The Wallacetown area of Ayr is by area the smallest of the three districts within the FSWCA catchment and is located in the north-east section of the Ayr West ward. It is named after the Wallace’s of Craigie – the landowners of the site of the villages which subsequently came to be known as Wallacetown.
The area is now primarily residential, although there are some shops, pubs, restaurants, a bowling green and a school, as well as the town’s main Fire Station located within it. The boundaries of Wallacetown are highlighted in the map shown and designated by the blue/black lines, with Whitletts & Lochside and Newton to its north, Fort to its west and Craigie on its eastern boundary.
What is now known as Wallacetown is actually formed of the villages of Wallace and Content which grew up on land owned by the Wallace’s of Craigie and formerly known as the Park of Newton. The area was once largely inhabited by those engaged in the coal mining and weaving industries, with miners working in nearby Newton where deposits of coal had been found and mined from the 17th century and weavers working mainly from home for manufacturers in Paisley and Glasgow. The area was also home at various times to those who made a living from agriculture as well residents who worked in nearby factories such as Gray’s Carpet Factory in Newton and the Stamp Works a little further out at East Park Road. Both factories survived into the modern era, with Gray’s closing in 1974 and the Stamp Works finally succumbing in 2009.
Today Wallacetown remains a bustling residential area, with around 2,000 homes housing more than 3,000 people. Recent research undertaken by the Fraser of Allander Institute suggests that Wallacetown is within the 5% most deprived areas in Scotland, however the FSWCA is working in partnership with South Ayrshire Council and the local community to try to address some of these issues through a Renewable Energy Project which will provide cheap electricity for local schools, but will also generate additional income from surplus electricity generated to fund local projects which will help local residents. To find out more, click here.
Whilst primarily a residential area, Wallacetown is home to a few retail businesses and restaurants, including high street chain TK Maxx. There are also a number of places of worship all based in around John Street, namely St Margaret’s Cathedral, Riverside Evangelical Church and Ayr Free Church, as well a school (St John’s primary) and a nursery (Wallacetown Early Year’s Centre). These two educational establishments along with a third, Newton Primary in adjacent Newton, are all earmarked to be part of the Wallacetown Energy Project. The town’s main Fire Station is also located just within the Wallacetown boundary at 3 Station Road and a stretch of the River Ayr, from the Auld Brig to Victoria Bridge also falls within the area. Wallacetown is also home to Ayr’s oldest pub, the Black Bull Inn which was established in 1754, predating the birth of Robert Burns leading to speculation that he likely frequented it at some time during his time in the town.
