Housing

 by Alexandra Watson

Today, Cumnock is a thriving town with a population of 9,000, with a diverse range of housing options. These include modern, private housing estates, individually architecturally designed houses, blonde and red Ballochmyle sandstone Edwardian and Victorian small and large homes, and sprawling council-funded residential areas. There is even a private development initiated by King Charles, called Knockroon, inspired by traditional village ideals. 

However, Cumnock is an ancient settlement. Its status as a thriving town confirmed in 1509 when James V designated it as a Burgh allowing it greater trade opportunities, markets, fairs etc.  A survey of all the parishes of Scotland was commissioned in 1845 (The Old Statistical Account) giving detailed activities and population. Many of the stories in this work relate to the remarkable period of growth in the 1800s.

                                               Cumnock

 1755                                                                         580         persons

 1831                                                                        1600

 1871                                                                         2903

 1881                                                                         3345

  2025                                                                        9000

  Note:  The land areas covered by the town will have varied over the years

History books list the many castles and grand houses in the area. Few advise on the living conditions of the workers or explain how such a small town as Cumnock could accommodate incoming workers enabling the population to expand so remarkably. Farmers and estate holders did provide tied housing but if the employee lost their job or died in service the family would be evicted. The mine and mill owners also offered rented accommodation for the large number of incoming workers and built rows of terraced housing but the standard was poor and variable.  The 1913 Housing Report in Scotland, was commissioned to investigate and report on housing conditions, particularly of the industrial population, both rural and urban, in Scotland. The report published in 1914 included the evidence submitted regarding miners' rows in Cumnock. The Commission's report highlighted the shocking environments. It found cesspits, no washing facilities, wells, widespread dampness, and for one “Row” housing over a hundred people there were only 3 outside toilets with doors and numerous ashpits to be used for sanitary purposes. The Burgh built an initial 12 houses in 1914 and more were planned but these were postponed until the end of the First World War.  Ayr County Council also initiated house-building programmes and the tradition of publicly funded housing continued from then till now. More in depth reading on this topic is available on the CHG website here

In addition to family homes, Lodging Houses sprang up across the country and a number of these private lodging houses were built in Elbow Lane.  Newspaper reports at the time described such private lodging houses were places where ‘men and women were huddled together promiscuously in dark and ill-ventilated rooms, without any of the conveniences requisite for decent living, not to speak of healthy existence’. Although there is no evidence of such a situation in Cumnock these Lodgings provided only the basics enabling working people to start jobs before finding longer-term housing.