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Summary

Description

Probably late 18th century. Impressive, symmetrical, courtyard-plan Classical steading with distinctive, landmark, 2-stage octagonal dovecot above central farmhouse.

PRINCIPAL RANGE TO SE: central 2-storey, 3-bay farmhouse with single-storey flanking 4-bay wings. Ashlar to entrance elevation (S), rubble to others. Base course, raised cills. Some moulded architraves. Advanced pedimented central entrance bay with raised quoins surmounted by large, corniced, octagonal dovecot on round drum. Roll-moulded door surround with console bracketed pediment above. Part-glazed timber entrance door. Wings with keystoned round-arched window openings. Round-arched stair window to rear.

Replacement 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Piended roofs.

INTERIOR: comprehensively altered (seen 2008).

COURTYARD RANGES: situated to rear of principal range forming rough U-plan. Single-storey rubble and slated former steading ranges, some converted to form housing. Some later additions and extensions.

Statement of Special Interest

Lainshaw Mains, the home farm for Lainshaw House (see separate listing), is an important post-Improvement period farm which forms a distinctive part of the landscape. Situated on high ground overlooking Lainshaw House the octagonal dovecot is highly visible in the landscape and it is an architectural testament to the importance of agriculture in the Scottish economy at this time.

The era of Improvement farming began in the 1740s and it had a significant impact on farms and farm buildings, changing the face of agriculture and bringing with it rational and distinguished buildings like Lainshaw Mains. Probably dating to the late 18th century Lainshaw Mains adopts a rational plan with its impressive well-detailed Classical principal range incorporating an impressive centrally-placed farmhouse and combined with a formal courtyard arrangement of simpler ranges to the rear. This is in notable contrast to the traditional type of Ayrshire farm where a simply-treated centrally placed farmhouse is accompanied by flanking L-plan wings.

The New Statistical Account of 1845 notes that ' little wheat is raised in the parish, except by Mr Cunninghame of Lainshaw, who cultivates it to a considerable extent.' This may account for the difference in the plan of this farm from the more usual U-plan dairy farms, in that more storage space would be required. The New Statistical Account also notes that ' by far the best system of cultivation practised here, was introduced and is still carried on by Mr Cunninghame of Lainshaw, the largest inheritor, whose property extends to 2600 acres and upwards. He retains in his own hands nearly 300 acres under the best management, equal to the best cultivated spots in England.'

Lainshaw Estate has a history stretching back to the 15th century, and went through differing fortunes. By 1779, the Estate was leased to Sir William Cunningham who had made a fortune in America from tobacco. He made many improvements to the Estate and it is likely that the farm dates from around his time.

List description updated as part of Stewarton Burgh resurvey, 2009.

References

Bibliography

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