Darvel

In 1876 lace making was introduced to the Irvine Valley by Alexander Morton,[5] and mills began to spring up in Darvel and nearby Newmilns. The valley's products were exported throughout the world, with India providing a particularly large market for lace, muslin and madras. Darvel became known as the "Lace Town" and Darvel Lace was known throughout the world.

Factories in the town also diversified into other textiles, until the late 1970s, when the industry struggled to compete with textiles manufactured in India, China and other Far East countries. The decline was swift. By the end of the 20th century, almost all the factories had closed. Many stood empty for some years, but almost all have now been demolished to make way for housing estates.

Lace is still made in the Irvine Valley, and locally made lace curtains used to hang in almost every window in the town. However, the last lace factory in Darvel has now closed, the looms were moved to nearby Newmilns, which is home to the last remaining lace factory in the area.

The Law Bridge over the Glen Water near Darvel, 2007

War Memorial

The Darvel War Memorial is situated in Hastings Square in the centre of the town. It is a light grey granite obelisk with a square base. The East side is plain apart from 1914-18 incised on the base. The west side is similar but with 1939-45 incised on the base. The north side has a carved cross at the highest point with a bronze relief laurel wreath immediately below. Towards the base of the obelisk are the words:

Then there are 5 columns of names in relief on a bronze plaque and, on the south side, names are etched into the stone in two columns.

Alexander Fleming

A memorial at Lochfield farm commemorates the birth there, on 6 August 1881, of Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin. It was erected in 1957 and regilded in 2009 by its current owners Philip and Heather Scott. The restored memorial was unveiled by Fleming's biographer Kevin Brown in the presence of Provost Stephanie Young. Another memorial with a bust by E.R. Bevan and a garden is situated in Hastings Square.

SAS Memorial

There is a memorial to honour the men and officers of the 1st Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment who, under the command of Lt. Col. R. B. Mayne, were stationed in Darvel during the early part of 1944. The memorial – located towards the bottom of Burn Road, takes the form of a stone cairn with a black granite plaque bearing the inscription:

The memorial was unveiled by Provost Jimmy Boyd on 2 November 2001. Members of the SAS were at the Town Green to see the unveiling ceremony.

The RCHAMS website lists this unhewn olivine monolith as a 'possible' standing stone, about 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) tall. It is rather curious and its general size and shape suggest a prehistoric standing stone. It has twelve small connected depressions spread over three of its sides, interpreted by some as simple 'scratch' marks,[8] alternatively these have been said to link the stone to astronomical observations and to the noon-day sun height at mid-summer. This would link the stone to life-giving powers, fertility and prosperity.[9] Woodburn casually dismisses it as a stone of no special significance.[8]

In 1821, William Morton, a local blacksmith attached a round sandstone ball to the top of it with an iron bar, the large round stone having been found when locals were digging a curling pond.[10] The date 1821 is cut into the iron and this method of fixing became necessary after person or persons unknown had taken it from the top of the Dagon Stone and dumped it into a pond that lay to the east of Ranoldcoup Road.[11] In 1873 it was proposed to break it up as it was in the way of the traffic on the road however San Mair, a local farmer, obtained permission to take it to one of his fields where it served as a rubbing stone for the cattle, indicating that it had little local significance at the time.[11]

Although its original location is uncertain, John Woodburn’s A History of Darvel (published 1967) noted that the Dagon Stone has stood in at least four different places in the town since the 19th century. The reason for each relocation is unknown, but the stone has been a fixture within Darvel for at least 200 years.

The Dagon Stone was initially recorded in 1752[10] Woodburn, p. 52.</ref> as being located on East Main Street, at the junction with Ranoldcoup Road, where it is shown on 19th century maps. It may have been a fallen standing stone that was re-erected following road improvements at the time. The main road was widened in 1894, so the stone was moved to the ‘grounds of Brown’s Institute’ upon the suggestion of Miss Martha Brown of Lanfine, located at the corner of Ranoldcoup Road and Mair's Road, and adjacent to Morton Park. In 1938 it was re-sited in the small park in Burn Road at the junction with West Main Street, near the spot where the SAS Memorial now stands. Finally, the stone was moved to its current location in Hastings Square in 1961 or 1962.[12]

The Dagon stone in Hasting's Square, Darvel, 2007

Documentation shows that prior to the 19th century messings-about, newlywed couples and their wedding parties marched around it for good luck, accompanied by a fiddler.[13] Wedding processions also used to walk three times sunwise round the Dagon stone on the way to the bride's house.[14]

The annual parade or "Prawd", originally held on old New Year's Day, headed by the village band used to walk sunwise round the Dagon stone as a mark of superstitious respect.[14]

Dagon is also the name of a Philistine god, who was half-man half-fish. But with a Scottish accent it no doubt derives from something much closer to home (assuming it is not just the romantic invention of a Victorian antiquary); 'dogon' is a Scots term for a worthless person, a villain and this could by association have been one of the sanctuary stones associated with the church.[15] It is reminiscent of the Clackmannan stone or Stone of Mannau in Clackmannanshire.