East Ayrshire

East Ayrshire on Wikipedia
 

Auchinleck.

Bankglen, the site of Bank Church of Scotland, which was demolished before 2009, when the Streetview van went past. It was still showing as extant on  a map of 1981-8.
Bellsbank - see Dalmellington (Lamloch and Bellsbank).
Birnieknowe, the site of the demolished St. Patrick (R.C.), as seen by the Streetview van in 2009. It stood among the trees, fairly close to the road. NS 5748 2233.

Catrine.
Connel Park, the site of the demolished New Cumnock Baptist Church. It first shows on a map of 1909, and survived at least up to 1961. It is likely to have been succeeded by Lanehead Terrace Baptist Church in New Cumnock, for which see the New Cumnock page. NS 6053 1261.
Crosshouse, Parish Church (CoS, opened 1882) on Kilmarnock Road. Another view. NS 394 384. Link1. Link2. Link3. Gospel Hall on Annandale Gardens. Another view. NS 3952 3829. All © Martin Richter (2013).
Cumnock.

Dalmellington.
Dalrymple, the Parish Church (CoS). Three further views - 1, 2, 3. NS 3618 1461. The site of Dalrymple Free Church, which is now unoccupied. The White Horse pub, a few yards away (seen at the right here) was originally the manse. The church was built in 1864, enlarged in the 1890's, and seems to have closed between 1936 (for when the National Archives of Scotland have minutes), and the later 1950's, as the O.S. map for 1957-8 doesn't show it. The 1946 edition shows it as a U.F. church, though it may have been closed by then. It had been preceded by a wooden church, known as the "Spale Kirk", built in 1846, which shows on the 1858 O.S. map as Free Church. It was presumably demolished at some point subsequent to the building of the Free Church of 1864. It stood at circa NS 3589 1459. The congregation didn't have a permanent home before the wooden church. NS 3618 1461. All © Howard Richter (2014). 
Darnconner, a vanished mining village, used to have a Kirk, now demolished. Map evidence shows that it was built by 1896, and it seems to have gone out of use in the late 1950's. Howard Richter has kindly drawn my attention to a photo here, which shows the church behind and to the left of the manse, in 1966. The Streetview van hasn't approached the site. NS 5763 2397.
Darvel, the Parish Church (CoS, 1887-8) on Hastings Square, originally known as Central Church. NS 5632 3745. Link. Grade B listed. The former Free Church, later known as Easton Memorial Church, closed in 1992 following union with the then Central Church. NS 5621 3748. The former Evangelical Union Church on West Main Street. According to the website for the parish church, this church closed in 1965. NS 5621 3748. All © Martin Richter (2013). The former Original Secession Church (1883) on West Donnington Street. Marked as "O.S. Church" on the 1896 map, "O.S. Ch." on the 1910, it shows as "Hall" on the 1964, 1970 and 1991 editions. NS 5634 3760. © Howard Richter (2014). The former United Presbyterian Church (1884) on Ranoldcoup Road. Old maps show what may be a church and school on the same site (though not the same building) in 1858, as it say "Free Church" and "School" on separate lines. It isn't clear whether this is a Free Church School, or a Free Church and a school. The 1896 marks the present building as "U.P. Church" in 1896, and the 1910 as "U.F.Ch.", but the maps of 1964, 1970 and 1991 mark it as "Hall". As the sign shows, it's currently being used by the local Scouts. Another view. NS 5636 3743. Both © Howard Richter (2014).
Drongan, Schaw Kirk on Lane Crescent, as seen by the Streetview van in 2009. NS 4409 1844. Link. St. Clare (R.C.), on Watson Terrace, also as seen in 2009. NS 4404 1855. Link.
Dunlop, the Kirk on Main Street, as seen by Streetview in 2010. Various sources differ as to the age of the current church, and how long there has been a church on the present site - the church website, the church entry on Wikipedia, and the Clan Dunlop website. Its grade B listing dates it to 1835, with predecessors on the same site from 1766 and 1641.  In the churchyard are tomb and a schoolhouse, both listed as grade A - tomb, schoolhouse. NS 4047 4941. The former Free Church on Main Street was originally U.F.C., and now serves as the Parish Church Hall. The Clan Dunlop website dates it to circa 1845 (though it doesn't show on a map of 1857). It can be seen here on a 2010 Streetview. An old photo is available here. NS 4088 4948. Its grade C listing dates it to "soon after .... 1843).

Fenwick, the Parish Kirk. Originally dating from 1643, the church was largely destroyed in a fire in 1929, caused by the church boiler emitting sparks. Three additional views - 1, 2, 3, and an unusual feature - the sentry box, to discourage the "resurrection men"! Plaques in the churchyard explain the church's connections with the Covenanters, and weavers - 1, 2, 3. NS 465 435. Link1, see also the history page here. Link2. The former United Free Church (1843), now in use as the village hall. The 1896 map shows it as "Free Church", the 1910 as "U.F. Church" and the 1965 as "John Fulton Memorial Hall". Following the closure of the church (date so far not known), it re-opened as the Memorial Hall in 1920. Interior view. Two plaques provide a little history - 1, 2. For the orrery mentioned on them, see here. NS 4633 4363. Link. The site of the United Secession Church. NS 4631 4337. A plaque gives a little history, and what may be presumed to be an illustration of the church. The church was built between 1820 and 1846 (evidence from the plaque), and maps tell us that it was United Presbyterian "U. P. Church" in 1896, United Free "U.F. Church" in 1897, and that it had been demolished and replaced by a police station by 1958. Maps also show that the church was closer to the road than the present-day bungalow. All © Howard Richter (2014). 

Galston, Parish Church (CoS). Another view. An 1809 build on an ancient site, according to here. NS 500 367. Grade B listed. St. Sophia (R.C., 1885-6) on Bentinck Street clearly echoes the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Another view. NS 503 365. Link1. Link2. Grade A listed. The former United Presbyterian Church on Wallace Street at NS 5014 3650. The date of closure is at present not known, but it seems to have still been active in 1986, when it shows as Church on the OS map of that year. Grade B listed, which says it was a re-build in 1859, and indeed the 1857 OS map shows a smaller building on the site. All © Martin Richter (2013). Gospel Hall on Glebedykes. NS 5000 3653. © Howard Richter (2014). Mission Hall. NS 4981 3679. © Howard Richter (2014). Howard advises of three additional churches, all now demolished. E.U. Church stood on Chapel Street at NS 4987 3661, and the site (seen here on a 2008 Streetview) is now used for housing and car parking. On a different alignment to the housing, the northern corner of the church stood rather closer to the camera than the house. The Free Church stood on Barmill Road at NS 5025 3672, and survived until fairly recently. It was seen by the Streetview van in 2009. Another Free Church stood at NS 5008 3650, off Glebe Road. It seems to have gone out of use in the later 1950's or 1960's. In this Streetview from 2010, the church was positioned behind the cream-coloured cottage, roughly in line with the white van, long axis parallel to the street.

Hurlford, Church of Scotland, built as a Free Church in 1857. Another view. NS 4541 3708. Link1. Link2. Grade C(S) listed, which says that the organ is a particularly fine instrument. The former Hurlford Kirk (1875) on Main Road. The congregation merged with that of the Free Church in 1996, whereupon this church closed. Two additional views - 1, 2. Grade B listed. NS 4525 3718. St. Paul (R.C.) on Galston Road. Another view. A school in 1896 and 1910 (from old maps), This link says the building dates from the 1850's, but this one says 1883. The Scottish Catholic Archives website holds registers from 1883. NS 4580 3695. The former United Presbyterian Church (1897-8) on Mauchline Road, now converted to residential use. From map evidence, it was built after 1896, and before 1910,when it shows as United Free. This source quotes Hansard (1948), from which "has been derelict for 16 years". It also says that it was in use as a hostel during WWII. What other use was made of it between 1932 and 2007 is at present unclear. NS 4554 3665. All © Martin Richter (2013).

Kilmarnock.
Kilmaurs, St. Maurs Glencairn Parish Church (CoS). Another view. This huge memorial is very typical of Scottish churchyards. NS 4146 4077. Link1. Link2. A sparse Grade B listing. Maxwell and Kilmarnock United Free Church (1844 - date-stone). Another view. NS 4092 4108. Link. There is also an interesting history of the United Free Church here. The closed Glencairn United Presbyterian Church on Fenwick Road, now in use as a stained glass studio. At least the second church on this site, it was built in 1864 to replace an earlier (and smaller) church, which shows on the 1857 OS map. Grade C(S) listed. All © Martin Richter (2013). 
Knockentiber, the site of the demolished Mission Hall on South Hook Road, as seen by Streetview in 2015. Its frontage was roughly in line with the fence. Map evidence shows it was built before 1896, and it seems to have gone out of use in the 1960's. NS 3967 3914.

Lethanhill was a now-vanished mining village. It had a Mission Hall. Old maps imply it was built between 1897 and 1909, and it was demolished by 1961. A war memorial has been left in situ. Although not seen by Streetview, its Canmore entry includes photos here. NS 4349 1037.
Lugar, the former Parish Church, now converted to residential use. Another view, and the handsome war memorial. NS 5909 2134. All © Howard Richter (2014).
Lugton, the site of a demolished Mission Hall (where the house now stands), as seen by Streetview in 2009. It pre-dates a map of 1896-7, and later maps label it as Lugton Hall, suggesting it went out of use by 1967. NS 4134 5286.

Mauchline, Parish Church (CoS). Opened in 1829, it replaced an older church demolished in 1827. © James Murray (2009). The former Mission Hall. The church board is beside the downspout at the left of the building - "Mission Hall" can still just be made out. Two further views - 1, 2. NS 4998 2726. All © Howard Richter (2014). A United Presbyterian Church stood on The Knowe, at NS 4972 2736. The site is now occupied by a bungalow (the building on the left of the photo). O.S. maps show it as U.P. Church in 1896, Mauchline North Church in 1959 and 1972. Another view. In the old photo of the church, linked to at the end of this entry, the house immediately to the right of the church is still standing, see here. All © Howard Richter (2014). A photo of the church is available here. A Free Church once stood behind some shops on Loudoun Street, at NS 4979 2714. Access to it was through the alley seen by Streetview in 2009.
Muirkirk (Church of Scotland). Unknown Church, now identified as St. Thomas (R.C.) by Janet Smith, to whom many thanks. Both © Martin Briscoe. The former St. Thomas (R.C.) at NS 7004 2769. © Howard Richter (2014). The former Free Church. NS 6961 2745. © Howard Richter (2014). Evangelical Union. NS 6963 2751. © Howard Richter (2014). A U.P. Church once stood on Main Street at NS 6960 2723. The site, now a car park, was seen by Streetview in 2010. The church pre-dates a map of 1860.

New Cumnock.
Newmilns, Loudoun Church (CoS). An 1844 church on an older site. Another view. Commemorative tablet to Murdoch Nisbet, of whom more on Wikipedia here. NS 5376 3733. All © Martin Richter (2013). Link. News item. Grade B listed. Townheads Church (1994) on Main Street. NS 5391 3740. © Howard Richter (2014). The site of the demolished East Church, replaced by housing and now called East Church Court. The church was built before 1858, and is marked on the 1858 and 1896 maps as "Free Church", in 1910 as "U.F. Church", and in 1964 as "Loudoun East Church". It was demolished in 1980, subsequent to the joining of the congregations of Loudoun Church and East Church. NS 539 375. © Howard Richter (2014). A demolished United Presbyterian Church off High Street (then Doitburn Street) pre-dates a map of 1858, and was demolished in the years preceding the compilation of a map of 1964. The site can be seen on a Streetview of 2011. NS 5359 3742.

Ochiltree, Parish Church, on Main Street. 1798, re-built in 1897-8. Another view. NS 5055 2110. Grade B listed. Based on map evidence, a Free Church stood at NS 5065 2105 before 1858, and was still extant in 1959 (although probably out of use by then). The site is now a small park. Two further views - 1, 2. All © Howard Richter (2014).

Pathhead, the former Gospel Hall. NS 6194 1437. © Howard Richter (2014).
Patna, the parish Church (1837) on Main Street. Two further views - 1, 2. The adjacent church hall dates from 1898. NS 4122 1064. Link. The former Free Church, on Main Street. Map evidence suggests it was built after 1896, and before 1909, when it shows as U.F. Church. It continued showing on O.S. maps at least up to the 1985 edition (United Free Church). Evidently now closed, this photo on an external website, is from 2006, and the church appears to be being looked after, so was possibly still active at that date. Another view. NS 4150 1055. It had been preceded by an earlier church at circa NS 4143 1056, which shows on the 1857 map, and it continued in use as the church hall, at least until 1962, when it is shown as such on the O.S. map of that year. The former Ebenezer Gospel Hall on Main Street, which was for sale in 2014. Another view. NS 4129 1068. All © Howard Richter (2014).

Rankinston has had three churches at one time or another. The village has recently been visited by the Streetview van, so all of the Streetviews which follow date from 2023. The former Shaw Kirk (CoS) on Littlemill Place at NS 4508 1453. Another view. The demolished Rankinston Mission Hall used to stand across the road from Shaw Kirk - its site now marked by the patch of grass. NS 4511 1453. Both of the preceding churches appear on a map of 1961, revised in 1959. The site of the demolished Baptist Mission Hall on Kerse Terrace at NS 4513 1375. It pre-dates a map of 1911.

Schaw Bridge, the derelict former Free Church (1843-4), as seen by the Streetview van in 2009. It has a Buildings At Risk entry, which advises that it had been offered for sale since at least 2014. Its Canmore entry includes an old photo. NS 4466 2051. Video tour. Grade C(S) listed.
Sorn, the parish church. © Martin Briscoe.
Stair, the Parish Church of 1864 can be seen on the church website. Its History page dates the church to 1864, on the site of an earlier church of 1706. NS 4395 2360. Grade C listed.
Stewarton, St. Columba (CoS) on Lainshaw Street. Built in 1696 (date-stone), probably on the site of an earlier church, it was originally known as Laigh Kirk. It had a change of name when the church joined with the congregation of the Cairns United Free Church in 1962. Three additional views - 1, 2, 3. NS 419 457. Link. Some history (pdf) here. Grade B listed. The site (the smaller house in the terrace, towards the right of the photo) of the demolished United Presbyterian Church on Main Street. Maps reveal the following history - 1857 and 1896 "U.P. Church", 1910 "U.F. Ch.", and 1964, "U.F. Church". Howard considers that this is likely to be the Cairns United Free Church, in which case it was founded in 1776, with a new church replacing it in 1854 (source). The location of the earlier church is so far unknown, but it will be the latter church whose site is on the photo. By 1991 it had been demolished, and re-developed for the housing now on the site. NS 4216 4604. Roman Catholic Church, north of Lainshaw Street at NS 419 457. One on-line resource says it was built in 1974, which contradicts the O.S. map of 1964, which shows "Our Lady and St. John RC Church" on the same site - although possibly the 1974 date refers to a re-build. U.R.C. (formerly Congregational). NS 4189 4607. John Knox Parish Church (1841, CoS) on Main Street. Like so many Scottish churches, it has a history of denominational changes. Built in 1841-2 as Church of Scotland, it separated as part of the schism of 1843 and became a Free Church. In 1900 it became known as John Knox Free Church, before re-joining the Church of Scotland in 1929 (a good history here). Grade B listed. All © Howard Richter (2014).

Waterside, the former Parish Church (CoS) now converted to residential use. NS 4362 0881. St. Francis Xavier (R.C.). Two additional views - 1, 2. A convent (demolished) stood on what is now the car park. NS 4452 0807. All © Howard Richter (2014).