Benslie
Some dwellings were also present at Rosebank or Woodneuk (1858 OS map), situated just before the bridge that crossed the railway at Montgreenan station.
It turned east (crossing under the later Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway) and connected various industrial workings on the Eglinton Castle estate on its way to reach the Doura coal pit.
[14][15] In 1833 [sic] Sir James Cunningham extended the Doura branch to his extensive coal and fireclay workings at Perceton.
A section of the light weight 1831 waggonway track survived at Millburn near Benslie and was recovered in 2009 for restoration and study.
This Vignole type section track has a large surface of contact with the sleeper and is therefore a flat-bottomed rail rather than double-headed, bull-headed, etc.
[19] It is 15 ft (4.6 m) long, typical of early rail lengths and has no holes for fishplates as these were not invented until after 1839; special joint-chairs were used at that time to hold the ends in place.
Several holed sandstone blocks have been found built into the 'Hurry' at and it is likely that the wrought iron rails were spiked to these large stone sleepers.
When the Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway was converted to standard gauge c. 1840, heavier rails were used, the lighter version probably being the type recovered from Millburn.
The gable ends both held rectangular windows with an unusually elongated vertical axis, not set centrally, but offset towards the back of the building which itself faces South Millburn.
The side facing South Millburn had one similar windows to the gable inserts as shown by a surviving lintel.
The side facing the Eglinton estate had two doors and one splayed and one lit window with finely worked recycled stone that may have come from Kilwinning Abbey.
[23][24] The old Ordnance Survey maps indicate that this building sat just behind and parallel to the horse drawn waggonway trackbed, opened in 1831 to Byres at Kilwinning and ran up to Doura by 1834, ending at the coal pits.
Later the building had the Perceton / Sourlie freight Branch of the Glasgow and South Western Railway located in front of it.
[7] Millburn drive was also part of the old 1774 road from Kilwinning to Irvine,[7] running across the Red Burn at the Drukken Steps and passed in front of the Draughtburn Gates and lodges.
The minutes of the Turnpike Trust of 27 May 1780 state that the road to the Dowra Coal Works had for more than 13 years been totally neglected, not one penny of Statute Money or repair of any kind have been expended.
[27] A number of miner's houses once existed at nearby North Fergushill, a shown by the various OS maps of the late 20th century.
Dr. Duguid states in the late 18th century that the Doura pits had not been worked since the time of Mary Queen of Scots (1542–1587), when they had supplied coal to the Palace of Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle.
[31] This is not as unlikely as it seems because the mining methods of the time had exhausted the available coal stocks and that their existed an "exhorbitant dearth and scantness of fewale within the Realme.
Pate Brogildy from the Redboiler survived, however he later had his arm ripped off at the shoulder blade by the flywheel of the pit steam engine.
Easter Doura mine employed 12–16 colliers and was owned by Lord Lisle and was leased by him for £140 per annum in the 18th century.
In 1775 Andrew Armstrong's, A new map of Ayrshire... shows a circular woodland on the borders of the Doura estate, open apart from what appears to be a single tree in its centre.
The name 'fauld' may hold a clue to the purpose or use of this landscape feature as this is Scots for an area manured by sheep, cattle or possibly deer.
The wood was felled in the 1940s by a foundry owner in Kilwinning and the ground was regularly burned until about forty years ago to keep it clear of brambles, trees, etc.
The 'Baroque' or 'Celtic cross' layout is said to be similar to that which existed at the Optagon Park, Alloa Estate, Clackmannanshire; which in turn was modelled after the Dutch taste and based upon Hampton Court, the favourite home of King William; a Dutchman.
[30] Another local tradition is that the bodies were buried in the nether fields of South Millburn, close to the old Doura coal pit.
[3] John Thomson's Atlas of Scotland, 1832, shows Benslie Wood, bisected by a road, but without the characteristic shape.
Wullie was given a bowl of brose by the farmer's wife and whilst saying grace he decided that the servant girl was being less than generous with the milk, so he said between his clasped fingers, Ay, noo, Jean, juist pour't a' on your wa's!
An irregularly shaped raised area of ground runs down from near Benslie Fauld farm into the garden of Wood Neuk.
Janbarrow first belonged to Mr. James Watson, a local joiner and was purchased by the G&SWR for its agent at Montgreenan station in 1884 at the cost of £255.
'Janburrow' is derived from the lady named Janet who came from Burrowland farm and lived in the old manse for many years after a Mrs Reid, the previous owner, had died.
