Hayford Mills, Kersebonny Road, Cambusbarron, Stirling, St Ninians, Stirling

Description

Circa 1860-80. Former woollen mill complex; iron work by Wylie and Davie, Stirling Foundry, (name cast into beams in weaving shed), James Davie & Sons from 1873. Two-, three- and four-storey brick built mill buildings with red and white polychrome treatment. All converted to residential dwellings around 2003 (2022). Glazing pattern originally six-(round-headed) or nine-pane, altered and replacement windows inserted throughout (2022).

19-82 HAYFORD MILLS, ENGINE HOUSE AND BOILER HOUSE: circa 1865-71, former B4, B5, B6 mule spinning mill and later store, transformer house and loading bay; four-storey with 25-bay elevations to northwest and southeast. Tenth and northeast stair bay (with three-bays of First World War latrines to right) projects from former, later sheet metal-clad lift tower projects from the latter (the latrines and lift tower removed prior to 2022). Cast-iron tie-plates between alternate bays. Six blind bays to southwest. Five tall, arcaded bays to northeast with dentil cornice, twin pilaster angles and later lift tower in centre (removed prior to 2022). Single-storey boiler house adjoins northeast elevation. Polychrome brick with ashlar cornice, wall partly slapped out at a later date for access to mill. Engine house rubble-built side and rear, polychrome brick front with three tall arched windows over door. Boiler house and Engine house have no roofs (2022), formerly piended slate M-roof, ridge ventilators to boiler house.

INTERIOR: mill; three rows of 24 cast-iron columns with saddles, one row with bearing pads, carry crosswise timber beams, lengthwise at third floor. Steel reinforcements to lower floors. Fine stair. Converted to residential dwellings around 2003. Boiler house and Engine house have no interiors (2022). Engine house originally noted as having elaborate boarded and panelled ceiling with hooks and ornate ventilators.

30-39 HAYFORD MILLS: circa 1865-70, former B11, B11A, B12 probable dyehouse and later radio and lamp stores and workshop; two-storey 21-by-four bay block with first floor round-arched windows, cill course and dentil cornice. Seven westmost bays appear to be a slightly later extension in the same style. Single-storey two-by-five bay piend roofed outshot to northwest (no longer evident, 2022). Blocks 9 and 10, new boiler house, are later extensions of lesser interest. Piended M-roof.

INTERIOR: single row cast-iron columns carry composite twin timber beams tensioned by wrought-iron. New concrete floor and steel supports. Converted to residential dwelling around 2003.

1-24 HAYFORD MILLS: circa 1871-80; former B14, B15 probable finishing department and woth counting house and later stores, loading bay and office; three-storey six-by-12 bay (14-bay north elevation) quadrilateral block. First floor segmental-arched, second floor round arched, windows with Greek Key pattern and double dentil cornice over. Alternate bays pilastered and polychrome wallhead stacks to long elevations. Square-section four-storey hoist at northwest angle with twin blind recessed arched bays and pyramidal roof. Three piended slate roofs.

INTERIOR: two rows of cast-iron columns with pierced saddles carry timber cross beams later reinforced with brick and steel at lower floors. (Apparently little power was required here). Open king post roofs. Two stairs (for blue and white collar workers). Counting house at southeast angle has timber boarded ceilings, fire places and shouldered arched lodge partitions. Converted to residential dwelling around ~~circa~~ 2003.

POND: circa 1833-58: Oval rubble-built and coped cooling pond. (Filtering beds formerly lay to either side). Now filled in and landscaped (2022).

Rubble built boundary wall northwest to mill, with square gatepiers to original mill of 1833. Gateway blocked. Boundary wall and gatepiers no longer appear to remain (2022).

Statement of Interest

Also known as Hayford and Parkvale mill. Founded 1833 (datestone relocated at entrance on demolition of original mill between 1913-1942), by John Campbell, William Watson and Alexander Donaldson, bought in 1845 by Robert Smith of Old Bridge Mill, Stirling, who built the nearby Hayford House in 1850 (listed category B, LB19118) and died in 1859. Hayford Mills became the largest factory in Stirlingshire, after Carron Ironworks, employing 950 people in 1869 (530 power looms, 13 carding setts and six steam engines of 300hp). An enlargement in 1871 brought the number to 1200. The chief product was ladies wincey-woolen wefts and Lancashire cotton warps (hence the preponderance of looms). The mills closed in 1896, when Robert Smith Jun. withdrew his finance and invested in Australian gold mines (he died the night of a stormy board meeting in 1901 when it emerged that his Northern Territories Company was a bad investment). During the First World War the mill was a training barracks for the King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) and machine gun shelters were erected at the end of Swiney Road. Between the wars the complex operated briefly as a carpet factory, and after the Second World War it was a government civil defence store.

A rare surviving example of a large mill complex. Despite changes to the main blocks and the loss of some associated buildings, the complex retains much of its historic character. It is of special architectural and historic interest as one of the largest and most complete vertically integrated woollen mills in Scotland. The construction of the former weaving sheds (now demolished, 2022) is was similar to that of Templeton's, Glasgow, also built by Davie of Stirling Foundry, but demolished for car parking.

Former mule spinning mill, probable finishing department, woth counting house and probable dyehouse were converted to residential use around 2003.

Weaving sheds (1860-70) and former willying house (1865-80) were severely damaged by a storm in 2012 and were later demolished (2022). There has been a multi-phase residential redevelopment of the site since the early 21^st century, including new build houses and flats.

Statutory address updated from 'Cambusbarron, Hayford Mills' in 2011.

Listed building record updated in 2022.

External Links

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