Bellfield House
Bellfield House and Estate belonged to the 3 Buchanan Sisters, Margaret, Jane and Elizabeth. After the death of their father George Buchanan of Woodlands, they bought the house from Kilmarnock Postmaster James Fairlie of Holmes. They were a wealthy family from Glasgow. With the death of the last sister, Elizabeth in 1875, Bellfield House with its well stocked library was given to the town along with substantial bequest. The gift also included gardens and an Estate of around 253 acres, Riccarton Mill and Kaimshill Farm. The sisters had not married and had no children to pass on their wealth to.
Bellfield House an grounds was opened to the public in 1876. Throughout the years people believed that Bellfield House was haunted by a ghost. People from Kilmarnock used to enjoy walking from the town through the Estate, Sunday was a favourite when people wore their best clothes to church. In 1939 an extension called the Loggia was built, to be used for later wedding receptions and as a tea room.
There was a tremendous pressure on housing in the post war years and in the 1950s homes began to be built in the grounds. A new church was needed, services were held in Bellfield House until the new parish church was built.
In September 1970, after years of neglect and lack of maintenance, Bellfield House was sadly demolished.
Layout
On the Ground Floor there was
- A supply room
- X2 Storage
- Drawing Room
- Kitchen – originally the Library
- Dining Room
- Bathroom
On the 1st Floor there was
- X1 Bedroom With an en suite ( originally Dressing Room)
- X2 Bedrooms
- X2 Storage
- Bathroom ( later addition – originally the house had no internal plumbing. Water came from an outside well, and was carried upstairs by the staff)
In the Basement
- The Butler’s Flat
- The main kitchens and storerooms
In the Attic
- X5 Rooms ( originally probably for staff and servants)
Pictures
