Annick Lodge and Greenville - History

History

Annick Lodge (previously Annack, Annoch or Annock) and estate was built by Captain Alexander Montgomery, the brother German of Hugh, Earl of Eglinton. The lodge stands on the site of the old mansion described by Pont as "a proper building, veill planted, the inheritance of Blaire, Laird of Adamtoune." The 11th Earl had died without male issue so the Earldom had passed to Hugh, son of Alexander Montgomerie of Coilsfield (Robertson 1908). The Right Hon. David Boyle of Kelburn married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Alexander at Annick Lodge in 1804. Elizabeth, wife of Alexander Montgomerie Esq., died the 13th of February 1839; her beloved daughter Frances died 25th Sept 1858 and both were buried at Dreghorn Parish cemetery.

The second laird of Annick Lodge, who succeeded in 1802, was Lieutenant-Colonel of the Ayrshire Yeomanry Cavalry, a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant of Ayrshire. One of the sons of the family wrote a vocabulary of the American Indians of the Columbia River and Puget's Sound! (Robertson 1908). Major and Mrs Montgomerie attended the famous 1839 Eglinton Tournament in what is now Eglinton Country Park and were alloted a seat in the Grand Stand. Susan Fraser, wife of William Eglington Montgomerie of Annick Lodge, died the 13th of October 1884 age 84 yrs and is buried in Dreghorn parish cemetery.

In 1800 Annick Lodge was visited by John Stoddart on his return from his tour of Scotland. Stoddart calls the new house "a complete specimen of the English ferme ornee". Hussey states that this term describes a country estate laid out partly according to aesthetic principles and partly for farming. Ferme ornee were an expression in landscape gardening of the Romantic Movement of 18th. century Europe, i.e. a working farm, domestic animals, natural landscape joined with follies and grottoes, statuary and classical texts combined with avenued walks, flowing water, lakes, areas of light and shade, special plantings and inspirational views.

The house itself is decorated with a porch supported upon Corinthian pillars, and surmounted by a facade bearing sculptured urns at its three angles. The tympanum is filled in with a heraldic shield and scroll-work in high relief (Millar 1885). Annick Lodge estate is partly on the site of a previous small estate, called Greenvale, Greenville or Greenval. Aiton records that Annack-lodge had gardens with hot-houses, greenhouse, etc. as early as 1811. The estate had a common boundary march with the Cunninghamhead estate.

The river bed here at Annick Bridge contains animal fossils and some fine specimens were removed by members of the Kilmarnock Glenfield Ramblers. It is now very rural (2006) despite the previous mining and quarrying activity and the presence of the old railway and abandoned estate coal siding nearby. A fine three arched sandstone railway viaduct on the old Glasgow and South Western Railway, later the London, Midland and Scottish, is located just upstream from the Annick Bridge. It was restored to good order in 2005 / 2006, despite being redundant. The area beside the northern bank of the Annick Water is known as Friersmill Holm. The 'Reid Friers' were the Red Friars, better known as the Knights Templar and the mill in this vicinity would have been one of many belonging to the order in Scotland, however no indication of its exact site is found on the OS or any other old maps of the district. Strawhorn relates that the 'Friersmiln' belonged to the Carmelite friars at Irvine and held the multures, a fixed proportion of the tenant's grain, paid to the miller by the suckener to grind the corn, of Armsheugh, Roddinghill and Holehouse.

The Annick Lodge policies contain a number of fine specimen trees, especially some very large common oaks.