Silverwood (N 55° 37.111 W 004° 26.834) in the Parish of Kilmarnock lies in East Ayrshire, Scotland. This was once a small estate with a mansion house; it is now a farm. The plantation nearby is named after it.

History

Timothy Pont's map of circa 1654 (See illustration) shows 'Sylverwood' with wooded policies and a pale encircling it on three sides, the Templeton Burn forming the boundary to the West. The land is referred to in 1691 as being the three pound land of old extent. In circa 1640 Hew Montgomerie of Silverwood was one of the rentallers of Grougar and the valuation was £76 9s 4d.

The lands in 1640 lay in the Bailiary of Kilwinning and the regality of Torphichen; regality being defined as a territorial jurisdiction of a royal nature conferred by the sovereign, here the jurisdiction was over lands which had belonged to the Knights Templars. The regality was called Temple-Cuninghame.

Hew (Hugh) Montgomerie of Silverwood was the brother of Robert Montgomerie of Hessilhead and in 1672 he was heir to the hereditary bailieship of all the Temple lands and tenements within the Bailiary of Cuninghame and regality of Kilwinning. He was Sheriff Depute of Renfrewshire and as such was involved in a number of contemporary court cases. Hugh's wife was a Helen Tran and his son was Alexander Montgomerie. Hugh stood as a witness to his brother being invested in the Barony of Giffen on 19 June 1663.

Temple-Cuninghame was a tenandry in that the land and other property, etc. was let for rent, rather than retained in the superior’s own hands. In 1614 Hugh had given a bell to Beith (Old Kirk), inscribed THIS . BELL . WAS . GIVEN . BY . HUGH MONTGOMERIE . SON . TO . HESSILHEAD . ANNO . 1614 .

In 1691 John Cuming was laird of Silverwood. He was the son of Matthew Cuming, a merchant in Glasgow, and held the lands at an annual rent of £78 16s 5d. His mother was Jean Howatt to whom the lands had passed via her grandfather, James Howatt.

By 1876 the lands of Silverwood had become part of the estates belonging to the Duke of Portland. Silverwood Farm is now (2008) privately owned.

Silverwood

It is not certain how the name arose, however the name may indicate a link to Silver Birch trees which give a silver appearance, especially in winter, at a distance. This species would have predominated in the Templetonburn Glen as the typical climactic vegetation for thsi habitat when the area was less well drained and free from artificial plantings.

The Silverwood Geocache

The popular pastime of Geocaching is represented at Silverwood Plantation by a hidden cache which contains a log book for visitors' comments and a 'take something and leave something choice'. It is called 'A deer place brave knight' and is located in the Silverwood area at co-ordinates which geocachers have to register and look up. A GPS device will help when searching for it.

Natural history of the Templeton burn and Silverwood

The Silverwood and Hillhouse plantations make up the Templetonburn Wildlife Site which as the map shows, contains a good biodiversity, despite the predominance of pine trees, especially Scots Pine, in many areas. Species include Roe deer, Enchanter's Nightshade, oak, blackthorn, bracken, Stinkhorn fungus (Phallus impudicus) and the Oak apple Gall, unusual in the Scottish context.

Buzzards are found here, the rotten pine trunks show much woodpecker activity and badgers setts are present; the badgers clearly being persecuted by unknown persons (2008). The Templetonburn joins the River Irvine shortly after leaving the wood.

The wood contains what appears to be the remains of a old march dyke and several depressions within the site are suggestive of old limestone workings.

Silverwood gallery

Templetonburn

Several properties of this name have existed nearby over the years. The 1901 Templetonburn House was designed by James K. Hunter and was one of his finest works. It was destroyed by fire shortly before it was due to open as a hotel.

Grougar

This was a valuable Barony, linked to Lambroughton through it having been part of the possessions of the De Morvilles up until the time of King Robert the Bruce. In 1320 Sir Robert Cuninghame of Kilmaurs held the lands and later the Logans of Restalrig came into possession. William Blane of Grougar held the lands in 1876. The property of 2000 acres never seems to have had a manor house built upon it.. Grougar Mains Farm borders the East side of Silverwood plantation.

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