Beith Conservation Area Appraisal (2Nd Draft)

Beith Conservation Area Appraisal (2nd Draft) Introduction Conservation Areas were introduced by the 1967 Civic Amenities Act. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 sets out the Scottish Ministers and Local Authorities duty and procedures for identifying and designating Conservation Areas. Section 61 of the Act defines a Conservation Area “as an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.” Local Authorities are required to periodically determine which parts of their district merit designation as a Conservation Area. Designation offers statutory protection to Conservation Areas in order to protect their character. Control over the demolition of buildings and structures and the lopping or felling of trees, is given to the local planning authority. Conservation Area status also removes certain Permitted Development Rights as indicated by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development Order)(Scotland) Order 1992. The Permitted Development Rights that are removed in Beith are detailed in appendix 3. Once a Conservation Area has been designated, Local Authorities are required to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of those areas in order to protect Conservation Areas from development which would adversely affect their setting and character. It is important to inform those groups or individuals that express an interest in Conservation Areas and residents alike of those characteristics and features that must be preserved and enhanced. Policy BE4 of the North Ayrshire Finalised Local Plan states that the Council will commence a programme of Conservation Area Appraisals. A Conservation Area Appraisal is seen as an ideal way of analysing the key elements that contribute to the special historic and architectural merit of the area. National Planning Policy Guideline 18: Planning and the Historic Environment, stresses that Conservation Area Appraisals are a useful tool as they can identify and promote development opportunities to enhance the Conservation Area while protecting its character from inappropriate development. A Conservation Area Appraisal supplements the Local Plan for the area. Once approved it is Supplementary Planning Guidance, which is a material consideration when considering planning applications for development within the Conservation Area. It is recommended that planning applications should be accompanied by a supporting statement that demonstrates how the proposal has taken account of the character of the area as identified in this appraisal. Location Beith lies in the Garnock Valley Area of North Ayrshire and is located 19 miles south west of Glasgow. It is bounded by the A737 trunk road (linking Glasgow and Irvine) and sits on a gently slopping hillside, which descends from the line of the trunk road. Beith is bounded to the west by the Kilbirnie Loch. The Conservation Area of Beith covers the historic core of the town centre which comprises Main Street, Eglinton Street, The Strand, and part of Barrmill Road. The historic street pattern has been altered by the relief road. A detailed map showing the exact boundary of the Conservation Area can be found in the appendix 1. Historical Development Early History The first reference to Beith is in relation to the 6th Century Battle of Beit Woods, where the local population fought the Northern Picts and Scots. The inhabitants of Beith at that time were thought to be Druidic worshippers of Baal and the area known as Cuffhill, is said to be named after Cuff who was a Druidic Priest. (Source: www.monkton-farleigh.freeserve.co.uk/beith.htm) 1 In the 9th Century, St Inian, who was a well-known priest in that era, resided in Beith. St Inian has been credited with spreading Christianity and converting the local population to the Christian Faith. It is also believed that his religious work and practising of medicine led to his works being entered and preserved in the Archbishop of Pina’s library in 1619. Due to his service to Beith, the 18th of August was declared a Saints day in his honour and was celebrated with the annual local fair. This date was recognised and honoured up until the first half of the 20th Century. (Source: www.monkton- farleigh.freeserve.co.uk/beith.htm, www.beith.org.uk ) Medieval In the 12th Century, the Parish, which comprised of the Barony of Beith and the Lordship of Giffen, was gifted to the Abbey of Kilwinning by Richard de Mareville, son and successor to the Constable of Scotland and the Lord of Cunningham, Hugh de Mareville. His wife, Avicia of Lancaster gave the lands of Beith, Bathwell and Threepwood to the monastery, to be kept in perpetuity. The transfer of the lands is thought to have occurred shortly before or after 1198. (Source: www.monkton- farleigh.freeserve.co.uk/beith.htm, www.beith.org.uk) The Church of Beith originated from a chapel built by the local monastery of Kilbirnie, affiliated to the Abbey of Kilwinning. The old Kirk, which is located at the Cross, was founded in 1593. In 1698, the Kirk town of Beith had developed into five houses along with the Manse (the original building was demolished and replaced with the current building) and the Kirk. Eighteenth Century In the 18th Century, Beith evolved into an important small industrial town mainly due to technological improvements associated with the Industrial Revolution and also due to improved transportation links. Beith was producing and trading successfully during this period in several industries, notably cotton spinning, thread making and muslin weaving. Industrialisation meant that the population grew to 700 in 1759. (source: www.beith.org.uk) In the early part of the 1790s, Beith had five lint mills, five corn mills, three licensed distilleries, two candle works, a malt works, a tan-work and a tobacco manufacturing company. Beith was also home to numerous shoemakers, masons, house carpenters, stocking-makers, barbers, grocers, cloth merchants, a watchmaker and a bookseller, whose shop contained 3,000 volumes of literature. These premises were mostly on Eglinton Street, the Cross and Main Street and represents the historical evolution of the town centre. (Source: www.monkton-farleigh.freeserve.co.uk/beith.htm) During the 18th Century, John Witherspoon lived in Beith. To date he is the most famous historical figure to be connected with Beith. Witherspoon after graduating in divinity from Edinburgh University was called to Beith in 1742, where he was a minister at the Auld Kirk for 12 years. After leaving Beith and emigrating to America, after the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, he became a friend of George Washington. Witherspoon also played a part in the drafting of the American Declaration of Independence and became President of New Jersey Collage (now know as University of Princeton). He died in 1794 and is buried in Princeton, USA. (Source: www.monkton- farleigh.freeserve.co.uk/beith.htm) Nineteenth Century In the 19th Century, Beith was still evolving as an industrial town and was renowned for its tanning and furniture manufacturing. The population had risen to 2408 in 1814, 4012 in 1851 and 6241 in 1871. In 1851, Beith consisted of 624 houses with associated shops and industry close by. By 1856, the town centre had been completed and the layout remains mostly intact today. (source: www.beith.org.uk) In the middle of the 19th century, flax dressing and handloom weaving were replaced by the powerloom, which was being introduced in the textile industries in West of Scotland at that time, notably Glasgow and Paisley. During this century, tanning and currying became important in Beith. Two of the most successful businessmen in Beith at this time were associated to these industries, namely William Barr of the Bathwell Tanning and Currying Works and William Muir of the Bath Lane Tannery. These workshops were located behind Eglinton Street and on Buns Wynd (now known as Reform Street). (source: www.beith.org.uk) 2 The furniture industry started in Beith between 1845-1855, when Mr Matthew Dale made furniture for the local population and their households, such as kitchen tables and chairs. At first, furniture was crafted by hand, from local wood, in household workshops due to the lack of machinery. Due to the success of Mr Dale, local demand increased and in turn led to Dale employing several employees. One of his new employees, Mathew Pollock, was one of the pioneers of the factory system for furniture manufacture, which superseded the traditional method of furniture making. (source: www.beith.org.uk/furniture.htm) From 1860 onwards, the factory system was the preferred method for furniture making and the industry expanded with several manufacturers establishing themselves in Beith. The industry continued to expand and several new factories opened in 1875 and 1885 and employed hundreds of local men and women. (source: www.beith.org.uk/furniture.htm) Matthew Pollock and John Pollock of Victoria Cabinet Works, Robert Balfour of Bark Mill and West of Scotland Cabinet Works and Hugh Stevenson, William Stevenson and Hugh Higgins of Stevenson and Higgins of Janefield Cabinet Works, became world renown for their furniture. The furniture was regarded as the benchmark for standards of quality in material, manufacture and finishes and this benchmarking was known as “Beith Quality”. (source: www.beith.org.uk/furniture.htm) In 1843, Dr Henry Faulds was born in New Street, Beith however, the building Dr Faulds lived in has been demolished). Dr Faulds is an important figure in the history of Beith as he was also one of the pioneers of fingerprinting and became the first man in history to establish the innocence of a suspect and assist in the conviction of the actual criminal on the basis of their fingerprints. He died in 1930. (source: www.monkton farleigh.freeservce.co.uk/henry_faulds.htm) Twentieth Century The furniture industry continued to expand with two new firms opening in 1910 (Ayrshire Cabinet Works) and 1920 (Wilson and Wood of Braehead).

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