Houston to Get to How Boys and Girls Can Still Be Seen

Published by Planning & Transport Services Transport & Planning by Published

Ordnance Survey licence number 100023417. number licence Survey Ordnance

e Council O.S. licence RC100023417 2009. RC100023417 licence O.S. Council e ewshir Renfr eserved r rights All copyright. own Cr ©

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l l l l l l l l l l l l right your on appears lade The gate. metal covered ivy old an

continue straight on until you join a muddy earth path near near path earth muddy a join you until on straight continue

from BT landlines, charges from other operaors may vary). may operaors other from charges landlines, BT from refreshments. again turn along another narrow grassy path to your right and and right your to path grassy narrow another along turn again

phone Traveline on 0871 200 2233 (calls cost 10p per minute minute per 10p cost (calls 2233 200 0871 on Traveline phone here and find out more about the village over some light light some over village the about more out find and here along the edge of the hill side. Just before you meet the road road the meet you before Just side. hill the of edge the along

For bus information contact www.travelinescotland.com or or www.travelinescotland.com contact information bus For excellent history display in the tea room. Why not stop stop not Why room. tea the in display history excellent slope towards the river, take the faint grassy path that skirts skirts that path grassy faint the take river, the towards slope

is used for a variety of community groups. There is an an is There groups. community of variety a for used is Turn right cross the road and take a grassy path down the the down path grassy a take and road the cross right Turn

How to get to Houston to get to How Boys and Girls can still be seen. Nowadays the centre centre the Nowadays seen. be still can Girls and Boys

known as the red school. The separate entrances for for entrances separate The school. red the as known 20 century.

The Carrick Centre next to the old West Kirk was formerly formerly was Kirk West old the to next Centre Carrick The almost from Bridge of Weir. The mill was demolished in the the in demolished was mill The Weir. of Bridge from almost

was fed to the mill along a lade which follows the river river the follows which lade a along mill the to fed was

the mill was used on the seats of the House of Lords. Water Water Lords. of House the of seats the on used was mill the

bridge along a gravel path. path. gravel a along bridge building was utilised to provide halls. halls. provide to utilised was building employed 300 workers in a six-storey building. Velvet from from Velvet building. six-storey a in workers 300 employed

bridge across the River Gryffe. Fork left immediately after the the after immediately left Fork Gryffe. River the across bridge and Houston and Killellan Kirk united and the West Kirk Kirk West the and united Kirk Killellan and Houston and the biggest mill on the River Gryffe. During its heyday it it heyday its During Gryffe. River the on mill biggest the

crosses your route. Turn right along this lane and over a metal metal a over and lane this along right Turn route. your crosses the church. In 1949 the congregations of the West Kirk Kirk West the of congregations the 1949 In church. the stand opposite this junction. Established in 1793 it was was it 1793 in Established junction. this opposite stand

the left leading into the houses. After about 350m a tarmac lane lane tarmac a 350m about After houses. the into leading left the the congregation worshipped in a small hall behind behind hall small a in worshipped congregation the An old water-powered cotton mill, Crosslee Mill used to to used Mill Crosslee mill, cotton water-powered old An

wooded area beyond Leeburn Gardens. Ignore the path off to to off path the Ignore Gardens. Leeburn beyond area wooded The building was largely destroyed by fire in 1941 and and 1941 in fire by destroyed largely was building The

running parallel to the road. Continue straight on into the the into on straight Continue road. the to parallel running to the T junction. junction. T the to

To go to the Craigends Yew turn left and follow the path path the follow and left turn Yew Craigends the to go To old West Kirk built in 1884. 1884. in built Kirk West old on past Dunnet Drive, Back 0’Hill and Whirlie Drive until you get get you until Drive Whirlie and 0’Hill Back Drive, Dunnet past on

tarmac, but walking boots would be better on rough tracks. tracks. rough on better be would boots walking but tarmac,

Turn right along Main Street. On the left you will see the the see will you left the On Street. Main along right Turn Take the road to the right signposted Whirlie Road and continue continue and Road Whirlie signposted right the to road the Take

probably do in a prolonged dry period, or for routes on on routes for or period, dry prolonged a in do probably

Bridge of Weir Road. Cross over the road carefully. carefully. road the over Cross Road. Weir of Bridge

the village. Stout footwear should be worn. Trainers will will Trainers worn. be should footwear Stout village. the

down via a twisty steeper section to the bus stop on the B790 B790 the on stop bus the to section steeper twisty a via down the reformation in the 16 the in reformation the Century. Century. to the hairpin bend in the road. road. the in bend hairpin the to

and something to drink, or plan a refreshment stop in in stop refreshment a plan or drink, to something and

and take the narrow lane almost opposite. This eventually leads leads eventually This opposite. almost lane narrow the take and Roman Catholic Church to be built in Renfrewshire after after Renfrewshire in built be to Church Catholic Roman their frontages then left through the underpass and up the steps steps the up and underpass the through left then frontages their

very far from the village, you may want to take snacks snacks take to want may you village, the from far very

junction by Lonend Cottage turn to the right, cross the road road the cross right, the to turn Cottage Lonend by junction The church was built in 1841. It was only the second second the only was It 1841. in built was church The Take the path to the right towards the shops, turn right along along right turn shops, the towards right the to path the Take

something waterproof. While none of these walks are are walks these of none While waterproof. something

in the road. You will cross over the Houston burn again. At the the At again. burn Houston the over cross will You road. the in gardens of the houses until you come to where the path splits. splits. path the where to come you until houses the of gardens

Dress to suit the weather, take an extra layer and and layer extra an take weather, the suit to Dress

continue past Houston and Killellan Kirk which sits at the bend bend the at sits which Kirk Killellan and Houston past continue across the roundabout is St Fillan’s RC Church. Church. RC Fillan’s St is roundabout the across keeping the stone wall to your left continue past the rear rear the past continue left your to wall stone the keeping

Peter’s Well. At the end of the road turn left into Kirk Road and and Road Kirk into left turn road the of end the At Well. Peter’s one used for the same purpose. Diagonally opposite opposite Diagonally purpose. same the for used one bus stop turn left along a path adjacent to a stone wall. Now Now wall. stone a to adjacent path a along left turn stop bus

Take Care Out of Doors of Out Care Take

a small stone structure. This is a covered well known as St St as known well covered a is This structure. stone small a the Police Station and was built on the site of an earlier earlier an of site the on built was and Station Police the crossed over Bridge of Weir Road. Just before you reach the the reach you before Just Road. Weir of Bridge over crossed

At the next junction turn right. In the field on your right is is right your on field the In right. turn junction next the At At the roundabout, the house on your right was formerly formerly was right your on house the roundabout, the At Return the same way as you came to the point where you you where point the to came you as way same the Return

RENFREWSHIRE VILLAGE WALKS

may encounter walkers, cyclists and horse riders. horse and cyclists walkers, encounter may would have been the manse where the minister lived. lived. minister the where manse the been have would A useful place for a powerful noble’s seer to meditate in! meditate to seer noble’s powerful a for place useful A

Lanes in Renfrewshire” with signs to warn motorists that they they that motorists warn to signs with Renfrewshire” in Lanes the slight hill and you will pass the old Glebe House. This This House. Glebe old the pass will you and hill slight the hallucinogenic effect on the person(s) sitting within a grove. grove. a within sitting person(s) the on effect hallucinogenic

Take the next road on your right - this is one of the “Leisure “Leisure the of one is this - right your on road next the Take On reaching Houston Road at Lonend Cottage turn right up up right turn Cottage Lonend at Road Houston reaching On summer days the trees release a vapour that can have a mild mild a have can that vapour a release trees the days summer

Continue along the road, passing Greenhill Farm on your right. right. your on Farm Greenhill passing road, the along Continue Continue along Kirk Road re-crossing the Houston Burn. Burn. Houston the re-crossing Road Kirk along Continue ritual in connection with prophesy, it is believed that on hot hot on that believed is it prophesy, with connection in ritual

memorial. Take care as you will have to walk on the road. road. the on walk to have will you as care Take memorial. Yew groves were sacred to the Druids and used as places of of places as used and Druids the to sacred were groves Yew

the war memorial. There is an old school opposite the war war the opposite school old an is There memorial. war the but has been divided into apartments. apartments. into divided been has but

the junction at the Houston Inn and turn right up hill towards towards hill up right turn and Inn Houston the at junction the be seen behind the kirk. It is no longer a single residence residence single a longer no is It kirk. the behind seen be experts suggest it may be as much as 1000 years old. old. years 1000 as much as be may it suggest experts

continue over the Houston Burn. Turn left up North Street to to Street North up left Turn Burn. Houston the over continue can can laird, local the of home former the House, Houston thought that the tree is about 600 years old although some some although old years 600 about is tree the that thought

old village drying greens. Turn left onto Bogstonhill Road and and Road Bogstonhill onto left Turn greens. drying village old were carried out in 1938. in out carried were which lies between the information point and the river. It is is It river. the and point information the between lies which

Turn right along South Street passing the Mercat Cross and the the and Cross Mercat the passing Street South along right Turn twentieth century had fallen into disrepair. Restorations Restorations disrepair. into fallen had century twentieth

Houston tree bushy big the is Yew Craigends The centre. its into go is

the junction with South Street at the Fox and Hounds pub. pub. Hounds and Fox the at Street South with junction the new church was built which by the early part of the the of part early the by which built was church new of the path. To get an impression of how large the yew tree tree yew the large how of impression an get To path. the of

From the Village Hall, cross the road and go left downhill to to downhill left go and road the cross Hall, Village the From A church was built on this site around 1775. In 1870 a a 1870 In 1775. around site this on built was church A you will see a stone information point on the left hand side side hand left the on point information stone a see will you

are now walking. After continuing straight on for about 300m 300m about for on straight continuing After walking. now are

Crosslee Lade Crosslee road. road. Craigends Castle used to sit within the woodland where you you where woodland the within sit to used Castle Craigends

(8.0 km/5.01 miles) miles) km/5.01 (8.0

Craigends Yew and and Yew Craigends Kilellan Kirk and graveyard which sit at the bend in the the in bend the at sit which graveyard and Kirk Kilellan

Turn right along North Street and continue to Houston and and Houston to continue and Street North along right Turn

of the road was once the village smiddy (blacksmiths). (blacksmiths). smiddy village the once was road the of

Houston Burn. The building with the curved wall at the end end the at wall curved the with building The Burn. Houston

Turn left onto Bogstonhill Road and continue over the the over continue and Road Bogstonhill onto left Turn

ensured that the residents had access to clean water. clean to access had residents the that ensured

on each street backed onto the Houston Burn which which Burn Houston the onto backed street each on

principal streets, North and South Street. The houses houses The Street. South and North streets, principal

The village was originally designed around two two around designed originally was village The

drying greens. greens. drying

South Street passing the Mercat Cross and the old village village old the and Cross Mercat the passing Street South

South Street at the Fox and Hounds pub. Turn right along along right Turn pub. Hounds and Fox the at Street South

From the village hall, walk down hill to the junction with with junction the to hill down walk hall, village the From

A Village Stroll Village A

1.7 km/1.08 miles km/1.08 1.7 Houstn walks

Round the lanes to Kilallan Church 12.4 km/7.7 miles

Take care on this walk as much of it is on country roads with no pavement. It is recommended that you walk on the right hand side of the road facing the on-coming traffic where there is no pavement to walk on. Other sections can be rather wet and muddy.

From the village hall walk down hill along Main Street towards the war memorial at the far end. You will cross over first South Street and then North Street. Opposite the war memorial is an old schoolhouse. Continue to the crossroads and turn left up a narrower road which leads to Kilmacolm. This is one of the “Leisure Lanes in Renfrewshire” with signs to warn motorists that they might encounter walkers, cyclists or horse riders.

Pass Waterlea Farm and then continue for 2.5 km /1.5 miles. Keep straight on where a road goes diagonally down to the left. In a further 300m take the road to your right. In a few moments on your left you will see the site and ruins of the Old Kilallan Parish Church.

Old Kilallan Parish Church was founded by St Fillan who is believed to have died in this lovely spot in 749AD. Kilallan is a track on your left. At this point you can cut is derived from kil Fillan – St Fillan’s church. the walk short by continuing straight along Chapel Road back into the village. Alternatively turn left Continue along the road passing Shovelboard Farm until you along the farm track which leads along the edge reach the main road at a crossroads. Carefully cross over to a of a wood. The track turns a sharp right and leads rougher road opposite. To your left is Barochan Hill which is to North Mains Farm and the B790 main road. thought to be the site of a Roman Fort. Cross carefully over the main road and continue down the track until you almost reach the river. The fort has been associated with the fourth campaign There is a ford across the river here, but it is not season of governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola and was recommended as it is now rather deep. founded sometime in either AD80 or 81. It encloses an area of about 3 acres (c.1.3 ha). On your right you will see Instead turn right across the grass and head what looks like a boulder in the middle of the field. This is towards the housing you can see in the distance. where the Barochan Cross once stood. The cross is now in As you approach the houses you will come across Paisley Abbey. a surfaced path. Join this and keep going in the same direction. Across the river you will be able At the end of the rough track you will pass the entrance to to see the Craigends Yew, from here you get a Barochan House at a sharp bend to the right, and later on, better idea how large it has grown. Carry straight Chapel Farm on your left. About 400 m beyond the farm there on ignoring the bridge over the river. Continue on the path into the woodland.

This path will eventually cross Leeburn Avenue. Follow the path to where it meets the main road. Cross over the main road and follow the twisting path uphill. At the top take the path on your left. At the T junction cross the road carefully and Key turn left. When you reach a roundabout turn right returning to the start of the walk. A N Craigends Yew and Crosslee Lade © Crown copyright and database right 2010. All rights C reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100023417. 0 1Km