Castle Semple Former Railway Bridge, Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire

Entry Name: Castle Semple Former Railway Bridge

Listing Name: Castle Semple Former Railway Bridge

Listing Date: 10 June 1971

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 345500

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB12635

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200345500

Location: Lochwinnoch

County: Renfrewshire

Electoral Ward: Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch

Parish: Lochwinnoch

Traditional County: Renfrewshire

Tagged with: Railway bridge

Description

1905. Single-span, Tudor-arched, castellated former railway bridge (currently part of cycle track, 2011). Bullfaced snecked and squared rubble with polished dressings, moulded arch ring and chamfered, rusticated quoins. Arch with flanking advanced corbelled and castellated piers which rise through parapet. Square terminal piers.

Statement of Interest

This is a well-detailed bridge with fine decoration and distinctive castellated piers. It is situated close to the former Castle Semple House (see separate listing) and adds significantly to the overall landscape of the estate. Built in 1905, it was part of the Dalry and North Johnston railway line, which provided extra capacity for the busy Glasgow to Ayr route. It was closed in the mid 1960s. The railway ran less than 100m from the House and is perhaps a sign of the reduced fortunes of the Harvey family who owned the estate at the time. The bridge is now in use as part of a cycle track along the line of the former railway.

Castle Semple Estate has a long history, originally associated with the Semple family who built the first Castle Semple and the collegiate church (scheduled monument, 2011) around 1504. In 1727, the Semples sold the estate to a sugar plantation owner, William McDowell. McDowell began a range of land improvements to the estate, which form the basis of the current estate, including building a new Castle Semple House and landscaping the grounds. The 2nd William MacDowell continued the improvements to the estate including erecting a Temple at the deer park in Kenmuir Hill (see separate listing). The Estate was sold in 1814 to a Major John Harvey who continued to improve the landscape, but the family finances declined during the course of the 19th century and the estate was sold in 1908. After this, the house was converted to apartments and the land broken up into small holdings. The House was damaged by fire in 1924 and the central portion of it demolished in the 1960s. The central section of the estate is currently a Regional Park.

List description updated, 2012. Category changed from B to C(S), 2012.

External Links

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