Series 3 > Ayr Burgh accounts, 1534-1624

NOTE ON THE PLAN OF AYR
Some of the older features of the burgh of Ayr survive
to-day—the general line and (to a lesser degree) the pro¬
portions of its two main streets, the High Street and
Sandgate, the Old Bridge, the Boat Vennel and Loudoun
Hall,1 the Mill Vennel and the Nether Mill of Ayr. Under
heavier disguise, the ‘ island ’ sites in the High Street
suggest the Old Tolbooth 2 and Meal Market, and the many
closes on the east side of the same thoroughfare recall the
narrow tortuous wynds and vennels that led down to the
river.
Old maps and plans help towards a reconstruction of the
town’s ancient appearance. The earliest is Tessin’s of 1654,
prepared at the time of the building of the fort.3 Slezer’s
two views of Ayr, though of no great use for detail, do show
the extent and general plan of the town.4 The Town
Clerk has an interesting eighteenth-century map, which he
very kindly permitted me to use; to him, also, I am in¬
debted for the loan of a complete set of the earlier editions
(of the 1850s) of the 25-inch and 5-feet Ordnance Survey
sheets, which are most suggestive, and for topographical
information.
1 This fine building, typical of post-mediaeval urban architecture,
though internally dilapidated, is at the time of writing threatened with
demolition ; it is to be hoped that some means will be found to avert yet
another deplorable act of vandalism.
2 Its remains were taken down in 1810 : Pagan, Annals of Ayr, 54.
Title-deeds of houses in the southern half of ‘ the Island ’ refer to the
property as ‘ of old called the Old Tolbooth ’ : Register of Sasines of the
Burgh of Ayr (Town Clerk’s office), Book 84, fol. 1350. ; Book 78, fol.
1420.; Book 94, fol. 49r.
3 Reproduced in Firth, Scotland and the Protectorate (Scot. Hist. Soc.),
xlviii.
1 Theatrum Scotiae (ed. 1693) ; reproduced in Ayr Charters.
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