Dunaskin Ironworks

In 1848, the Dalmellington Iron Company opened a large ironworks at the nearby area of Dunaskin. In 1921, the ironworks closed following a strike. A brickworks would repurpose this land from 1928 until production ceased in 1976 due to low demand for bricks.

In the late 1990s, the heritage centre opened in its original form at the site, having moved from the nearby Minnivey site in 2002 after leasing issues made it no longer viable to remain there. The heritage centre set out to represent the Doon Valley's history in the industry of ironmongery and brick making. Unfortunately, interest tailed off and in 2005 the local authority withdrew their funding from the heritage centre, forcing it to close. The heritage centre building is now privately owned. The other buildings lay abandoned until the Doon Valley Railway (as part of the Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group / ARPG) took over the rest of site as a voluntary charity, having had use of the track since moving there in 2002, and continuing a series of successful steam days since 2008.

The Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group (ARPG) was formed in 1974 in an attempt to keep the history behind steam locomotives present in Ayrshire.

The organisation currently run open days every Sunday during the better weather months. It makes for a wonderful and educational day out for the whole family, and certainly worth a visit!

For more information, see:

Doon Valley Railway Official Website - here
Donald L Reid's book 'Yesterday's Patna and the Lost Villages of Doon Valley' (2005) - here
The View From the North's 2009 trip to the Dunaskin site - here
A forum thread about the history of Dunaskin - here

Got any information for us? Get in touch here.

Here's some fairly recent images of the site. Showing some of the original manufacturing facilities, and the areas that are tended to by the Doon Valley Railway team.