A POTTED HISTORY OF NOBEL'S VILLAS (ARDEER
VILLAS) 1930 to 1954
As remembered by by Bill Cunningham with the help of Annie and Jimmy
Urquhart
and Jackie Eaglesham who for the last 50 years has lived in California, U S
A.
I moved to Ardeer Villas as a one year old
in 1930. My father was a policeman and was transferred from Kilwinning to
Ardeer Factory. Ayrshire Constabulary was responsible for the security and
policing of the factory. As it turned out my mother, who had been happy in a
new house, No 1 Smith Crescent, Kilwinning, was extremely disappointed in
the ''new'' house, No 19 Nobel's Villas. The accommodation comprised two
rooms, a kitchen/living room with an inset bed, a ''jawbox'' ( a sink
located under the window and close to the bed ), and a range for heating and
cooking. This was a cast iron open fire unit with oven and hot plates that
required black leading to keep it in reasonable condition.
There was a bedroom with cast iron grate (fireplace) but no bathroom and no
inside toilet! The toilet was a dry one down the outside stair and across
the drying green. My mother refused to unpack her kist (clothes chest )
until assurance had been given that changes were going to be made. It would
probably be 1932 when inside toilets were installed in the back row houses
although it is possible that the ''large'' back row block, which had four
flats with two bedrooms, was already fitted with inside toilets.
As Ardeer Villas no longer exists I will try to give some idea of where it
was situated and what the general area was like in the early 1930s. The
rough sketch of the general area might be of some help. At the east end of
Caledonian Road, Stevenston, the road turned south and became Lundholm Road,
or in these days better known as Dynamite Road. Ardeer Golf Clubhouse was at
the corner where the roads met and the golf course was to the east of
Dynamite Road. Apart from a large two storey red brick building at the
beginning of Dynamite Road and two, two storey sandstone houses about 200
yards further up the road, all being on the golf course side, there were no
other buildings fronting on to the road until you came to Ardeer Villas.
Although there were no buildings on the west side of the road not far off
was the ' Old Square 'and' Rabbit Row ( Raw !)'. The 'Old Square' was a
series of single storey terraced houses, formed into a sort of square,
housing a hundred or so families that originally provided the labour force
for the iron works. The iron works which was in production during the late
1800s and early 1900s was on the shore side of the 'Old Square' and the
remains of some of the buildings plus two of the tall brick chimneys were
still there in the early 1930s. I did witness the chimneys being brought
down, this before I was school-age. As an aside, associated with the 'Old
Square' was a public house known as the 'Store', a kind of grocery /
hardware shop and the ' Tin Kirk' It could be assumed. that the pub and shop
were originally owned by the iron works' company; however the 'Tin Kirk',
which had corrugated outer walls and roof, thus the name , was affiliated to
the High Kirk at Stevenston Cross.
Further up the road was a row of two storey semi detached houses with two or
three single storey bungalow types, this was the 'Rabbit Row', officially
known as Ardeer Cottages. Some of the people who stayed in these houses
worked in Ardeer Factory, some worked in Ardeer Foundry and some at the
'Slag Hill', Shanks and McEwans' crushing plant. The slag was the waste
material from the 'Iron Works'. Opposite the south end of the 'Rabbit Row',
Dynamite Road, which had been gradually sloping upwards for most of the way, reached its crest and sloped quite steeply down towards Ardeer Factory.
Ardeer Villas was at the bottom of the hill. I will try to describe the then
Ardeer Villas set up.
At the bottom of the hill on the main road to the
factory at the start of the Villas a single track road to the left lead to
the ''back lane''. Between the main road, the single track road and the
''back lane'' was the Works Manager's house, a large two storey house
with a large lawn and garden enclosed by a high brick wall on two sides and
bounded by high hedges on the main road and single track road . Across the
main road and opposite the big house was a large walled garden which
provided for the Works Manager and his family. The Works Manager's name was
Mr Cross and I do remember that he always wore a soft hat with a very wide
brim, stetson like. Beyond the Works Manager's house and garden and beside
the main road going towards the factory was the ''village green'', a sort
of square area of grass with a red Post Office pillar box situated on the
main road side. To the factory side of it and fronting on to the main road
was a terrace block of four two storey houses.
Knowing our own house number
before and after the alterations I can only assume that the terraced block
had Nos 1 to 4 assigned and the Works Manager's house had no number or one
in the twenties. No 4, which I think was nearest the ''village green'',
was occupied by the Watts, Mr and Mrs Watts a son Sammy and a daughter May. I do not know what position Mr Watt held in the factory but I was reliably
informed by the late Jimmy Urquhart that the son was one of the first to
ride a bicycle backwards sitting on the handlebars and was able to perform
''wheelies''. Mr and Mrs Sandford stayed in No 3. Mr Sandford was the
Inspector of Police at Ardeer. I know that my mother was very grateful for
all the support she got from them during my father's illness, necessitating
an operation at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, and afterwards during his
recuperation. Their grandson, Tommy Sandford, who lived in New Street,
Stevenston, became a school friend during my primary school days.
No 4
housed the Norwoods. I don't know what Mr Norwood did in the factory but I
am almost sure it would be on the management side. The Norwoods had three
sons and a daughter, Tommy, Ernie, Bobbie and Florrie, all much older
than me. In fact my earliest recollection was of grown-ups. Tommy and
Ernie were joiners in Ardeer Factory, Bobbie worked too but I think his job
was outwith the factory, Florrie was the housekeeper. The three Norwood
sons were all good golfers and members of Ardeer Golf Club. Part of the
golf course was adjacent to the Villas. More
Bill Cunningham ~ Ayrshire, Scotland.
