We are the Cunninghame Ramblers. We open the way for everyone in our local community to enjoy the pleasures of walking.
Pamela F.
Starting close to Oswald Hall (originally Auchincruive House), this is a moderate circular walk mostly following the banks of the River Ayr and surrounding countryside. The Three Green Knights Field is named after the three mounds that are still visible today. The river is very popular for fishing and bird watching.
The walk begins at Oswald's Bridge, following a farm track before passing through a field with a few cows before joining the River Ayr Way for most of the walk. The only pavement walking is briefly through Annbank, allowing us to rejoin the path, into the woods and then follow the river back to the start.
Towards the end of the walk we pass the high terraced sandstone walls of Auchincruive estate's hanging gardens, built in the 1830's as a work creation for unemployed miners, they were once part of the formal gardens. There is also a glimpse of the old glasshouses which once produced peaches and pineapples, unfortunately now out of use.
Then we see the house, originally built as Auchincruive House by the merchant Richard Oswald in the 18th century. He made his fortune from trading sugar, tobacco and slaves. Now, almost in recompense to the slave trade, a chunk of the land is now used by the charity and social enterprise, River Garden, created to help people with their drug and alcohol addiction.
This is a relatively gentle walk, only graded moderate instead of leisurely as there's a very short pull-up on the pathway and 60 steps to descend. Also, one part comes off the pathway and we have to clamber up a short but worn slightly muddy track but there's branches to assist if necessary. There's one, slightly shoogly, stile to climb.
We are walking near the river with exposed tree roots and some muddy sections. Walking poles may be helpful if you use them.
Post walk refreshment is catered for at the nearby Clock Tower cafe bar. It's very popular (and smart) so we may have to wait or just order takeaway if the weather is kind to us.
Top end of Morrisons carpark - Stevenston. Prompt departure at 09.00am. For car sharing costs, the return trip is 38 miles - so £5 per passenger.
Oswald's Bridge - take the A78 then A77 to Whitletts roundabout 1st exit on to the B743 soon after, turn right at the big green Allanvale Auchincruive Estate signboard follow road about half mile to Oswald's Bridge There's off road parking before crossing the bridge on the right by metal gates (old entrance to the estate) or after crossing next to Retreat At The Knowe guesthouse - where I parked. Ready to start at 09.30am. The drive is about 20 minutes from Morrisons.
