Afton
— 20/10/2019Found in the Leadhills area. This is a firebrick and as such may have been manufactured by Messrs Dickson or Dickenson, Afton Brickworks, New Cumnock. . . . .
Straid Brick and Tile Works, New Cumnock, East Ayrshire
Dr Jimmy Begg states – There is a hand-drawn map of the turnpike roads of New Cumnock parish of 1851 (which show the new railway). On the west side of the turnpike road to Dalmellington, opposite Straid farm is clearly marked “Afton Tileworks”. Around 1850, the struggling Nithsdale Iron Company (1847-59), having run out of local ironstone, had built a tramway to Beoch to a new source of ironstone, and probably this tramway may also have used to carry clay from the Auchingee clay pit to the Afton Tileworks and certainly would have taken the finished bricks and tiles from Straid down to the furnaces for transport onwards by cart to New Cumnock Station. This ties beautifully in with one of the adverts in 1850-51, stating that the Iron Company was looking
to form a branch line to export its iron, bricks, tiles, etc
1851 – Map of New Cumnock turnpike roads, beautifully hand-drawn in 1851 by James McDerment & Sons. Afton Tileworks just to the north of Straid Farm.
Below – 20/07/1855 – Glasgow Herald – Straid Brick and Tile Works upon the Afton Estate for sale.
Below – 1857 – Straid Brick and Tile Works. (Not marked on the 1895 map).
Below – 18/10/1860 – Glasgow Herald – All and whole the rails of the railway … Between Straid Farm and Burnfoot Farm etc are for sale and at Straid Farm Brick and Tile Work, engine and gearing for driving clay mill and boiler, boiler seat and furnace and a quantity of made bricks at tile house and kiln. (Still for sale on 22/11/1860)
