41860 

Street 

South Harbour 23 and 25 C(S) 1980/01/10 47577 206236 

Street 

Wellington 

Square 

1, Including Railings and 

Gate 

B B 1971/02/05 21815 41732 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 



B B 1971/02/05 47242 206252 

4, Including Railings & B B 1971/02/05 47243 206266 

Gate 

5 and 6, Including B B 1971/02/05 47244 206268 


7 and 8, Including B B 1971/02/05 47245 206269 


9, Including Railings B B 1971/02/05 47246 206304 

10, Including Railings 

and Gate 

B B 1971/02/05 47247 206342 

99

Appendix B 


Street 

No. or Name 

Category 

Grp 

Cat 

List Date 

HS 

Ref 

RCAHMS 

Ref 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

Wellington 

Square 

11, Including Railings and 

Gate 

B B 1971/02/05 47248 268301 


and Gates 

14, Sheriff Court A B 1971/02/05 21820 41823 

16 C(S) B 1971/02/05 21816 228349 

17 C(S) B 1971/02/05 47251 206314 

18 B B 1971/02/05 47252 41731 


20 B B 1971/02/05 47254 203318 


22, Including Carriage- B B 1971/02/05 47256 228653 

House 

23 B B 1971/02/05 47257 228662 

24 B B 1971/02/05 47258 228652 

25 B B 1971/02/05 21817 41827 

26 C(S) B 1980/01/10 21818 41824 

27 B B 1971/02/05 21819 203317 

Monument To James 

George Smith Neill, CB 

B B 1980/01/10 21821 206346 

Monument To Archibald B B 1980/01/10 21822 206350 

William, Earl of Eglinton 

and Wintoun 

Monument To Sir James B B 1980/01/10 21823 206358 

Fergusson of Kilkerran 

County Buildings B B 1971/02/05 47250 41823 

Including Gates 

War Memorial C(S) B 1999/03/29 47259 203225 

Garden Gatepiers, Gates 

and Boundary Walls 

C(S) B 1999/03/29 47260 206352 

100


APPENDIX C: Key Historic Buildings 

Appendix C 



Key historic buildings. 

Town Buildings, 21 and 29 New Bridge Street and 1-9 (Odd Nos) High Street 

Without doubt the most spectacular architectural feature of Ayr is the 64m steeple above 

the Town Buildings, designed by the Edinburgh architect Thomas Hamilton in 1827. Built 

on the site of the old assembly rooms and adjacent to the site of the old High Tolbooth, the 

new building combined the functions of these two predecessors. The stone was brought 

via the Forth & Clyde Canal from Cullaloe in Fife. The enormous height of the steeple was 

a response to local concerns that the bells would be inaudible from the low-lying site. The 

steeple dominates views to the town from all directions, and is a key element of the skyline. 

Sensitively extended into the High Street by James Sellars of Campbell Douglas & Sellars 

in 1878-81. 

Loudoun Hall, Boat Vennel 

Built for James Tait in about 1513, Loudon Hall is the earliest surviving merchant’s townhouse 

known to survive anywhere in Scotland. Last repaired by ARP Lorimer Architects in 1997-98. 

34 New Bridge Street and 2, 2a Academy Street 

Another commission for Thomas Hamilton, won on the back of his success in the 1818 

competition for the Burns Monument at Alloway, this time for the Ayrshire Bank in 1832. A 

chaste Grecian design, serving as a counterpoint to the almost baroque sculptural qualities 

of the Town Buildings opposite. 

101

Appendix C 


Lady Cathcart’s House, 22 Sandgate 

Dating from circa 1600, the relatively narrow frontage and long range of lower buildings 

along Cartcart Street probably reflect the medieval rigg pattern. John Loudon MacAdam 

(1756-1836), the pioneer road engineer, is reputed to have been born in the house. Cathcart 

Street was opened in about 1822, replacing an existing house and vennel off Sandgate. 

Repaired from 1991 by Simpson & Brown Architects, the building is coated in a striking 

creamy yellow lime-wash. 

Queen’s Court House, 39 Sandgate 

Designed for the Royal Bank of Scotland in the prevalent Italian palazzo style by Edinburgh 

architects, Peddie & Kinnear in 1857. The stone was brought from Dunaskin quarry near 

Dalmellington. 

Auld Kirk of Ayr and Kirkard Gateway, Kirk Port 

After the requisitioning of the old parish church by Oliver Cromwell’s troops in 1652, the 

Commonwealth Government subsidised the construction of a new kirk in the current site 

on the old Greyfirars’ lands. Theophilius Rankeine is credited with the design. A low T-plan 

building with gabled ‘dormer’ windows, the kirk retains three burgess lofts (merchants, 

tradesmen, and sailors) and its pulpit. The highly ornate 17th century monument to the 

long-serving minister (1639-82), William Adair, stands against the north wall. The kirkyard is 

entered from the narrow Kirk Port by a substantial gateway dated 1656. 

Auld Brig 

Preceded by a timber structure, the current stone bridge is thought to date from around 

1470. One of several medieval gateways to the town once stood at its northern (Newton/ 

Wallacetown) end. Massive masonry piers and cutwaters support the four arches. Famously, 

and accurately, the Auld Brig predicts the collapse of the New Brig in Robert Burns’ humorous 

1786 poem The Briggs of Ayr. The Auld Brig was extensively repaired by James A Morris in 

1910. 

1-3 New Bridge Street 

The double-bowed river frontage of 1-3 New Bridge Street forms part of the elegant welcome 

on the road from Newton to the core of the town. Built by the designer of the first New Bridge, 

Alexander Stevens, as an ornament to the bridge and as a home for himself. 

New Bridge 

Probably based on earlier classical designs by Robert Adam, construction of Alexander 

Stevens’ first New Bridge began in 1786 on the site of an early ford. A new road linked the 

bridge axially with Sandgate and the tower of the old tollbooth that stood in the middle of 

the street. The floods of 1877 swept away the first New Brig. A second wider ‘New Brig’ was 

constructed in the following year by the engineers Blyth & Cunningham. 

Wallace Tower, 172-176 (Even Nos) High Street and 1-7 (Odd Nos) Mill Street 

In 1673 the Burgh Council bought an old tower in the High Street belonging to the former 

Provost Adam Ritchie as ‘ane correctione house’. Whilst the tower was repaired and re-used 

on several occasions, it had become unsafe by the early 19th century. Thomas Hamilton 

designed a new ‘gothick’ style tower in 1831, but this too became unstable and had to be 

rebuilt in 1834. Widening of the High Street in the 1880s by demolition of properties on 

the north side left the tower as the only building projecting into the street on the original 

alignment. 

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Fullarton Street 

Although Holy Trinity, 1898, is incomplete externally, lacking its projected 56m tower and 

spire, it remains a major example of the work of the scholarly English architect John L 

Pearson (designer of Truro Cathedral). The interior is of outstanding quality, with beautifully 

crafted timberwork, ironwork and stained glass. 

102


County Buildings, Wellington Square 

Robert Wallace’s set-piece court-house of 1818-22 brings classical order to the west side of 

Wellington Square. The 1931 extension behind by Alex Mair complements the original with 

its monumental form and Inter-War classical details. 

St John’s Tower, Bruce Crescent 

The construction of Cromwell’s citadel overlooking the harbour and mouth of the River 

Ayr required the abandonment of the old Parish Church of St John the Baptist. Although 

Cromwell’s troops used the old kirk for storage, it was not maintained, and all but the tower 

was demolished at the end of the 17th century. The tower, which is thought to date from circa 

1300, was adapted for use as part of a quirky house for the landowner John Miller in the 

mid 19th century. The 3rd Marquess of Bute commissioned the architect James K Hunter to 

restore the tower to its appearance in the late 17th century engraving by John Slezer. 

Citadel 

Cromwell’s citadel continues to exert an influence over the built form of the town, both in 

its surviving walls and also the alignment of subsequent streets and property boundaries. 

Construction of the 6-sided fortifications started in 1652 after the designs of the military 

engineer, Hans Ewald Tessin. The Citadel was part of a network of fortifications built to 

maintain Oliver Cromwell’s control in Scotland. Only the eastern gateway and the north and 

west walls survive with their corner bastions in a much repaired or reconstructed state. The 

19th century owner of the citadel, John Miller, constructed the unusual turret on the corner 

of South Harbour Street as a folly. 

Ayr Pavilion 

An exotic confection of white-harled towers with pantiled roofs, the Pavilion was designed by 

local architect James K Hunter in 1911 as a seaside entertainment venue. The white towers 

are a landmark on the south side of the town. 

Railway Station and Hotel 

Designed in 1886 by the Chief Engineer of the Glasgow & South Western Railway Co., 

Andrew Galloway. Built in the form of a sprawling French château, with Mansard and pavilion 

roofs, the station and hotel form a suitably grand arrival point at Townhead. 

Newton Tower 

A relatively late remnant of Newton’s independent civic life, dating from the reconstruction 

of the tollbooth in 1795 by the Wallacetown mason, John Neil. Although a landmark on the 

approach to the New Bridge, the white-harled 5-stage Tower has been stranded on a traffic 

island since the demolition of the surrounding tollbooth for a road widening scheme in 1967. 

Newton Cross 

Another relic of Newton’s ancient status as a Burgh of Barony, the badly eroded inscription 

on the market cross reads: ‘Newtoun 1675 Rebuilt 1775’. The cross has been moved several 

times since its 1775 reconstruction. 

Carnegie Library 

The 1893 library in Renaissance style by the Glasgow architects, Campbell Douglas & 

Morrison, uses its oblique site cleverly by closing the view from the New Brig and deftly 

turning the corner on Main Street. Fine interior features include a tiled entrance hall and 

stained glass stair window by Stephen Adam & Co. 

Barns House, Barns Crescent 

This beautiful classical villa of circa 1800 once stood at the centre of its own small estate. 

Remains of an older house, circa 1690, survive in the lower side wing. The ancient southwestern 

route from Carrick Street to Racecourse Road ran immediately in front of the house: 

residual avenue trees from this route are shown on the 1st edition OS map. Parts of the 

estate were gradually sold for development from about 1800. 

Appendix C 

103

Appendix D 


APPENDIX D: Open Spaces 

This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey with the permission of the 

Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown copyright and/or database right 2008. All rights 

reserved. Licence number 100020765. 

Open spaces (excluding car parks) in and around Ayr Town Centre Conservation Area. 

KEY 

Open Space 

1. New Bridge Street 

2. Fish Market 

3. High Street 


5. Miller’s Folly 

6. Ailsa Place 

7. Miller Road 

8. Barns Park 


10. Wellington Square 

11. Fort Tennis Courts 

12. Ayr Bowling Green 

13. Auld Kirk 

14. Alloway Park Field* 


16. South Harbour Street* 

17. Seabank Road* 

18. Citadel Wall North* 

19. Citadel Wall West* 

20. Newton Cross* 

21. King Street* 

22. Miniature Golf* 

23. Putting Green* 

24. Place de St Germain-en-Laye* 

25. Low Green* 

26. Burns Statue Square* 

27. Ramsay Garden* 

River Ayr/Firth of Clyde* 



* indicates outside current Conservation Area boundary 

104


Appendix D 

Summary 

The Conservation Area contains diverse open space types from public realm space, amenity 

verges and strips, public parks, recreation grounds and a single graveyard. All contribute 

to the character of the Conservation Area, the setting of listed buildings or monuments and 

have some nature conservation and amenity value. Most are generally in reasonable heart, 

though standards of maintenance and upkeep in some publicly-owned spaces could be 

improved. Miller’s Folly, Harbour Street, is the only significant wasteland and major eyesore. 

One space, the Auld Kirk Graveyard, is deemed to be of national significance in its own right. 

It contains a number of notable historic gravestones and mural monuments and provides the 

setting for the ‘A’ listed Kirk, a rare example of its period. 

A few other seemingly lesser open spaces are also nationally rated for reasons of setting. 

The cultural significance of the ground and forecourt to Loudoun Hall is enhanced by that 

building’s Category A listing. In the proposed extensions to the Conservation Area, the 

amenity strips adjoining the Cromwellian Citadel, while only of local intrinsic interest, have 

enhanced value in providing the setting for that outstanding scheduled monument. Similarly, 

Ramsay Garden, beside the Auld Brig O’Ayr. 

A number of public realm spaces and parks are of more than local interest due to the 

quality of monuments or sculpture they display and the public spaces’ inherent historical 

interest. The most notable collection of monuments is situated in Wellington Square. Of the 

remainder, the statue of Robert Burns is the finest, though its original landscape setting is 

now much degraded. Park St Germain-en-Laye Gardens contains the fine late-Victorian 

Steven Fountain, donated by a partner in a major iron founding company. These last two 

areas are worthy of inclusion in the proposed Conservation Area extension, along with 

Low Green, which has particular historical interest as the Town’s common ground and 

longstanding recreational area with a well-recorded history. The associated putting greens, 

Esplanade and public realm areas cannot but be included too. 

INDIVIDUAL SITE SURVEY PART ONE: SITES WITHIN THE EXISTING AYR CENTRAL 

CONSERVATION AREA 

Public Realm Open Space 

These are small modest areas of mostly hard landscaping which make a contribution to the 

general amenity of the Conservation area. Though the Conservation Area has few spaces 

of this type, some contain fine sculptural elements, e.g. beside Winton Buildings and Fish 

Cross, or provide a setting for key historic buildings, e.g. Loudoun Hall. 

1. Gap site on the corner of High Street and Sandgate 

History/Description: 

A longstanding, pocket seating area on a site awaiting redevelopment. It sits uncomfortably 

at the busy High Street/Sandgate junction, railed off from the pavement and traffic. Two 

large sign boards provide an advertising stance for local entertainments and offer a degree 

of screening from traffic amongst the surrounding clutter of assorted street furniture and 

materials. Exposed building gables are partially screened by several purple beech trees. 

Condition: 

Fair but design and amenity extremely poor. 

Assessment of significance: 

Of no real significance; the trees ‘soften’ an otherwise prominent and unsightly gap site. 

105

Appendix D 


Opportunities for Planning Action/Enhancement: 

Building redevelopment is strongly encouraged. If this is not imminent, the trees should be 

retained and the layout/design enhanced. 

Ownership: the space is privately owned. 

2. Fish Cross, Hope Street 


The historic site of the town’s Fishmarket, established in 1539 (Love, p.28, 1995) and 

described in 1828 as “a dirty awkward and confined corner […] over two common sewers or 

principal gutters” (Strawhorn, 1989). The Fish Cross was a post or pillar holding a pivoted 

beam with two suspended weighing pans. The site is now marked by a focal sculptural figure 

’Reminiscence’ by Malcolm Robertson, commemorating the loss of the Ayr fishing fleet to 

Troon, in 1996 (Moore, 2005). The figure is surrounded by plant tubs from 1970-90s-era 

of High Street improvements and other adhoc street furniture including, at time of several 

visits, unsightly refuse bins. The floorscape is marked out in a pattern of pink and black 

granite setts with an inscribed paving stone in the nearby slabbed pavement. 

Condition: 

Fair. The bronze sculptural figure is of high quality design but the street furniture and 

surrounding amenity is poor. 

Assessment of significance: 

An excellent piece of public art marking the end of Ayr’s long fishing tradition and the site 

of an historic public space. The bronze figure and site is of regional significance. The 

layout is of more local significance. 


Enhancement of surrounding streetscape and street furniture would be beneficial. There 

is scope for raising the general quality of layout and design in conjunction with wider High 

Street enhancement. Examine the scope for storage of refuse bins elsewhere/collection 

outwith shopping hours and/or arrange for uplift to the rear of premises, if this is feasible. 


3. Triangular Seating Area by Winton Buildings, Hope Street 


Marks the general site of the medieval Meal Market, now a triangular pocket public amenity 

open space graced by a 1990s-period abstract modern sculpture—‘Poet and Scholar’ by 

Douglas Cocker. The granite sett paving, timber/metal seating and metal work railing provide 

a setting for the artwork. The sett pattern is similar to Fish Cross. Three semi-mature lime 

trees provide welcome greenery in the High Street. The area is split level, the High Street 

pavement being higher than the seating area and stone slab pavement leading to Hope 

Street. 

Condition: 

Good; seats now suffering a bit from wear and tear. 

Assessment of Significance: 

The statue, erected in 1996 on the bicentenary of the death of Robert Burns, is a competent 

piece of modern public art by a notable Scottish sculptor. As a space of some historical interest 

it has regional significance; the layout surrounding it is of more local significance. 

106



There is scope for improving the general quality of layout and design in conjunction with 

wider High Street enhancement and improvement of Fish Cross. Retention of the trees is to 

be encouraged. 


4. Loudoun Hall Forecourt, Boat Vennel 


Originally ground adjoining the 16th-century townhouse of the Campbells of Loudoun, for 

many years hereditary Sheriffs of Ayrshire. The house was saved from demolition by the 

Marquis of Bute and restored in 1946-48. The building provides a meeting place for local 

clubs and societies. The courtyard was laid out in the 1970s and remodelled in 1997 by 

architects Reiach & Hall in conjunction with artists Gordon Young and Louice Lusby Taylor. 

The space is approached via Boat Vennel off Sandgate, bypassing a bronze model of the 

building set on a plinth, then proceeding under a trabeated gateway. The paved courtyard 

is sculptural in form containing a mixture of stone paving and soft landscaping. Historical 

reminders of Ayr are present such as the ‘seat of justice’ and mock 15th and 16th-century 

arrow slits and gun loops in the high north stone wall, which hugs low wall-bench seating. 

Quirky bronze sculptural features are slipped into design—a bronze fish in the lane to the 

harbour and a scotch pie in Boat Vennel, both by pupils of Ayr Academy; a bronze fish and 

chip wrapper is tucked beside the seat of justice, known affectionately as ‘Sheena’s seat’ 

after Sheena Andrews, a leading Trustee of Loudoun Hall (information courtesy of Michael 

Hitchon). The south courtyard wall by contrast comprises a simple, blue/green-opaque glass 

screen with two panels inscribed ‘watching the shadows move with the sun’ and ‘at the edge 

of the sea’ A line of rowan and whitebeam is set in large iron shipyard(?) plates in front. The 

courtyard is floodlit at night. A small grassy lawn adjoins the building on the Harbour Street 

side. 

Condition: 

Fair–good. General standard of maintenance is poor. The area is beginning to look down 

at heel and litter is a problem; there is no firm edge to the shrub bed against the north wall 

leaving areas of exposed earth and the potential for damage to adjacent paving. One tree is 

dead and requires to be replaced. 


This is a recent twentieth-century open space and much used pedestrian through-route 

linking Sandgate and Harbour Street, providing peace and tranquillity from the adjacent 

busy thoroughfares. The design provides a sensitive setting for Loudoun Hall, a Category A 

listed building, and incorporates interesting local history elements. The space is of national 

significance in providing the setting for the A-listed Loudoun Hall, but the design 

itself is of regional significance. 


There is scope for environmental improvement, conserving and reinterpreting relevant 

sculptural elements relating to the old Town and the site history. 

Ownership: South Ayrshire Parks Department. 

Public Amenity Verges or Strips 

These are linear roadside strips of planting, distinctive lines of roadside trees, or pockets of 

grassland which contribute to the setting of listed buildings/scheduled monuments and the 

general amenity of the Conservation Area. Though only of local significance, their loss would 

diminish the environmental quality of the CA and the setting of key built features. 

Appendix D 

107

Appendix D 

5. Citadel North Bastion and Miller’s Folly 



An unmaintained and neglected wasteland occupying the prominent northern bastion of the 

Cromwellian Citadel. The defining gazebo or Miller’s folly on the corner of the 17th-century 

walling is said to have been built with ‘Baron’ Miller’s own hands during the latter half of the 

19th century (Love, 2000, p.88). The site was occupied for a time by a Mill and yard and past 

archaeological investigation has revealed a coal pit. There is currently unimpeded access to 

the site, to the grassy slopes and top of the Citadel wall. 

Condition: 

Poor; seemingly abandoned wasteland 


Of outstanding/national significance as part of the listed building/scheduled monument. 


A detailed specialist report is required to advise on how best to preserve, manage and 

enhance this prominent site/open space that forms part of the Citadel/scheduled area. 

Archaeological preservation, amenity enhancement, public safety and interpretation should 

interlink with the nearby environmental improvements already undertaken by the Council. 

Ownership: the space is partly in the ownership of Ayr Common Good Fund, but the Council 

does not own all the land. 

6. Ailsa Place and Arran Terrace Verge Strips 


Amenity grass banking with several ad-hoc, wind-bent whitebeams set in the Arran Terrace 

section; the trees probably planted in the mid-20th century. The two strips form a bank 

behind the top of the 17th-century scheduled Citadel wall. 

Condition: 

Good. 

Significance: 

Of only local significance in relation to the contribution the strips make to the amenity of the 

adjacent housing, but of national significance in relation to the setting of the Citadel wall, a 

scheduled ancient monument. 


Maintain in good condition and replace trees as necessary (there may be archaeological 

considerations in relation to ground disturbance). No immediate action required. 

Ownership: Ayr Common Good Fund. 

7. Dalblair Way Strip 


A simple line of six sycamore trees set into gravel on the east side of the pavement. All 

appear to be mid-later 20th century apart from one slightly older specimen, possibly part of 

the gift from a local Nurseryman, Mr Bryden, in the early 1920s (see item No 11, Fort Tennis 

Courts). 

Condition: 

Good. 

108


Significance: 

Only of local significance. 


Only ongoing management is required. 

Ownership: South Ayrshire Council Roads Department. 

8. Barns Park Roadside Planting 


Avenue-type planting leading to Barns House and Barns Park. Trees on the north side are 

planted in the roadway, those on the south in the pavement. Planting is a mix of sycamore 

and elm. A gap lies on the north side where one tree has been lost. The original planting 

is probably contemporary with nearby residential development and the reforming of Barns 

House grounds in the mid-later 19th century. 

Condition: 

Good, but planting gaps require to be filled. 

Significance: 

Only of local significance in enhancing the local amenity. 


Replant with sycamore when trees die or have to be felled. There have been losses in the 

vicinity with Dutch elm disease. 

Ownership: either the adjacent proprietors or South Ayrshire Council. Ownership not 

established during the preparation of this Appraisal. 

Public Parks 

The seaward side of the High Street is blessed with several public parks. None merit 

inclusion in Historic Scotland’s Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, but they 

are nevertheless of regional cultural importance and make a significant contribution to the 

character of the Outstanding Conservation Area. The value of the grounds St John’s Tower 

may be enhanced by its surviving archaeology. All spaces have a longstanding association 

with the old Burgh of Ayr and have historical interest in their own right. They contribute to the 

setting of significant listed buildings or enhance key views. The Esplanade, Low Green and 

Park St. Germain-en-Laye Gardens on Bath Place/Pavilion Road, although not presently 

part of Ayr 1 Conservation Area, are discussed under PART 2, items 23 and 24. Given their 

well-charted history, they are worthy of inclusion in the Conservation Area. The last two 

provide the main horticultural display in the town centre, apart from minor roadside plots 

elsewhere. Similarly, Burns Statue Square though much degraded is a pilgrimage site for 

disciples of Scotland’s famous poet, song writer and collector; a number of lesser spaces/ 

amenity strips are contained within the proposed more cohesive boundary and contribute to 

the local environment. 

9. St John’s Tower Grounds, Eglinton Terrace 


A vestige of Ayr’s medieval parish church, the associated remains of which are buried within 

the surrounding grassy walled enclosure. The church was requisitioned by Cromwell in 

the 17th century and enclosed within his Citadel. The nave and transepts of the building 

were taken down some time after Slezer’s view of Ayr (1693). The tower and remnants 

Appendix D 

109

Appendix D 


with the Citadel passed through several hands (it gained the status of a Burgh of Barony 

when in the possession of the Montgomeries of Eglinton), before the land was acquired, in 

1854, by John ‘Baron’ Miller’ (Close, 1992). Miller was a returnee Indian Nabob, gunsmith 

and antiquarian (Moore, 2005). Forming new additions on the east side of the tower, Miller 

created a small mansionhouse for himself, known as ‘Fort Castle’. Around this he laid out 

a small walled parkland-style Victorian landscape, and proceeded to develop the adjacent 

Citadel bounds for housing. In 1913/14, the Tower and grounds were acquired from Miller’s 

Trustees by the Marquis of Bute. A noted antiquarian and lover of ancient buildings, Bute 

restored the tower to its authentic detail, removing Miller’s accretions. In 1949, the building 

and grounds were taken over by the Town Council in whose ownership they remain today 

(Strawhorn, p.247, 1994). 

Elements of mature surviving ‘avenue’ planting and boundary planting, mainly sycamore, 

the odd elm and lime, relate largely to Miller’s 19th-century approach to his tower house and 

boundary screen planting. One pear tree of uncertain date by the east gate suggests some 

fruit trees at one time. Older trees have been augmented recently with younger specimens 

planted by South Ayrshire Council and others donated by local people (information Michael 

Hitchon). The area is locked to the public, but accessible on request and the tower is open 

on the annual ‘Doors Open Day’. A notice on the grass indicates ‘No Ball Games’. There 

were complaints about children playing football and episodes of vandalism in the past when 

the space was open in the 1980s. 

Condition: 

Fair. The grass is kept neatly mown with a few areas left wild for nature conservation. 

The19th-century gateways are badly in need of repair; notices are down at heel and 

padlocked gates give a dispiriting air for visitors. The young trees, particularly the oaks are 

not doing well. More care needs to be given to the choice of tree species and soil conditions. 

Vandalism is a problem—there were formerly seats around part of the area but these were 

assembled together and set on fire. 

Significance: 

The parkland layout and older tree planting on this site largely date from the mid 19thcentury, 

possibly with a few replacements in the Bute-ownership period and some recent 

new young planting. The original layout though simple has high significance in relation to the 

setting of the Category B listed tower and the amenity of the Conservation Area. The trees 

are visible from a number of viewpoints and may be worthy of a Tree Preservation Order. 

The value of the space is enhanced by the surviving archaeology, the distinguished history 

of the site, the different conservation/restoration principles of Baron Miller and the Marquis 

of Bute, thus giving the site at least regional, if not higher, significance depending upon 

the archaeology. 


Continuity of tree planting is important but greater consideration needs to be given to species 

proven to survive; keep trees along the former Miller east approach, and otherwise to the 

perimeter and away from built remains. Allow appreciation of the Tower, particularly on the 

south side; undertake required repairs to gateways, enhance signage and interpretation. 

Provide some seating and permit more open access to allow greater enjoyment by the 

general public and visitors. Keep the generally mown Victorian parkland character, with only 

a few areas allowed to run wild. 

Ownership: South Ayrshire Council’s Common Good Fund. 

110


10. Wellington Square Green 


Wellington Square was laid out on the former common ‘High Green’ (information courtesy of 

Kenneth Wilson) as a level, communal private green for the surrounding residential terraces, 

in the first decade of the 19th century. It was so named after the 1st Duke of Wellington’s 

victory at Waterloo, in 1815. Early plans (OS 1855) show a simple, railed lawn with four 

entrance gateways as today, but having only a narrow, linear perimeter path. The space 

remained thus until the second half of the 19th century when the statue of Brigadier General 

George Smith Neill was erected (1859) beside the east gate, followed by that of the 13th Earl 

of Eglinton and Winton (1865), by the west gate. Both monuments, by Mathew Noble, SCT, 

were then linked by a new broad cross walk with central circular flower bed. 

Sir James Fergusson of Kilkerran’s statue, by W. Gascombe John R.A., was added in 1910, 

commanding the view down Sandgate at the north-east corner. Two years later, with the 

agreement of the surrounding proprietors, the Town Council ‘resumed control’ of the green 

with the intention of keeping it as a public park, maintaining it, and making it more ornamental 

(Council Minutes, pp.83, 405, 1912). A hedge inside the railings, proposed in 1915, may not 

have been planted until slightly later (further research required). Trees and privet hedge are 

mentioned in 1916, when a considerable crowd attended two evening performances of the 

Newfoundland Band (Minutes. p.250, 1916). 

Following the First World War, the central grey granite cenotaph by J. K. Hunter was raised 

(1924) to commemorate those who had lost their lives, replacing the former circular flower 

bed. The war memorial provided a more commanding central focus to the park. The small 

granite monolith to John Loudon Macadam, the road maker, was added in 1935, in the southwest 

corner, cleverly leaving the fine outlook south-west over Low Green unobstructed. The 

adjacent rockwork dates from this time (Council Minutes), 

About this period, the park was generally overhauled by the Town Council. The old perimeter 

walk was made serpentine and the newly-created curvaceous border between the path and 

the railings became a flower bed. New, formal, geometrical, flower beds were laid out on the 

grass, complementing a line of trees (whitebeam) along the northern and eastern sides of 

the park, and the hedge. The Alloway Place pavement was narrowed at this time to provide 

a new outer hedge and border to the street. These improvements mark the high point in the 

park’s development. 

World War II sadly saw the removal of the railings, but retention of the gates (Minutes, 

p.218, 1940); the trees with one exception did not withstand the soil or exposure and in 

more recent times the standard of park maintenance has declined. The pink granite obelisk 

and fountain to the Ayr banker and Provost, William Kennedy (1868), originally stood at the 

junction of Sandgate and Fort Street. It was relocated to the north-west corner of the park in 

1993 (Love, p.60, 1995). In one small space, Wellington Square Green now contains a fine 

collection of 19th and early 20th-century figurative monuments and sculptural work. More 

recently, the green is occasionally used for large public events—‘Burns and a’ that’ Festival 

and ‘September Fest’—when boards are laid own on the grass (information courtesy of 

Fiona Ross). 

Condition: 

Fair. There are gaps in the hedging and damaged supporting fencing; perimeter flowers 

borders are scraggy and the planted rockwork area behind the Macadam memorial almost 

bare soil. A clutter of different park furniture does not aid the Park’s amenity or attractiveness; 

the setting of the Macadam monument is particularly compromised. Paths require more 

regular raking. The clutter of surrounding street signs detracts from the park’s quality. 

Intensity of public events in the Park may lead to more wear and tear and loss of amenity. 

Appendix D 

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Appendix D 


Significance: 

Wellington Square does not have some of the quality monuments found in larger public 

parks, e.g. Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, but for a pocket park it contains a remarkably good 

and precious collection of regional interest, commemorating personalities of local and 

national fame. The Eglinton, Neill and Fergusson monuments are category ‘B’ listed. The 

Cenotaph and the Provost Kennedy monument may also merit listing. Unusually, the Square 

did not follow the traditional planting principles of many late Georgian Edinburgh New Town 

Gardens or Glasgow Squares, lacking a perimeter tree and shrub belt due to the seaside 

exposure and sandy soil conditions. It seems to have been planned as a private green rather 

than a more ornamental square, perhaps harking back to its earlier High Green days and 

the Town Council’s feuing conditions (further research required). It is understood to have 

been used in 1870 as a ladies’ croquet lawn (Strawhorn, p.20, 1989). Its present layout and 

planting character is a pleasing fusion of late Georgian, Victorian and 1930s. The early 19thcentury 

architectural setting remains largely intact. The Square has cultural significance 

as a small, well-preserved late-Georgian square-cum-green now public park of undoubted 

regional significance. In association with the surrounding buildings and monuments, this 

value may be slightly higher. 


Retain as public open space. Continue to use in its present form for primarily passive 

recreation. Improve the general standard of maintenance and park furniture; simplify clutter 

of street and park furniture and advertising sign boards; enhance the Macadam rockwork 

area with new planting; renew perimeter bedding and hedging; restore the original railings. 

Complaints of vandalism are nothing new—the conduct of boys and girls climbing on the 

statues, overturning seats, and making noises in the Green on Sundays are cited in 1916, 

resulting in the appointment of a Sunday watchman (Minutes, 1916). There is scope for 

improving interpretation of the park’s monuments and its history. 

The symmetrical hedge and grass strips with flower beds flanking the park’s east entrance in 

Alloway Place are now an integral part of the design and should be maintained to the same 

high standards. 

Ownership: privately owned. 

Recreational Grounds (Public and Private) 

These were initially small and few in number and established primarily for the local population. 

As Ayr became one of the most popular tourist resorts of south-west Scotland, new facilities 

were added to attract families on a day trip to the sea side—the Low Green and Esplanade 

(discussed under Part 2, item 24) provided both passive and active recreation with the 

benefit of an adjacent fine sandy beach and safe bathing waters. Further family/child-friendly 

recreational facilities were added in the 1920s—putting greens, with children’s playground 

(the latter relocated from Low Green and now back there again) and boating pond added 

in the 1930s (Minutes, p.8, 61 and 86, 1937). The site of the pond and playground awaits 

building redevelopment and is not assessed. The two-mile long Esplanade still provides 

excellent fresh air and exercise and is also now part of a main Ayrshire cycling route and 

core path network. As the car dominates, more space has been afforded to car parking. 

Aspects of traffic management are not discussed here. 

11. Fort Tennis Courts, Eglinton Terrace 


The early site history is assumed top be linked with the development of the medieval Burgh 

and St John the Baptist Church. Its ownership thereafter marries with that of St John’s 

Tower (see item 9). At the end of the19th century/early 20th-century it appears to have been 

112


grazing land in the hands of ‘Baron’ Miller. A late Victorian/Edwardian photograph shows a 

simple field sloping up to the higher ground of Seabank Road/Montgomery Terrace (Reid & 

Andrew, p.25, 2001). It was still let for grass and grazing in 1917 and known as ‘Fort Green’. 

(Council Minutes, p.208). 

The land was purchased by the Town Council from Miller’s Trustees in 1914 (Minutes, p.258, 

1914). The surrounding proprietors contributed to the purchase price following the Council’s 

stated intention to create a public park. A line of trees was planted around the perimeter two 

years later, but after discussions regarding different sporting uses, tennis was settled upon. 

Progress was delayed until 1921, due to Council financial difficulties. The pavilion was up 

and the courts were operational by 1922; gates and railings followed a year later (Minutes, 

p.304, 1915; p.64, 1916; p.35, 1922; p.170, 1923). The grass and flower-beds flanking the 

pavilion appear contemporary with these operations. The site has change little over the 

years, apart from recent upgrading of the courts, minor modifications to the pavilion, changes 

in shrub planting content and more recently a general decline in standards of maintenance. 

Condition: 

The tennis courts are in fair–good condition, the surrounding court fencing, landscaping, 

paths and steps less so, with a few elements of distinctive 1920s rockwork edging to the 

pavement alongside Montgomery Terrace laid flat. The original sycamore and whitebeam 

trees appear generally sound and have survived surprisingly well, being more sheltered and 

less exposed than Wellington Square. 

Significance: 

Fort Tennis Courts appear to be the earliest purpose-designed public tennis courts in the old 

Burgh and are, therefore, of some historical interest (public courts at Newton Public Park 

were planned at the same date). There were earlier lawn tennis clubs in Ayr with courts 

at South Park Road and Ballantine Drive (Strawhorn, p.20, 1989), but these appear to 

have been private clubs. The Fort courts are contemporary with other public courts, e.g. 

Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, and Duthie Park, Aberdeen, also 1922. Though not the earliest 

of the public courts they are nevertheless of some local historical interest in the joint nature 

of the purchase by the Local Authority and the surrounding proprietors. The boundary trees 

are also worthy of attention seemingly donated by a local Nurseryman, Mr Bryden, whose 

generosity benefited a number of streets and spaces in the town (Minutes, p.64, 1916). The 

courts are considered to be of local significance. The earlier/archaeological association of 

the land with the Citadel may enhance that value. 


All that is required is enhanced standards of grounds maintenance. The sycamore and 

whitebeams around the site periphery are worthy of a Tree Preservation Order. 


12. Ayr Bowling Green, Cassilis Street 


The Club’s detailed history has not been examined but the secluded green largely hidden 

behind high stone walls was formed in 1834. Its layout is recorded on the 1855 Ordnance 

Survey. A bowling pavilion was added in the early 20th century and the original tree-lined 

border subsequently superseded by ornamental flower plots, probably about this time. 

Each plot is now maintained in a competitive style by individual club members. Intervening 

shelters were added between the borders in the later 20th century. The club is of the late 

Regency/early Victorian period and is thus of some historical interest in its own right, albeit 

with a later pavilion. It is well-preserved example of its type, forming part of a reasonably 

intact contemporary late Georgian/early Victorian layout. 

Appendix D 

113

Appendix D 


Condition: 

Good/Excellent. The space is kept in first class condition. There are some later additions 

to the pavilion. 

Significance: 

The earliest recorded subscription green in Scotland is said to be at Haddington, 1709 

(Scottish Bowling Association records), while the bowling green laid out by the Earl of 

Mar’s gardener at Cowan’s Hospital, Stirling, dates from 1712–13 (Garden History Society 

newsletter, 57, 1999). Ayr Bowling Green is thus not the earliest but is nevertheless an 

historic club of more than local interest. It is considered to be of regional significance due 

to its well-preserved setting and period of development. It is a good example of its type and 

well worthy of preservation. 

Opportunities for Planning/Enhancement: 

It is a well-kept space and needs no improvement meantime. 


Other Public Spaces 

The only other distinct public space is the graveyard of the Auld Kirk. Its management, like 

many cemeteries and graveyards in Scotland, was vested in the Local Authority, in 1922. It 

remains a treasured and venerated public space, of considerable historical interest to locals 

and visitors alike. 

13. Auld Kirk Graveyard, Kirk Port 


The mid-, 17th-century Auld Kirk graveyard overlays the much earlier, medieval Franciscan 

foundation which occupied the site from about 1474 until the Reformation. The church, 

erected in 1652–55 in compensation for the loss of St John’s Church in the Cromwellian 

Citadel, retains its historic graveyard which is still well preserved today. Enhanced by its 

river-side setting and by later amenity tree planting dating mostly mid-later 19th-century/ 

early 20th century, apart from one older-looking sweet chestnut. This is a significant historic 

space, containing the graves of many contemporaries of Robert Burns, a monument to the 

seven Covenanters, hanged in 1666 for their part in the Pentland Rising, as well as other 

noteworthy gravestones and mural monuments. The building itself is one of very few erected 

during the Cromwellian era. The historic approach from the High Street is largely intact. 

Existing stone-edged gravel paths (some stone edging removed in the past?) around the 

Church and from the High Street are probably original with the later insertion of a curving 

granolithic path linking with the riverside walk. A small area of seating and concrete paving 

overlooks the river. The river boundary wall is a disconcerting mix of railings and walling, 

changing to tubular railing alongside the graveyard. 

Condition: 

Good. Only a few broken bottles and a little litter mar the space. A couple of trees show 

modest signs of decay and simply require skilled pruning. The paved seating area is uneven, 

looks a little tired and dated, as do the riverside railings. 

Significance: 

This is one of the most visited historic open spaces in Ayr and is of national significance in 

association with the Auld Kirk. It links the High Street with the riverside walk and provides a 

welcome retreat from the bustle of the town centre. 

114



This should remain a contemplative space providing peace and tranquillity, but it could be 

better linked into other riverside and town-centre attractions. There is scope for improving 

the quality of paving, amenity of the seating area and riverside walk. Continue to maintain 

tree planting with any replacements kept along path edges to avoid damage to gravestones. 

Enhance interpretation of the space. The adjacent sections of the riverside walk are dispiriting 

and extremely low grade to say the least, and urgently require upgrading. The Auld Kirk 

should not be viewed in isolation but as an interlinked space connecting the town with the 

riverside and the wider area. 

Ownership: South Ayrshire Council’s Cemeteries Department. 

Private Open Space 

Private open space is of mixed character and quality. Regency and Victorian planned streets 

generally hold small garden plots of which the largest and most prominent is the much older 

Barns House on the corner of Barns Park and Barns Crescent. Though much of that estate 

was disposed of for development in the 19th century, it still provides a prominent tree canopy 

to the street frontage and welcome greenery to the surrounding area. Berkley House/Hotel 

on the corner of Barns Street and Alloway Place presents its sizeable and now to be much 

cherished historic walled garden to Alloway Place and Wellington Lane—one of the few 

surviving highly-visible large Georgian gardens not to be subsumed under tarmac or building 

and well worthy of conservation. 

The field between Alloway Park and Park Terrace is a private horse park surprisingly still 

enduring today in the middle of a bustling town, while the secluded Ayr Bowling Club on the 

north side of Bath Place hides away behind its high stone. Barns Terrace with its ‘dressed 

ground’ provides a welcome mini-private parkland landscape in Alloway Place, similar to 

Glasgow-style communal private gardens, but the low walling is missing its railings. 

Regrettably many smaller private gardens have been lost to parking—Wellington Square, 

Miller Road, Barns Street and Alloway Place are the worst examples where the change 

from residential to business premises has impacted adversely on front and backland areas, 

resulting in the loss of garden ground, aggravated by loss of historic railings during World 

War II, the paving over or tarmacing of spaces, leaving little or no garden and a legacy of 

large breaches in rear mews walling. The extent of loss becomes more apparent when 

comparison is made with the highly detailed historic garden layouts recorded on the 1855 

Ordnance Survey of Ayr Burgh. Domestic private gardens cannot be covered individually 

and only significant private spaces are dealt with below. 

14. Field between Alloway Park and Park Terrace 


The detailed history has not been researched. It is presumed to have originally been part of 

the Burgh’s common land (see item 24) but by the time of the 1st edition Ordnance Survey, 

1855, was already hived off for intended residential development in the manner of Wellington 

Square. This was eventually realised but in a more adhoc manner with the building of Park 

Terrace and Alloway Park. The small field or grass park with its original simple cast-iron 

railings is an unusual survival, overlooked today by a smart Victorian terrace and detached, 

later 19th-century villas, contributing greatly to their amenity. 

Condition: 

Good. 

Appendix D 

115

Appendix D 

Significance: 

Of local historical interest and significance only. 



None required other than continued good maintenance of railings and grassland. 




A fine, private ‘dressed ground’ fronting the stylish 1–14 Barns Terrace. Building commenced 

c.1845 but was not completed until c.1860. The 1st edition Ordnance Survey, 1855, shows 

the private grounds laid out and complete much as today. The original design indicates a 

simple semi-formal double line of offset trees (not quite quincunx pattern) which appear 

to have been replaced in the grassy lawn in a slightly more random fashion as trees have 

matured, succumbed to disease, weather or age. The broad grassy strip between the drive 

and trees gives the sense of a more ample depth to the amenity belt. 

Condition: 

Good. There are some traffic management problems with cars straying onto the lawn when 

parking capacity is full. 

Significance: 

Highly significant to the setting of this ‘handsome B’ listed, mid-later Victorian terrace and 

of regional significance. The only communal historic private garden of its type in Ayr 1 

Conservation Area, echoing some Glasgow and Edinburgh New Town private gardens of the 

period or earlier. Further research may be beneficial. 


Continuity of planting closely reflecting the original design is essential and maintenance of 

the forest-scale rather than substituting smaller ornamental trees. There is a need to ensure 

parking does not become such an issue that the area of grass is reduced or damaged. 

Restoration of the boundary wall railings should be encouraged. 

Ownership: the garden is in the ownership of the adjacent proprietors. 

INDIVIDUAL SITE SURVEY, PART 2: ASSESSMENT OF GREEN SPACES WITHIN 

SUGGESTED CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARY EXTENSIONS 

Public Realm Spaces, Amenity Verges or Strips 

16. South Harbour Street Strip 

History/Description 

A small, recently-formed, wire-fenced planted strip acting as buffer to the river. 

Condition: 

Fair. 


No real significance other than providing safety barrier to riverfront and a small degree of 

amenity to the street and new housing. 

116



This aspect should be considered in relation to strategic overall improvements to Harbour 

Street and the river frontage. 


17. The amphitheatre and semi-circular seating area beside the NW Bastion (Lang 

Scots Mile Walkway) 


A 1990s public realm improvement comprising a paved and circular seating area providing 

expansive views across the Esplanade and to the Citadel. A separate pre-cast concrete 

amphitheatre-type seating area with level grassy arena lies nearer the Citadel walling. The 

standard of design is simple and the paving and seating materials used throughout are of 

standard quality. 

Condition: 

Good. 

Significance: 

Only of local significance. 


The space will be enhanced on completion of nearby building developments, providing these 

are of high quality design and there is integration of floorscape and landscaping. 


18. Cromwell Fort strip (Lang Scots Mile Walkway) 


A recent amenity grass bank below the north-west Citadel walling, displaying showpiece 

canon and plaque detailing the Cromwellian Fort’s history. It is an important adjunct to the 

recently formed pedestrian route or Ayr Mile. It is used for sun bathing/passive recreation in 

good weather and contributes to the setting of the historic walling. 

Condition: 

Good. 


Although recent and only of local interest, it is of national significance in relation to the 

setting of the Citadel wall, a scheduled ancient monument. 


Pleasing in its present form. No action required. 


19. Cromwell Fort strip by Esplanade Car Park 


A recent amenity grass bank below the west Citadel walling, It is an important adjunct to 

the recently-formed pedestrian route or Ayr Mile and contributes to the setting of the historic 

walling. It is used for sun bathing/passive recreation in good weather. 

Appendix D 

117

Appendix D 


Condition: 

Good. 


Although recent and only of local interest, it is of national significance in relation to the 

setting of the Citadel wall, a scheduled ancient monument. 


Retain in its present form. No action required. 


20. Newton Cross Strip, New Bridge Street 


A small, landscaped triangle formed in the late 1960s/early 1970s when the River Street 

access to New Bridge Street was closed off. Its main interest lies in the B-listed, historic 

Newton Mercat Cross. The cross originally stood in the main street in front of Newton 

Tolbooth or Steeple. It was rescued from Newton Churchyard and repositioned between the 

old and new bridge, on a new pedestal surrounded by a railing in 1905 (Ayrshire Advertiser, 

p.5, 1905). The present landscaping came later. The sculptural cycle route waymarker is a 

more recent addition. The modest shrub and tree planting is enhanced by formal summer 

bedding in the holiday season. 

Condition: 

Fair. The planting and layout is worn-looking and outdated. 

Significance: 

The cross, inscribed ‘Neuton 1675; rebuilt 1775’ is of regional significance but the landscape 

layout has little merit and is of no real significance other than enhancing the approach to 

the New Bridge and Sandgate. 


This should be considered in relation to any proposals for upgrading the amenity and quality 

of River Street to take advantage of the fine river frontage, the setting of the nearby bridges 

and the approach to the old town. 

Ownership: in private ownership. 

21. Newton Steeple Strip, King Street 


A planted central reservation on the dual carriageway which softens the shock of the 

amputated Newton Steeple now separated from its demolished Tolbooth body (built 1795). 

This act of ‘traffic management’ was undertaken when the ring road was completed in the 

late 1960s/early 1970s. Some considered thought was given to making the best use of the 

limited space employing ornamental rockwork and carefully grading the mostly evergreen 

planting to meet the Steeple. 

Condition: 

Fair. It looks careworn and a bit threadbare. 

Significance: 

Of no cultural significance other than local amenity value, While only of local significance 

it contributes to the setting of the unfortunate Steeple and enhances the amenity of a major 

118


road leading into the heart of the Conservation Area. 


Improve upkeep and maintain in a healthy condition despite traffic fumes and other 

challenges. 


Recreational Grounds (Public and Private) 

22. Esplanade Putting Green and Crazy Golf Course 

Includes Queens Terrace Lane strips (adjoining east side) 


Formerly part of Low Green and presumably grazing ground subsequently adapted for 

recreational use, Council Minutes record the formation of an 18-hole putting green on the 

two plots of ground between Cromwell Road and Bath Place, in 1921 (Minutes pp.127, 

228, 1921). Alongside Queens Terrace Lane, two grassy strips with seating were later hived 

off, and the fringes of the greens enclosed by a privet hedge and shrubs as part of later 

improvements to the sea front, probably in the1950s/60s. The sea view from the seats is 

now obscured by the hedging. Putting continues in the southern space while a crazy golf 

course supplanted the north green. Evergreen shrubs and dog rose bushes are interwoven 

around the crazy golf course playing areas. 

Condition: 

Fair-Good. 

Significance: 

The putting green is in the early phase of public park putting green provision in Scotland, 

however, no detailed survey has been carried out of this sport; a putting green was proposed 

for Baxter Park, Dundee, in 1912, but did not proceed. Thomas Mawson included a putting 

green in his new plan for Stanley Park, Liverpool, (1922). The game is allied to golf which 

was played at an earlier period in Scottish public parks (e.g. Glasgow Green and Alexandra 

Park, Glasgow) and on sea-side links. Crazy golf is a much later innovation. In the absence 

of more detailed research both spaces are presently deemed to be of local significance. 

Opportunities for Planning/Enhancement: 

Would benefit from enhanced upkeep. 


Public Parks 

23. Place de St Germain-en-Laye Gardens (formerly the ‘Rock Gardens and Rose 

Garden’ and prior to that known as ‘Jail Green’) 


Originally part of the Town’s common green whose early evolution is described under Low 

Green (item 24). By 1775, Armstrong’s map shows it as forming part of the washing green 

on the south side of the Citadel. The nomenclature ‘Jail Green’ came later from the adjacent 

County Gaol, opened in 1822 and demolished in 1931 (Love, p.48, 1995). Both properties 

were separate entities and one assumes the Gaol, lying behind its high stone wall, had no 

rights over the public Green other than visual. Situated between Pavilion Road and Bath 

Place, Jail Green was still a simple, rough grassy space when the splendid cast-iron Steven 

fountain was donated to the town, and located here in 1892. The fountain was a gift from the 

Appendix D 

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Appendix D 


iron founder and partner in the firm of McDowall, Steven & Co. Ltd., Hugh Steven of Skeldon 

House, near Dalrymple (Strawhorn, p. 207, 1989), It stands in its original position at the 

Green’s seaward end. The fountain is category B-listed. An early 19th-century photograph 

confirms the space’s use occasionally for open-air performances/entertainment (R. & J. 

Kennedy, p.12, 2005). 

Following demolition of the Gaol and its replacement by the new extension to the County 

Buildings, completed 1935, the Green was redesigned, made more ornamental and divided 

into two distinct spaces—a ‘rock garden’ retaining the Steven fountain as its focus, and 

a smaller interlinked sunken ‘rose garden’ the latter initially surrounded by railings to the 

east, in front of the new County Building (Council Minutes, p.113, 1937–38; p.227, 1941–42; 

Love, p.91,1995). Former rough grass was replaced by fine lawns with linear and axial cross 

paths. A sinuous path was laid alongside the long borders of the rock garden, echoing similar 

work in Wellington Square Green (Reid and Andrew, p. 40, 2001). The layout suggests the 

hand of a single designer and was part of a comprehensive package of improvements to the 

setting of the County Buildings and sea front in the period just prior to World War II. 

The present two-stage or stepped, red sandstone walling with seat recesses on the north and 

southern boundaries of the ‘rock garden’, however, appear to be a slightly later 20th-century 

modification replacing the 1930s rock-work (c/f today’s photo with c. 1935 photograph, p.233 

in Strawhorn). Council Minutes refer to ‘rock mounds facing the sea’ which were swept away 

in the early 1940s, when a new amphitheatre-type bandstand replaced the old Victorian 

one on Low Green (Love, p.12, 2000; Minutes, p.319, 1940–41; p.309 1941–42). The new 

walling may have been erected at this time (further research required). The paving to the 

seating areas, sett edging and the seat designs appear contemporary with this work. The 

new bandstand stood between the fountain and the Esplanade with its rear to the sea. 

By 1955, the bandstand appears to have been removed and only curved flanking shelters 

remained which have since been scaled down. The ground and bank was altered to meet 

the Esplanade. 

In the sunken garden, low sandstone walling, hedging and densely planted borders with 

salt and wind tolerant shrubs and trees helped to shelter the roses and other plants from 

the elements. The character of this space remains largely unchanged and was enhanced in 

1960 with the addition of Pilkington Jackson’s Royal Scottish Fusiliers Memorial, on an axis 

with the Steven fountain. Stylistically, the monument follows similar earlier 19th-century War 

Memorials and is perfectly in keeping with its environment. 

In 1987, to commemorate the twinning of Ayr with its new French ‘cousin’, the Steven 

Fountain was refurbished and both gardens were re-named Place St Germain-en-Laye 

Gardens (information courtesy of Fiona Ross). 

Condition: 

Fair. These early 1930s/40s formal gardens remain relatively intact though standards of 

planting in the surrounding wall borders and general maintenance have markedly declined. 

The wavy paths around the edge of the former rock garden were probably straightened when 

the present two-stage sandstone walling and recessed seating areas replaced the earlier 

1930s rockwork (further research). Some red gravel paths in the sunken rose garden have 

been macadamised which detracts from the quality of that space. Much of the surrounding 

shrub planting in this garden is looking rather ragged. Flower bedding is kept up here during 

the summer. A detailed record of surviving 1930s–40s structural planting, namely, hedging, 

shrub and tree planting should be undertaken so that continuity of long-established and 

successful sea-side tolerant species can be maintained. 

Significance: 

The 1930s/40s garden design and layout is of more than local interest and should be viewed 

with Wellington Square Green as part of an integrated 1940s Park layout around the County 

120


Buildings. When taken In association with the Steven fountain and Royal Scottish Fusilier’s 

Memorial, the Place St Germain-en-Laye Gardens have regional significance. The loss of 

the 1940s bandstand (few pre-War 20th-century examples now survive) does not diminish 

that value. 


Enhanced standards of planting and maintenance are required, and ongoing preservation 

of the historic character. 

Ownership: South Ayrshire Council’s Common Good Fund. 

24. Low Green and Esplanade 


Low Green is defined today as the grassy area south of Pavilion Road. It once encompassed 

a much wider coastal strip from the Rivers Ayr to Doon, forming part of the land granted by 

King William the Lion to his new Royal Burgh of Ayr, c. 1205. 

In the 16th century, the Town Council established regulations concerning the grazing of the 

coastal sand hills, reserving the right of the Townspeople to hold games here according to 

custom, a privilege which may well date back to the earliest days of the Burgh (plaque on 

Pavilion Road). The drifting sands were long a problem for the town and various appeals 

were made to stabilise the dunes from early times. In the 1720s, Colonel Cathcart, later Lord 

Cathcart of Sundrum, in partnership with Colonel Nugent, the officer commanding customs 

in Ayr, created pasture where Low Green now lies. This was achieved by mixing the sand 

with the town’s ‘muck’ in return for 57 years’ grazing rights (information courtesy of Kenneth 

Wilson). By the late 18th century, the Green was described as ‘a common of between 80 

and 90 acres, for feeding milk cows, and free to every burgess (Statistical Account, 1799).’ A 

section to the south was lost to the (old) racecourse in 1770, thus reducing its extent to that 

more or less remaining today (Love, pp.123,124). Delineated on Wood’s Plan, 1818, Low 

Green may have been trimmed a little further by the late Victorian villa gardens in Fairfield, 

Road, Savoy Park and Wheatfield Roads, which lie within Ayr Conservation Area 2, on the 

former Barns Estate. 

Low Green’s history shows that it was used for many different purposes over the centuries, 

progressively feued to different townsfolk until the precious surviving space along the seafront 

finally passed into the management and care of the Town Council some time between 1897 

and 1937. In the 1870s, part was reserved for women to play croquet and it was home to 

different football clubs including Ayr Thistle (Love, p.9, 2000). 

In the later 19th century, the Green became the town’s public park supplied with fashionable 

Victorian amenities and with the bonus of a stretch of fine sand. The advancement of the 

railway reinforced its attraction and improvements were undertaken in the 1880s. Humps 

and bumps were levelled during a period of local unemployment in the weaving and carpet 

trade. In 1881, the first stretch of the Esplanade (using dockyard spoil) was completed, a 

sea wall was built and work continued until the wall reached the mouth of the River Doon, in 

1893. The grass was adorned with park bench seats. An octagonal cast-iron bandstand was 

added soon after, funded by public subscription (this structure survived into the 1930s). A 

children’s playground was introduced in the early 20th century and further ‘add on’ facilities 

were developed north of Bath Place (discussed elsewhere). 

The most significant development on Low Green was the building of the Pavilion Theatre 

beside the County Buildings, in 1911. This entertainment palace contained 1500 seats and 

room for 1000 standing. Leased to the Popplewell family, it provided summer variety shows, 

ballroom dancing and other amusements until the family gave up tenure in 1967 (Love, pp. 

9,145, 2000). It continues as a children’s sea-side attraction today and is privately owned. 

The immediate pre/post-war period saw the reformation of the children’s playground on the 

Appendix D 

121

Appendix D 


west side of the Pavilion, the introduction of shelters and kiosks along the Esplanade and 

the creation of the hedged seating area east of the Pavilion. With European funding, the 

playground was upgraded to the present adventure playground, in 1995. 

Low Green’s history is charted fully in Council Minutes and deserves much deeper research. 

Its longstanding recreational use is closely allied to the economic and social history of Ayr. 

Open-air amenities have changed according to the requirements of each generation, and 

pressures for development have long been resisted. It is much cherished by townsfolk and 

visitors alike as a public open space beside the beach and fully deserves to be part of the 

Ayr Town Centre Conservation Area. 

Condition: 

Fair. 

Cultural Significance 

High—of regional significance as a longstanding recreational area and surviving 

undeveloped common ground. It has a well-recorded history and long association with Ayr 

old town. 

Conservation/Enhancement Recommendations: 

Retain as an historic grassy open space/common. Continue to use in its present form for public 

events and for passive and active recreation. Improve the general standard of maintenance; 

replace vandalised seats; enhance general quality of Esplanade and associated street 

furniture; enhance street entrances onto Low Green, retaining historic ironwork (Victorian 

cycle barriers?) and horonising (flint-like slips of stone paving); retain historic walling on east 

side. Further building development or laying down of hard surfaces on the Green should 

be resisted. Protect the historical character of the Pavilion, although it is now in separate 

ownership. 

Ownership: Ayr Common Good Fund with the exception of the Pavilion, which is now in 

private hands. 

25. Burns Statue Square 


In earlier times, this was the site of the cattle market and before that farming land of the 

Burgesses of Ayr (Castle, p.3, 1994). Burns Statue Square was described by Robert Close, 

in 1992, as ‘a tawdry ill-assorted space, in no sense a square, containing George Lawson’s 

exceptionally well-executed statue of Burns (1892) and Thomas Brock’s moving, if rather 

neglected South African War Memorial (1902).’ Similar comments apply to this small public 

space and ‘pilgrimage’ site today. 

Burns statue looks south towards the poet’s birth-place in Alloway, and was presented to the 

Town by Ayr Burns Club in 1891. Its fine pedestal displays scenes from Burns life and poems. 

The detailed history of the surrounding layout and changes to it have not been researched 

in depth, but early 20th-century photographs show that the statue was approached from 

the south with no through passage as today. The inner circular viewing area was then 

surrounded by a low railing and set in a much larger triangular-shaped ornamental lawn 

enclosed by robust as well as decorative iron work, apparently gifted by Sir William Arrol 

(Reid & Andrew, p.6, 7, 2001 and Love p.50, 2000). Low, cast- or wrought-iron seats set 

at intervals on the cope were incorporated into the design. Sadly, the original railings and 

elaborate lamp standards, on the still extant red sandstone copes, were removed c.1940 to 

help the War effort (R & J Kennedy, p.48, 2005). The present low bench-type seats on the 

south side may be survivors of the original seating. 

The area was conjoined with the South African War Memorial to the east by the 1950s 

(Reid and Andrew, p.6, and 7, 2001). In the 1970s, it was then partly truncated on the 

north, isolating the William McKerrel fountain to accommodate a new one-way traffic system 

(Strawhorn, p.255, 1989). The cul-de-sac parking area to the south almost seems to have 

122


been added in half-hearted ‘compensation’. 

Existing hedges and spear-headed railings are post-war, as are the grass, trees, assorted 

seats and street furniture and general mish-mash of paving. A plethora of sign boards does 

not help. Noise and fumes from incessant traffic detract further from the amenity of the 

space and the appreciation of the fine monument. 

The nearby triangular island of red paviors holds a decent late 19th/early twentieth-century 

town clock possibly relocated(?) to the ‘Square’. The adjacent pink granite fountain presented 

to the inhabitants of Ayr by William McKerrel Esquire of Hillhouse (1868) is now swamped by 

five large plant containers. As noted above, the fountain once adjoined the pavement tip of 

the original Burns Statue enclosure. 

Burns Statue is listed at category B, as is the South African War Memorial. The listing 

will apply to the coping and seating around the monument. The nearby clock and William 

McKerrel fountain are good streetscape items. 

Condition: 

Poor. The layout and amenity of the area is extremely poor. 

Significance: 

This is not the leading or earliest monument to Burns, as that honour can be claimed by 

Alloway, but the statue is of high cultural significance. Its setting is much degraded by the 

loss of the railings and the tawdriness of its general surroundings. However, in association 

with the South African Memorial and the other surviving 19th/early 20th-century elements the 

open space still has regional significance. Council Minutes suggest that the Burns statue 

moulds were used to provide an exact replica for one commissioned by the Scottish Society 

of Halifax, Nova Scotia (Minutes, p.346, 1915). This, along with potential for restoration of 

the original railings and layout reinforces the value of the Square further. 


The need to improve this depressing public space commemorating Scotland’s leading poet 

is pressing. There is sufficient photographic and other evidence to restore the monument’s 

original iron-work setting and layout as part of a wider scheme of environmental improvement 

to the Square. Further historical research would be beneficial. The Ayr Renaissance initiative 

recognises the need for significant upgrading of this area. 


26. Ramsay Garden by Old Brig, River Terrace 


A small triangular municipal pocket park at the north-east end of the Auld Brig. It appears to 

supersede an older former commercial yard and was formed in 1955 in honour of Johnny 

Ramsay, a local grocer who was also well known for being a magician and conjurer. It may 

have been modified when the award-winning 1970s housing and adjacent walkway were 

developed on the north side of the river. It provides a sheltered seating area and quiet retreat 

and with its trees adds amenity to the setting of the ‘A’ listed Auld Brig and the north side of 

the river. 

Condition: 

Good. 

Significance: 

Although only of local significance, it greatly enhances the setting and amenity of the Auld 

Brig o’ Ayr, a scheduled monument, thus elevating its seemingly low cultural significance. 

Wild orchids are a hidden treasure to be found growing in a recess by the bridge (Fiona 

Ross). 


Continue present good stewardship. 


Appendix D 

123

Appendix E 


APPENDIX E: Summary of Local Plan Policies 

South Ayrshire Local Plan Policies of particular relevance to Ayr Central Conservation 

Area. 

Policy 

Ref. 

OFF1 

OFF2 

RET2 

RET4 

RET5 

RET7 

TOUR1 

TOUR3 

TOUR5 

ENV5 

ENV7 

ENV9 

ENV10 

ENV12 

Summary of Purpose 

Class 2 office development will be directed to the peripheral retail area of town 

centres, and neighbourhood centres as identified on the Proposals Map 

Changes of use from dwellinghouse to class 2 office, or office to dwellinghouse 

will normally be permitted. 

There shall be a presumption in favour of large scale retail developments (over 

1,000sqm gross floorspace) being directed to the defined town centres of Ayr, 

Prestwick, Troon, Girvan and Maybole. 

Within the core shopping areas of town centres, as identified on the Proposals 

Map, shops should be the predominant ground floor use. 

Within the peripheral areas of town centres, as defined in the Proposals Map, 

proposals for town centre uses and other complementary uses (as defined in 

note 1 below) will be favourably viewed. 

Proposals in Ayr town centre will be assessed against the Planning Strategy for 

Ayr Town Centre 

The Council will favourably view proposals which will provide or improve tourist 

and leisure facilities. 

There shall be a presumption in favour of the retention and improvement of 

existing significant leisure, recreation and tourist facilities. 

There shall be a presumption in favour of large scale commercial leisure developments 

being located in the existing town centres of Ayr, Prestwick, Troon, 

Girvan and Maybole. 

The Council will presume in favour of safeguarding from development all green 

spaces which are important to local amenity or recreational use. Recreational 

spaces includes sports fields, pitches, greens and other similar open air facilities. 

Those green spaces which are identified on the Proposals Map make, 

in addition to their local importance, a valued and valuable contribution to the 

wider environment. 

The Council will presume in favour of the protection of the banks of the River 

Ayr and River Doon, for their nature conservation interests, landscape importance 

and informal recreational purposes. 

The Council will presume in favour of protecting the foreshore from development. 

The Council will seek to safeguard historic gardens and designed landscapes. 

Proposals affecting these areas will be considered in terms of landscape impact 

and in relation to their history, architecture, horticulture and nature conservation 

qualities. 

In assessing development proposals involving loss of, or works to, trees the 

Council will consider the extent of any adverse impact on the locality and will 

include as part of its assessment of such development proposals measures to 

safeguard trees, especially those covered by a provisional or confirmed tree 

preservation order. 

124


Appendix E 

BE1 

BE2 

BE3 

BE4 

BE5 

BE6 

BE7 

H6 

H7 

H17 

IMP 2 

To ensure a consistent high standard of development within the plan area, 

proposals will be considered in terms of compliance with the design criteria 

detailed in panel 1. 

The Council will presume in favour of protecting listed buildings and their settings, 

especially from inappropriate development and will actively encourage the 

sensitive maintenance, restoration and re-use of all such properties. 

All new development within, or affecting the setting of a conservation area shall 

be required to preserve or enhance its character or appearance. 

The Council will actively encourage and, where resources permit, implement 

upgrading and enhancement programmes for conservation areas. 

To ensure a consistent high standard of development within conservation areas, 

proposals will be considered in terms of compliance with the design criteria of 

panel 1 of policy BE1 and the following design panel 2. 

The Council will seek to protect scheduled ancient monuments, (including their 

setting) and archaeological sites and encourage sympathetic proposals for their 

promotion for educational or recreational purposes. 

Where the Council is convinced that the benefits of proposed development outweigh 

the benefits of preserving archaeology resources where known or considered 

likely to be present, the Council will ensure that provision is made by the 

developer for the proper excavation and recording of possible remains. 

Within settlements, residential development and the conversion of properties 

considered by the Council to be suitable for residential use will normally be 

permitted (subject to conditions) 

Within areas predominantly in residential use as identified on the Proposals 

Map, the Council will seek to protect the character and amenity of the area concerned, 

especially from non-residential development with potentially adverse 

effects on local amenity. 

Within Town centres, the Council will presume in favour of retaining dwellings, 

especially where such dwellings are located above ground floor and will normally 

permit the conversion/development of properties to provide dwellings 

subject to compliance with policy RET4 and RET5, townscape considerations, 

the provision of an acceptable residential amenity, and the proposed dwelling(s) 

having access gained not solely through business or retail premises. 

Enforcement action with regard to breaches in planning control will be initiated 

in cases where: 

a) unauthorised and unsatisfactory development has taken place; or 

b) b) the term of planning conditions imposed on a development have not 

been substantially complied with. 

Planning Policy Framework for Ayr Town Centre 

Ayr Town Centre Strategy 

125

Appendix F 


APPENDIX F: Potential Interpretation & Awareness Projects 

Project AR1 Consultation and Involvement 

Objective 

Description 

To find out exactly what a broad section of local residents think about 

their town centre and allow them the opportunity to contribute towards its 

enhancement and interpretation 

To commission a programme of consultation and involvement comprising 

on-street face to face questionnaires and focus groups. It will be crucial 

that the programme includes a full cross section of Ayr’s resident and 

visiting populations in terms of socio-economic groups, age profiles 

and life stages. A key outcome will be to involve and ultimately cater 

for those who do not normally associate themselves with the historic 

environment. 

Project AR2 

Objective 

Description 

Interpretive Audit, Plan and Style Guide 

To provide a fully coordinated and integrated approach to interpretation and 

visitor signage 

To commission an interpretation professional to undertake the following: 

• Audit all existing interpretation in terms of content and condition to 

determine ‘is it any good?’ 

• Provide an over-arching interpretation strategy for Ayr’s town centre 

with key interpretive objectives and key themes and messages (it will 

be crucial that it becomes clear that Ayr is important for much more than 

Robert Burns) 

• Develop the strategy into an interpretive plan with outline content for 

identified media and costs. It is envisaged that this will include currently 

omitted areas such as the Auld Kirk, the old bridge and the riverside 

walk area and a revision of currently installed interpretation (excluding 

the Ayr Ways structures which it should leave and aim to complement) 

– the plan may also include additional projects mentioned below (town 

trail and Ayr-Waves) 

• Produce a style guide for all new and replacement interpretive structures 

and any associated visitor infrastructure as required (the latter may 

include pedestrian finger post signage, litter bins, benches and What’s 

On notice boards). 

126


Appendix F 

Project AR3 Official Town Heritage Trail 

Objective 

Description 

To develop and promote a single unified town trail with accompanying 

literature 

To create a single must do circular walk that takes in the highlights of Ayr. It 

is likely that this will in practice comprise a shorter and longer walk to cater 

for different abilities. The important considerations are that: 

• The trail is presented in one place (leaflet and website) and is well 

publicised 

• The trail is well denoted on the ground 

It is likely that the trail will use as much existing on the ground interpretation 

as possible and require limited new panels. Instead it will be a paper based 

trail using a fully accessible interpretive leaflet, which will be downloadable 

from related websites. 

Regarding the trail’s demarcation on the ground this may be by inset metal 

or stone tiles linking to a particular aspect of Ayr’s past, such as its maritime 

history or picking up on particular building types (similar to the Seven Seas 

Fish Trail in Hull), in order to limit intrusive waymarking and provide additional 

interpretive opportunities. 

Project AR4 Ayr-Waves 

Objective 

Description 

To cater for younger audiences through the media-led approach. 

To add an element of the town heritage trail that is technology based using 

either standard mobile phone, Bluetooth or UpCode technology to deliver 

interpretation to user’s mobile phones. 

It will be vital that young people (primary school and teenagers) are involved 

in the development of the project and in the production of the interpretation. 

It will be necessary to produce three different technology based tour options; 

one for general visitors, one for teenagers and one for primary school 

children. 

Each tour will deliver audience specific interpretation in an audio (and 

potentially audio-visual) format that brings the historic environment to life in 

a meaningful way for that particular audience age group. 

127

Appendix F 


Project AR5 

Objective 

Description 

Shop Front Exhibition 

To highlight the importance of Ayr’s historic buildings and improve the 

appearance of the upper High Street area 

To commission the design of a shop window exhibition display that could be 

moved from shop to shop as required. It would focus on the historical and 

architectural importance of the buildings in the upper High Street area in 

a manner and language that connects with local people, particularly those 

without a previous interest in local heritage. This exhibition may also be 

linked to the future proposed THI scheme and be updateable expressing 

why the area is so important and what is being planned for the surrounding 

buildings. 

An alternative form for this project may be the full window display of an 

historic image of that particular building with a few choice words covering 

when it was built, its past uses and residents, what stood there before and 

why it is important. This would be applied to all vacant shops in the area 

and be window or shop. 

Project AR6 

Objective 

Description 

Mobile Exhibition 

To raise awareness amongst local audiences of the value of Ayr’s historic 

environment in general 

To commission the production of a small portable exhibition (most likely 

using some form of robust network roller display system) that could and 

would be located for a month at a time different locations. Some may be 

areas where people with an interest are likely to be present, such as the 

Carnegie Library and the Town Hall but the majority of venues are envisaged 

as those to catch local residents who are not naturally interested in the 

historic environment, such as doctor’s surgery waiting rooms, supermarket 

café areas, Ayr racecourse foyer, the Gaiety Theatre, Ayr Central shopping 

area, the bus station, the railway station etc. 

The exhibition must be aimed at non-specialists, be graphic based and 

with simple key messages that demonstrate the importance of buildings 

that the viewer will have often seen but never really considered before. 

Although it should reference the town’s key highlight buildings as hooks 

the focus should be on the lesser-known buildings under threat. 

128


Appendix F 

Project AR7 

Objective 

Lectures For All Programme 

To develop and deliver a programme of lectures, talks and demonstrations to 

a diverse range of audiences on the importance of Ayr’s historic environment 

Description 

It is likely that in practice these may be organised or delivered through 

another agency or local amenity body, such as the Kyle and Carrick Civic 

Society (while some, particularly those relating to ancestry or literature, may 

be organised and delivered through the Ayrshire Chamber Tourism Forum 

Culture and Heritage Sub-group), albeit with specialists coming in from 

elsewhere to deliver many of the talks. Ideally these should run monthly for 

a three year period and include: 

• Talks based upon buildings of note (and lesser note) 

• Talks based upon local historical figures and legends 

• Talks based upon vernacular building restoration 

• Demonstrations of relevant techniques or practices (past industries, 

crafts and skills) 

• Reconstructions or re-enactments of historical events or eras 

The important consideration is that sufficient focus is given towards 

audiences with limited or no previous understanding of the subject and that 

talks are geared to a wide variety of audiences of different ages, abilities 

and levels of understanding - the programme must be inclusive in approach. 

A further consideration would be to ensure that at least some of the talks 

and demonstrations are actually taken out to audiences while others may 

use historic buildings, particularly making more public use of Loudoun Hall 

if possible (and its forecourt). 

129

Appendix F 


Project AR8 

Objective 

Description 

Community Heritage Event – The Ayr Time Festival 

To celebrate Ayr’s unique and distinctive cultural heritage in order to generate 

tourism and day trip visits and develop a sense of pride and appreciation 

amongst local people 

The idea is to create a large-scale annual event (in one or more location) 

that celebrates Ayr, its history and its historic environment. In order to have 

mass appeal it is likely that the event will need to be lively, engaging, fun 

and primarily delivered for and by local people. It will be hoped or envisaged 

that the event will grow in size, popularity and scope each year. 

It will be important that the event is timed so as not to conflict with other 

existing events and festivals and may be timed to deliver maximum 

economic benefits for the town. 

In summary, concepts for the ‘Ayr Time Festival’ include: 

• Carnival type procession with era or period based themes, with 

participation by community based groups 

• Major re-enactments related to key episodes in Ayr’s past such as 

Cromwell or its maritime history using the bridges and the river 

• Smaller scale demonstrations and living history displays 

• Stalls with historic based crafts, foods and representation by all heritage 

related societies and clubs 

• Specific children’s events and stalls 

• Musicians, acrobats, storytellers, jesters and entertainers 

• Associated dinners, dances and talks in the evening 

• A major ‘wow’ type focus to the event to be determined through 

community involvement 

In order to be successful this event must be very carefully planned, well 

funded and fully supported by a broad cross section of the local population. 

It will also require considerable time devoted by the key organiser or 

organising committee, time which is not catered for in the indicative budget. 

As a point of note, existing festivals or large scale events relate to horse 

racing, Burns, Jazz and the Ayr mixed arts festival held in September, while 

much smaller but relevant events include the Doors Open Day and the 

South Ayrshire History Fair. 

The Lanark Medieval History Festival is a good similar historical based 

festival to look at as a comparator. 

130


Appendix F 

Project AR9 

Education Pack and Local Schools Involvement 

Objective 

Description 

To engage local school children with the historic environment 

To commission the design and production of a high quality education pack, of 

similar standard to the SNH Tentsmuir Pack: www.snh.org.uk/nnr-scotland/ 

publications_detail.asp?pubID=92. 

The pack should provide a wide range of ideas and activities to encourage 

and help teachers (of primary and secondary school children) to visit Ayr’s 

historic buildings and use them for education – they key is to ensure that a 

wide variety of topics or subjects are covered that directly relate to the new 

Curriculum for Excellence. 

The pack should be produced by an educational professional, most likely 

with input from local schools to ensure buy in. The pack should be available 

as a PDF download and on disc but should also be produced as a high 

quality hard copy printed version and sent to all schools in Ayr and potentially 

all in South Ayrshire. 

This project may at some point in the future be complemented by some form 

of outdoor classroom – this may be in Loudoun Hall forecourt if actually 

outdoors or could be ‘out of school’ and be located in an appropriate building. 

131

Appendix F 


Project AR10 Official Historic Ayr Website 

Objective 

Description 

To create an official website for the town of Ayr, its heritage and its historic 

buildings 

To commission web designers (or an interpretive design agency with 

experience in website production) to produce a new website. 

The exact nature of the website requires further consideration and 

consultation as the site may be: 

• Focused on the Ayr Renaissance project 

• Focused on the THI project 

• Focused on Ayr as a visitor destination 

• Focused on Ayr’s town trail and its historic buildings 

• Focused more towards the community as a resource for local residents 

• Geared towards highlighting forthcoming heritage based events 

• Any combination of the above with appropriate web-links to other sites 

and organisations including the Family History website being developed 

by the Ayrshire Chamber Tourism Forum Culture and Heritage Subgroup 

Obviously the exact nature of the website and its objectives will determine 

who is to be involved in its development. However, a key objective in 

whatever form the website takes should be to share the value and importance 

of Ayr’s historic environment with its visiting and resident communities. 

Project AR11 Ayr in Pictures (Town Hall Public Screen) 

Objective 

Description 

To utilise the currently redundant LCD / Plasma screen on the High Street 

window of the Town Hall to deliver key messages regarding the importance 

of the building in this part of the town 

To commission an AV company to produce a four-minute loop DVD to be 

played on the screen. It is likely that there will be no sound available on the 

street so the production will be visual only – comprising images (potentially 

moving and stills) and subtitle type text. 

Ideally the short film will use archive footage (moving and stills) to show the 

area in its prime and demonstrate the importance of the area to the town’s 

heritage, focusing on key buildings to be enhanced as part of the THI and 

the upper High Street area. 

132


Appendix F 

Project AR12 

Objective 

Description 

Town Museum Feasibility – Scoping Study 

To scope the feasibility of developing a town museum for Ayr – with the 

ultimate objective of providing a focal point for the heritage of Ayr 

To commission a scoping study to test the waters regarding developing a 

new museum for the county town of Ayr. 

The scoping study should: 

• Investigate market demand (actual based elsewhere and potential 

based in Ayr) 

• Investigate local support from key stakeholders 

• Investigate national support from relevant agencies 

• Investigate suitable venues / buildings 

• Identify suitable associated uses or partners 

• Investigate potential running costs 

• Demonstrate social, political, economic and community benefits 

• Identify constraints and risks 

• Identify potential sources of funding 

• Provide an action plan on the way forward 

A more detailed full feasibility study would then be required to determine 

actually feasibility should the initial scoping study demonstrate demand 

and a desire to continue by relevant parties. 

133

Appendix G 


APPENDIX G: Proposed Townscape Heritage Initiative Area Map 



Proposed Townscape Heritage Initiative Area. 

134


APPENDIX H: Suggested Boundary Amendments 

Appendix H 



Suggested boundary amendments to Ayr Central Conservation Area. 

KEY 

Existing Ayr Central Conservation Area 

Proposed boundary amendments 


Proposed inclusion areas 

1. Bridges/Newton/Wallacetown 

2. Low Green/Esplanade 

3. Citadel 

4. Sandgate 

5. Station/Burns Statue Square 

135

Appendix H 


Potential Boundary Amendment No.1: Twa Brigs and Newton-on-Ayr/Wallacetown 

Category A 

Category B 

• 

Category C(S) 

Existing CA 

Amendment 



Potential boundary amendment No.1 to include the Twa Brigs and their approaches from Newton-on-Ayr and 

Wallacetown. 

Reasoned justification 

The purpose of this proposed amendment is to include Ayr’s famous bridges within the 

Ayr Central Conservation Area. The approaches to the bridges through Newton-on-Ayr and 

Wallacetown, the riverbanks, and the River Ayr itself also make an important contribution to 

the historical development and character of the town centre. 

Description of proposed boundary 

The following description starts at a point 5m to the west of 25 South Harbour Street (on 

the north-eastern boundary of the existing conservation are) and continues in a clockwise 

direction around the suggested extension. 

From the starting point the boundary crosses South Harbour Street to the riverbank, and 

continues across the River Ayr just to the west of the line of the former railway bridge. On the 

north bank the boundary runs eastwards along the centre line of North Harbour Street, then 

northwards along the property boundary of the Borderline Theatre and eastwards behind 

Nos 1-5 (odds) Main Street. The boundary then follows the centre line of Main Street to the 

traffic island just north of Newton Tower. Following the centre line of the north carriageway 

of King Street, the boundary then turns southwards along the centre of Garden Street. At 

the southern end of Garden Street the boundary passes behind Nos 2-8 (evens) Garden 

Street and Nos 11-24 (inclusive) River Street, and then along the centre of George Street 

to the embankment of King Street. The boundary continues behind the Free Church and 

adjacent green space before following the rear property boundaries of George Street and 

eastern side of 3 River Terrace. From here it passes southwards along the centre of River 

Terrace and then straight across the River Ayr to the south bank. The proposed boundary of 

the extension meets the existing conservation area boundary at the junction between Marks 

& Spencer and BHS. 

136


Exclusions 

The proposed amendments to the conservation area 

boundary have been drawn to include significant groups 

of buildings of historic character and interest. Relatively 

recent 20th century developments at North Harbour 

Street, the west side of Main Street, the TKMaxx (former 

Asda) site on George Street and Garden Street, and 

Riverside House are not included within the extended 

area. Consideration was given to extending the area 

further along the west and east sides of Main Street, 

but many of the older buildings here have been altered 

significantly. 

Appendix H 

Principal features 

The proposed extension of the Ayr Central Conservation 

Area includes: the Twa Brigs; a stretch of the River Ayr 

extending either side of the bridges; the north bank 

of the river, taking in the Borderline Theatre, Newton 

Cross, River Street and River Terrace; the approach 

to the New Bridge, comprising Newton Tower, the east 

side of Main Street and the Carnegie Library; and the 

approach to the Auld Brig from George Street. 

Newton Tolbooth Tower, 1795. 

History 

Newton-on-Ayr became a Burgh of Barony by 1446. A 

substantial tower house existed, probably to the east 

of Garden Street, until 1701. There is some dispute 

over whether the Main Street area or the area around 

the Auld Brig was the initial settlement. Archaeological 

evidence points to the latter. Newton grew substantially 

during the late 18th and 19th centuries on the back of 

the Royal Burgh of Ayr’s successful trading status. The 

Auld Brig linked the two burghs in about 1470. From the 

18th century Main Street became the core, incorporating 

the traditional burgh institutions such as the Tolbooth 

(1795 tower) and Market Cross (dated 1675). A ‘New 

Bridge’, designed by Alexander Stevens, linked Newton 

to the Sandgate in the 1780s. By the early years of 

the 19th century River Terrace had been developed, 

leaving a broad open area along the north bank of the 

River Ayr. Wallacetown too developed around the end 

of the Auld Brig in the 1830s. The Darlington Place 

Church (now Borderline Theatre) was constructed in 

1860 and the New Bridge was replaced in turn by the 

current ‘New Bridge’ by engineers Blyth & Cunningham 

in 1877. The embankment of this area appears to date 

from a similar period. Subsequent major developments 

include demolition of the old kirk and Tolbooth buildings 

surrounding the tower, and the construction of the 

TKMaxx store in George Street. 

Ayr Martyrs Free Church, George Street, 

1832. 

137

Appendix H 


Auld Brig, circa 1470 

Building 

Category 

Auld Brig 

A 

New Bridge 

B 

Borderline Theatre, North Harbour Street 

B 

Newton Cross, Main Street 

B 

Carnegie Library, 12-14 Main Street 

B 

Newton Tower, Main Street 

B 

2-4 River Terrace B 

Former Mission Hall, 17 River Street 

C(S) 

2 George Street C(S) 

4-10 George Street C(S) 

12-16 George Street C(S) 

Ayr (Martyrs) Free Church of Scotland and Church Hall, George Street C(S) 

Listed buildings within the potential boundary amendment area at Bridges/Newton/Wallacetown. 

138


Potential Boundary Amendment No. 2: Low Green, High Green and Esplanade 

Appendix H 

Royal Scots Fusiliers Memorial, Place de 

St Germain-en-Laye. 

• 

Category A 

Category B 

Category C(S) 

Existing CA 

Amendment 

Potential boundary amendment No. 2 to include 

Low Green, Esplanade, Place de St Germain-en- 

Laye, Putting Green, and Miniature Golf. 

Esplanade wall. 


The purpose of this amendment is to include the large area of open space at Low Green 

and the High Green public gardens to the north within the Ayr Central Conservation Area. 

Historically the area formed part of the land granted to the Royal Burgh of Ayr by William the 

Lion circa 1205, and it has a long history of communal use by the townspeople. Visually it 

forms an attractive green setting for the town centre, and is part of a long continuous green 

strip between the coast and the edge of the town. The Esplanade was created from 1881 

to 1893, and the Pavilion was constructed in 1911. These features also make an important 

contribution to the seaside character of the town. 


The description starts at the SW corner of the property boundary of 5 Savoy Park in the 

existing conservation area, and continues in a clockwise direction. 

From the SW corner of 5 Savoy Park the proposed boundary runs southwards, incorporating 

139

Appendix H 


the path across the end of Wheatfield Road, to the point where it meets the boundary of the 

existing Ayr 2 Conservation Area at the northern property boundary of 3 Craigweil Road. 

From here the proposed boundary continues westwards in a straight line along the mutual 

boundary of Ayr 2 Conservation Area and then along the kerb of the footpath on the north 

side of Blackburn Drive to the beach side of the Esplanade sea wall. The boundary includes 

the sea wall from this point northwards to steps opposite and just beyond the west end 

of Cromwell Road. Continuing eastwards across the Esplanade at the north side of the 

pedestrian crossing, the boundary then follows the north side of Cromwell Road where it 

meets the boundary of the existing conservation area on the east side of Queen’s Terrace 

Lane. 


The proposed extension to the Ayr Central Conservation Area includes: the large open area 

of Low Green; the Pavilion; the Esplanade and sea wall; the fountain and memorial gardens 

at the back of the County Buildings; the putting green, crazy golf course and car park at the 

Horizon Hotel. 

History 

Further details can be found in Appendix D. Low Green is defined today as the grassy area 

south of Pavilion Road. It once encompassed a much wider coastal strip from the Rivers Ayr 

to Doon, forming part of the land granted by King William the Lion to his new Royal Burgh 

of Ayr, c. 1205. 

In the 16th century, the Town Council established regulations concerning the grazing of the 

coastal sand hills, reserving the right of the Towns people to hold games here according to 

custom, a privilege which may well date back to the earliest days of the Burgh (plaque on 

Pavilion Road). The drifting sands were long a problem for the town and various appeals 

were made to stabilise the dunes from early times. In the 1720s, Colonel Cathcart, later 

Lord Cathcart of Sundrum, in partnership with Colonel Nugent, officer commanding customs 

in Ayr, created pasture where Low Green now lies. This was achieved by mixing the sand 

Ayr Pavilion, 1911. 

140


with the town’s ‘muck’ in return for 57 years’ grazing rights (information courtesy of Kenneth 

Wilson). By the late 18th century, the Green was described as ‘a common of between 80 

and 90 acres, for feeding milk cows, and free to every burgess (Statistical Account, 1799).’ A 

section to the south was lost to the (old) racecourse in 1770, thus reducing its extent to that 

more or less remaining today (Love, pp.123,124). Delineated on Wood’s Plan, 1818, Low 

Green may have been trimmed a little further by the late Victorian villa gardens in Fairfield, 

Road, Savoy Park and Wheatfield Roads, which lie within Ayr Conservation Area 2, on the 

former Barns Estate. 

Low Green’s history shows that it was used for many different purposes over the centuries, 

progressively feued to different townsfolk until the precious surviving space along the seafront 

finally passed into the management and care of the Town Council some time between 1897 

and 1937. In the 1870s, part was reserved for women to play croquet and it was home to 

different football clubs including Ayr Thistle (Love, p.9, 2000). 

In the later 19th century, the Green became the town’s public park supplied with fashionable 

Victorian amenities and with the bonus of a stretch of fine sand. The advancement of the 

railway reinforced its attraction and improvements were undertaken in the 1880s. Humps 

and bumps were levelled during a period of local unemployment in the weaving and carpet 

trade. In 1881, the first stretch of the Esplanade (using dockyard spoil) was completed, a 

sea wall was built and work continued until the wall reached the mouth of the River Doon, in 

1893. The grass was adorned with park bench seats. An octagonal cast-iron bandstand was 

added soon after, funded by public subscription (this structure survived into the 1930s). A 

children’s playground was introduced in the early 20th century and further ‘add on’ facilities 

were developed north of Bath Place (discussed elsewhere). 

Situated between Pavilion Road and Bath Place, Jail Green was still a simple, rough grassy 

space when the splendid cast-iron Steven Fountain was donated to the town, and located 

here in 1892. Following demolition of the Gaol and its replacement by the new extension to 

the County Buildings, completed 1935, the Green was redesigned, made more ornamental 

Appendix H 

View across Low Green to the Pavilion and town centre. 

141

Appendix H 


and divided into two distinct spaces—a ‘rock garden’ retaining the Steven Fountain as its 

focus, and a smaller interlinked sunken ‘rose garden’. 

The most significant 20th century development on Low Green itself was the building of the 

Pavilion Theatre beside the County Buildings in 1911. This entertainment palace contained 

1500 seats and room for 1000 standing. Leased to the Popplewell family, it provided summer 

variety shows, ballroom dancing and other amusements until the family gave up tenure in 

1967 (Love, pp. 9,145, 2000). It continues as a children’s sea-side attraction today and is 

privately owned. 

The immediate pre/post-war period saw the reformation of the children’s playground on the 

west side of the Pavilion, the introduction of shelters and kiosks along the Esplanade and 

the creation of the hedged seating area east of the Pavilion. With European funding, the 

playground was upgraded to the present adventure playground, in 1995. 

Building 

Ayr Pavilion 

Steven Memorial Fountain 

Category 

B 

B 

Listed buildings within the potential boundary amendment area No. 2 at Low Green/Esplanade. 

Steven Fountain, Place de St Germain-en-Laye, 1892. 

142


Potential Boundary Amendment No. 3: Citadel 

Appendix H 

Potential Boundary Amendment No. 3: Citadel. 

• 

Category A 

Category B 

Category C(S) 

Existing CA 

Amendment 

This product includes mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey with the permission of the 

Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown copyright and/or database right 2008. All rights 

reserved. Licence number 100020765. 

Reasoned Justification 

The purpose of this proposed amendment is to include a more expansive setting for 

Cromwell’s Citadel within the Ayr Central Conservation Area and to maintain the character 

of the south riverbank. The historical layers of development at the south quayside, the 

Citadel, and Miller’s Folly are important to an understanding of the town’s progress, and 

are prominent in key views. On the west side of the Citadel, the boundary is amended 

to include the two listed buildings on Seabank Road, which form part of the 19th century 

villa development otherwise included within the existing boundary. Amendment of the north 

boundary is proposed to include the strip of green space adjoining the Citadel walls. 


The following description starts in the south-east corner of the Cromwell Road car park 

adjacent to 13 Ailsa Place (on the north-western boundary of the existing conservation area) 

and continues in a clockwise direction around the suggested extension. 

From the starting point the boundary runs north, parallel to the Citadel along the line of the 

kerbed grass verge, following the kerb where it turns to the west along the rear of 1-3 Seabank 

Road. It returns north on the right hand verge of the footpath until it meets the centreline of 

the footpath (part of the Lang Scots Mile Walkway) that leads to South Harbourside Road. 

The boundary continues east along the centre of the footpath until it meets the carriageway 

of South Harbour Street where it follows the kerb south-east for 38m, then crosses the road 

to the riverbank. It follows the riverbank east to a position north of a point 5m to the west of 

25 South Harbour Street where it meets the existing boundary. 

Exclusions 

The harbour area to the north and west of the proposed extension forms part of the existing 

Citadel Masterplan area, for which plans have been implemented, or are in the course of 

development. 


The proposed extension of the Ayr Central Conservation Area includes: Seabank Road; 

areas of landscaping verging on the Citadel; South Harbour Road and the south bank of the 

river. 

143

Appendix H 


Franklin Villa, Seabank Road. 

Undulating grass strip adjacent to the 

west wall of the Citadel. 

History 

The Churchill Infantry Barracks were sited in the area 

immediately to the north of the Citadel with a Powder 

Magazine, Hospital, Dead House, Lavatory and Officers 

Stables existing between the north fortified corners of 

the Citadel. These buildings have been lost and the 

area lightly landscaped in recent years. Seabank Road 

was formed in the late nineteenth century breaching the 

east wall of the fortification. 19th Century warehouses 

(Paton’s Grain & Seed Store) on South Harbour Street 

were demolished in 1976 and the land now lies vacant. 

The quay on the south bank of the river dates from 

the early 18th century and has had repeated rebuilds, 

the last being with the construction of the Harbour 

Branch Viaduct in 1899 and appears never to have had 

buildings on it. 

The properties on Seabank Road are fine late nineteenth 

century villas with the bowed dormers of Franklin Villa 

being of particular architectural interest. The south side 

of the river bank is a stone built quay with no building 

extant and currently given over to parking. The absence 

of development results in an unobstructed view of the 

Citadel and Miller’s Folly from the north river bank and 

New Bridge. The buildings of 23-41 South Harbour 

Street within the existing conservation area are 2 storeys 

with slated roofs built parallel to the riverbank and the 

building height increases to the south within the raised 

ground level of the Citadel. The proposed conservation 

area extension would include the area formerly occupied 

by the warehouses that had the same orientation and 

followed a similar gradual increase in height, low at the 

quay to higher inland. The remainder of the proposed 

extension forms landscaped areas of grass that provide 

an appropriate setting for the Scheduled Monument of 

Cromwell’s Citadel. 

Building 

Category 

1 Seabank Road C(S) 

2-3 Seabank Road C(S) 

Listed buildings within the potential boundary amendment area No. 3 at the Citadel. 

Riverfront at South Harbour Road. 

144


Potential Boundary Amendment No. 4: Sandgate, Bus Station and Bingo Hall 

Appendix H 

• 

Category A 

Category B 

Category C(S) 

Existing CA 

Amendment 



Potential Boundary Amendment No. 4: Sandgate, Bus Station and Bingo Hall. 


The purpose of these proposed amendments is to include the early-mid nineteenth century 

houses/shops, the 1893 former post office, and early 20th century developments at the 

south end of the Sandgate within the Ayr Central Conservation Area. The 19th century 

buildings on the west side of the Sandgate are similar in character to their neighbours, 

which are already included within the conservation area. The B-listed former post office 

at 43 Sandgate, with its conical roof and crowstepped gable, is of significant townscape 

quality and interest. Similarly the Edwardian Baroque 67-71 Sandgate and the more modest 

arcaded red sandstone bus station next door provide a good level of architectural interest 

at the end of the street. Behind, the former Ayr Playhouse (now bingo hall), although of 

individual character, groups better with the buildings within the conservation area than those 

outside. 


The following description starts at the corner of the Head Post Office on the junction of 

Sandgate and Boswell Park (on the internal north-western boundary of the existing 

conservation area) and continues in a clockwise direction around the suggested extension. 

From the starting point the boundary proceeds to the centre line of Boswell Park which it 

then follows south-east to the centre line of Douglas Street. It continues on the centre line 

of the Douglas Street carriage way until it reaches a point parallel to the south east corner 

of the 4 Boswell Park. The boundary continues along to the south west corner of the 4 

Boswell Park where it turns south-west to meet the boundary of the existing Ayr Central 

Conservation Area on Fullarton Street. 

It is also proposed to extend the conservation area around the property boundary of 43 

Sandgate recognizing its notable townscape value. 


The proposed extension of the Ayr Central Conservation Area includes: the south end of 

Sandgate; the Bus Station; the south side of a section of Boswell Park including the Bingo 

Hall; and 43 Sandgate. 

145

Appendix H 


43 Sandgate, former post office, 1893. 

Bus Station, Sandgate frontage, 1924. 

History 

The OS Town Plan of 1855 shows the buildings of 60- 

100 Sandgate complete with the area now occupied by 

the Bus Station and the former Ayr Playhouse being 

open park land. 67-71 Sandgate was built in 1911, the 

Ayr Playhouse in 1930 (replacing a previous building 

that was burnt down) and the Bus Station was purposebuilt 

as an omnibus station by Hay & Steel in 1924. 

Adjacent buildings within the existing conservation 

area; Holy Trinity Church (1888); Wellington Chambers 

(1895). 

Character and appearance 

The west side of Sandgate is characterised by modest 

terrace of 1-2 storey properties with grey slate roofs that 

although altered retain their nineteenth century massing 

and materials. The east side of Sandgate has the 

striking 3 storey former Liberal Club a landmark building 

in the area, the circular domed bay and pedimented 

door particularly attractive features. The neighbouring 

Bus Station, although more restrained in detail, forms a 

balanced 2-storey counterpart to the terrace opposite. 

There is a continuity of materials in the use of red 

sandstone ashlar, as found at Wellington Chambers 

within the existing conservation area. The former Ayr 

Playhouse offers a bold art deco façade to Boswell 

Park, recently upgraded from listing category C(S) to 

B in recognition of its intact qualities and significant 

contribution to streetscape. 

Building 

Category 

67-71 Sandgate(former Liberal Club) C(S) 

Registrar’s Office (former Post Office) 43 Sandgate 

Bingo Hall (former Ayr Playhouse), 4 Boswell Park 

B 

B 

Listed buildings within the potential boundary amendment area No. 4 at Sandgate. 

Detail of doorway at 67-71 Sandgate, 1911 

146


Potential Boundary Amendment No. 5: Ayr Railway Station/Burns Square 

Appendix H 

• 

Category A 

Category B 

Category C(S) 

Existing CA 

Amendment 



Potential Boundary Amendment No. 5: Ayr Railway Station/Burns Square. 


The purpose of this proposed amendment is to include the civic centre within the Ayr Central 

Conservation Area. A key point of arrival from Ayr Railway Station, Burns Square is an 

important gateway to the town centre and the link between the Station, Hotel, War Memorial 

and the Burns Statue should be contained within the Conservation Area. 


The following description starts at the south-east corner of 48 Smith Street (on the west 

boundary of the existing conservation area) and continues in a clockwise direction around 

the suggested extension. 

From the starting point the boundary crosses Smith Street to meet the south-west corner 

of the boundary of Kyle Court and follows this property boundary to its north-east corner. 

The boundary then crosses the railway lines and platforms meeting the north-east corner of 

the property on the east side of the tracks (Craigs, Station Road). The boundary continues 

along the east side of the platform going around the east side of the station building to 

Station Bridge. It follows the parapet on the north side of the bridge crossing the junction 

and following the centre line of Burns Square car park to the centre of the traffic island at the 

junction between Killoch Place and Miller Street. The proposed boundary continues along 

the centre line of Miller Street and terminates where it meets the boundary of the existing 

Ayr Central Conservation Area. 

Exclusions 

The south side of Burns Statue Square, despite the presence of Andrew Mather’s Odeon, is 

much compromised by later 20th century development. 


The proposed extension of the Ayr Central Conservation Area includes: Burns Statue 

Square; Killoch Place, Smith Street and Ayr Railway Station & Hotel. 

147

Appendix H 


History 

Burns Stature Square is located in the south east corner 

of the town centre formed in the late 19th century as 

the town extended with the arrival of the rail line. The 

memorial to Robert Burns was in place by 1882 with the 

Station and Hotel opening in 1885. The Burns Memorial 

lost its original decorative iron railings and lamp 

standards in a contribution to the WWII effort. These 

have been replaced by more modest circular railings. 

Killoch Place was laid out in the mid 19th century. 

Statue of Robert Burns, 1882. 

Burns Statue Square clock. 

Killoch Place. 

Building 

Ayr Station and Station Hotel 

Monument to Robert Burns 

South African War Memorial 


The 3-storey and attic red sandstone Station Hotel of 

1886 is a fine example of the Scottish railway hotel and 

with its stone gate piers, iron railings and landscaping 

has distinct civic presence. It set the precedent in 

material and massing for the later group of red ashlar 

buildings with slate roofs on Burns Statue Square within 

the existing Conservation Area. The buildings on the 

west side of Killoch Place are a 2- and 3-storey mixture 

of ashlar and painted ashlar and render as the square 

makes the transition from civic to residential. The 

Ayrshire & Galloway Hotel is marked on the OS Town 

Plan of 1855 and has later additions. Nos. 3 and 6 may 

have some original nineteenth century fabric and no. 7 is 

noteworthy as an altered piece of art deco that attempts 

to match the public nature of the square. The clock, 

granite fountain, Memorial to Robert Burns (1892) and 

the South African War Memorial (1902) mark the civic 

importance of the square and are of historic importance 

to the development of the Town Centre. The existing 

road layout prevents the square from performing well as 

a public space, despite having the appropriate historic 

and civic components. 

Category 

B 

B 

B 

Listed buildings in potential boundary amendment area No. 5 at Burns Statue Square. 

Railway Station & Hotel, 1886. 

148


Potential Boundary Amendment No. 6: Dalblair Road 

Appendix H 

• 

Category A 

Category B 

Category C(S) 

Existing CA 

Amendment 



Potential Boundary Amendment No. 6: Dalblair Road. 


The amended boundary is intended to include a small number of stone-built late 19th and 

early 20th century residential properties of traditional character. 

Description of boundary 

The following description starts at a point adjoining the current Conservation Area boundary 

in the centre of the frontage of 30 Barns Street and continues in a clockwise direction. 

The proposed boundary runs south from 30 Barns Street along the centre of Dalblair Road 

and turns eastwards along the centre of the access road to the Kyle Centre multi-storey car 

park. The boundary then follows the rear property boundaries of 13-39 (odd nos.) Dalblair 

Road before running along the side of No.39 and crossing the road to rejoin the existing 

Conservation Area. 


The proposed extension to the Ayr Central Conservation Area contains: 2-10 (even nos.) 

Dalblair Road;13 Dalblair Road; 17-25 (odd nos.) Dalblair Road; 27-39 (odd nos.) Dalblair 

Road; and 32 & 34 Dalblair Road. 

History 

The proposed extension is situated just to the east of the former Barns Estate, on the edge 

of the area currently omitted from the middle of Ayr Central Conservation Area. Dalblair 

House of circa 1790 once stood on the site now occupied by Dalblair Arcade (1966). Feuing 

of the grounds began in the 1830s. The terrace at 17-25 Dalblair Road was constructed in 

about 1880. 2-10 Dalblair Road, originally Dalblair Quadrant, was built circa 1906. 

149

Appendix H 



Whilst there are gaps in the appearance of Dalblair Road, the proposed Conservation Area 

extension comprises small groups of buildings that retain the original scale and density of 

this residential suburb. The properties are all stone-built with slate roofs, of two storeys, and 

retain a number of traditional features including timber sash and case windows, panelled 

doors, stone chimneys, and decorative chimney pots. The buildings are later, but similar in 

size and type to the neighbouring houses in Barns Street and Barns Park. 

Building 

Category 

17-25 (odd nos.) Dalblair Road C(S) 

27-39 (odd nos.) Dalblair Road C(S) 

Listed buildings within potential boundary amendment area No. 6 at Dalblair Road. 

13 Dalblair Road, built in cottage ornée style with decorative bargeboards and polygonal chimney stacks; now 

extended and in use as pub. 

17-39 (odd nos.) Dalblair Road. 

150


Appendix H 

Chimneypot details at 17-25 Dalblair Road. 

151

Department of Development, Safety & Regulation 


Burns House 

Burns Statue Square 

AYR 

KA7 1UT 

www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

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