After completing my exploration of the old Paisley Canal line as far as Johnstone, the next leg of this railway walk would take me into Ayrshire and 11 miles lay ahead of me. The end point was Glengarnock station which lies on the existing route between Glasgow, Johnstone and Ayr. I had a punishing schedule but there was the convenience of being able to jump on a train to return to my starting point. Glorious weather was forecast and I knew there were a few historical highlights along the way. I took the first bus on a Sunday morning from Cairneyhill to Glasgow, made my way to the Central Station and purchased an off-peak return to Glengarnock (actually cheaper than a standard single). Of course I would be jumping off early at Johnstone on the outward leg. I covered the history of the Renfrewshire town in my previous report and will now proceed straight to the walk.
I joined the tarmac footpath near a supermarket on the edge of Johnstone. A station called Johnstone North was formerly situated around here and the line southwards was known as the Lochwinnoch Loop, hugging the western shores of Castle Semple Loch and Barr Loch. A parallel route (today's main line) proceeded down the opposite side of the water and the two sets of tracks met near Glengarnock village. The Loop Line closed in 1966 along with Lochwinnoch Station. The village had also been served by Lochside Station on the other route. This halt had closed in 1955 but was brought back into service following the demise of the Loop Line. It was renamed Lochwinnoch in 1985 and remains so today. In one respect, you can see the logic in shearing off one half of a duplicate system but the cuts ran deeper than that. Johnstone North also connected with a line to Greenock via Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm. This section is fully walkable today and is next on my list. After dog-legging over the modern A737, I soon left Johnstone behind and entered a pleasant area of rolling countryside. At times I would disappear into long stretches of cutting and after one such episode, I emerged to find a curious structure standing atop the adjacent Kenmure Hill. The maps designated the building as a "temple" but it was obviously some kind of folly. A photograph proved impossible due to the sun shining blindingly into my face when I faced the hill. It appears little is known about the temple. One strand of local folklore insists the octagonal structure was a place of worship for the landowner’s servants or his foreign wife. Other tales claim it was a nursery for a sick child, or a watchtower for ladies to attend to their embroidery while the men hunted below on horseback. Records show the building was constructed around 1760 for Colonel William McDowell, a wealthy merchant who made his fortune in the West Indies. Originally, there were avenues of trees on the hill - a common feature for summer houses of that era. The very fact so much mystery surrounds the temple alludes to the idea it may actually have been a Masonic venue where secret handshakes were performed. In 1830, a lightning strike and subsequent fire damaged the roof but the shell remained in sound condition which is testament to the build quality. An intriguing bunch of theories and there was a gate and path leading off the railway. If I hadn't been on a relatively tight schedule, I may well have taken a wander up.
It didn't take long to reach the boundary of Castle Semple Estate. I noticed how the approach viaduct was ornately capped with crenellated parapets and I wondered if the landowner had demanded the fancy architecture as a condition of routing the line through his land. The original mansion house was destroyed by fire in 1924 and demolished in the early 60s. Apparently the outbuildings have now been converted into private apartments. Clyde Muirsheil Regional Park now administers Castle Semple as part of a wider recreational area spanning three local authorities. Castle Semple Loch is a mile and half long and is used for watersports. An RSPB reserve lies at the southern end and we visited a matter of weeks ago. Just beyond the viaduct stood the remains of a 16th-century collegiate church. The late Gothic place of worship is protected by Historic Environment Scotland but a gate in the surrounding wooden fence permits access. The oblong church is roofless and I went inside to take a photograph of the tombs. The church fell out of use after the Reformation of 1560 and was this spared any future architectural additions. Built in 1504 at the behest of Lord Semple, its function was to house a college of clergy whose main role in life was to pray for the souls of the Lord and his family. Semple was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513 when James IV made the disastrous decision to invade England. I have paid a visit to the battlefield just across the border and a series of storyboards are mounted on a viewpoint. James himself was a casualty and he remains the last British monarch to fall in combat. In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, the church was extended eastwards to form a three sided apse and a highly decorated tomb was installed in the north wall of the extension as Lord Semple's final resting place. Collegiate churches across Scotland ceased to be used for their original purpose after the Reformation and it was very interesting to have seen an intact example.
Another landmark I'd spotted on the map before setting out was the ice cave. This was just a short walk from the church and I also discovered ancient gardening features from the old estate. In the days before electric refrigeration, ice was stored in stone-lined subterranean chambers. That fact is well known but what on earth was an ice cave? An aperture was cut into the rock and barred by a metal gate. The cave was apparently artificial but may actually have been used to store ice, according to the information boards. Castle Semple has a rare surviving example of a landscape garden feature - the cascade. Water installations were de rigueur on the 18th-century private estates and owner William McDowell commissioned a series of rectangular ponds linked by ornamental cascades. A weir was created to feed the ponds and the flow of water over the stone cascades was controlled by sluice gates. The outflow was channelled under the mansion house and into the loch. Clever stuff! The path stuck faithfully to the railway most of the way but a deviation across a public park was required as I approached Lochwinnoch. I picked up the trackbed again on a high embankment as I left the village and once again headed into the countryside. I could see Loch Barr which was once joined to Castle Temple Loch and the whole stretch known simply as Loch Winnoch. Silt from the River Calder created a land bridge and the two bodies of water are now distinct. Barr Castle stands on a ridge in a field and I searched for a spot where I could take a photo unimpeded by bushes and trees. Now a ruin, this late medieval tower house was built on a simple rectangular plan and rose to four storeys. The wings have collapsed and little remains of the courtyard and curtain wall. A nice landmark in a prominent position overlooking the loch. I pushed on and entered Ayrshire by crossing the Maich Water. It's never North Ayrshire by the way, that term refers purely to a Council Area, not a traditional subdivision.
My legs were beginning to tire as I trudged along the well maintained path, passing below an impressive viaduct carrying the A760 over the line. I estimated I would just miss the hourly train service back to Glasgow but that suited me fine as I planned to eat at the Old Clock Café next to Glengarnock Station. I had refrained from bringing food in my rucksack as I wanted to work up an appetite. At least, that was the theory. I skirted the town of Kilbirnie, ignoring signs for the town centre and the usual amenities, carrying on instead until the end of the path which ended at Glengarnock, although the old railway junction was to the south of the village. It was a blow to discover the Clock Café closed. I had been fantasising about the recuperative powers of a fry-up as I grew ever wearier. To add insult, there was no convenience store in Glengarnock where I could grab a bite. Just a newsagents that had closed at lunchtime. My only option was to sit on the platform and watch the non-stopping trains hurtle by until a service arrived to whisk me back to the city for a belated meal. Amazingly, Glengarnock station dates right back to 1840 when the line to Ayr opened for business. I had assumed my tired state was the result of walking double-digit miles but I think something else was brewing as I tested positive for Covid the following day. Well that was my forthcoming trip to Germany wiped out, I thought. As it turned it, Nicole (who also came down with the virus) was able to book flights a week further down the line, thereby cutting the holiday in half, but much preferable to staying at home.
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