Craigends of the 20th Century a Renfrewshire estate remembered

Ardeer Ironworks were founded in 1849. [...] and closed around 1931.

Fatal Accident At Ardeer Colliery – In Ardeer Pit, Stevenston, a fatal accident occurred yesterday to Alexander Thomson (41), miner, who resided at Auchenhirvie Cottage, Stevenston. A fall of stone came away from the roof. He was unmarried and resided with his mother.

Ardeer Ironworks were founded in 1849. At the time of this photograph the Ironworks belonged to Glengarnock Iron & Steel Co Ltd, which was later absorbed by Merry & Cunninghame Ltd, and closed around 1931.

In 1849 ... the Glengarnock Iron Company built five blast furnaces on the foreshore to smelt pig-iron.

...the ironmasters had to import ore from Spain and North Africa (particularly Tunisia) to enable them to compete with other pig-iron manufacturers in the county. Iron ore was shipped to the port of Ardrossan and transported by rail to Stevenston. Merry & Cunningham Ltd., who had succeeded the Glengarnock Iron Company as owners of the works, decided, with a view to cutting the costs in importing iron ore, to undertake to build a quay running out into the Firth of Clyde for 300 yards from high water mark. The object in view was to bring the ore boats into their own pier as against the port of Ardrossan. They proceeded to dump their slag into the sea for that purpose and a promontory stretched for fully 300 yards out into the Firth. The project was fairly well advanced; piles were driven in at the extremity and for some distance, a concrete pier was laid down. The project was abandoned only after it was obvious to those concerned that during rough weather, no ship could tie up safely in such an exposed position. The remains of this quay are still to be seen and the area is still referred to as the 'slag point' or 'old pier'.

The blast furnaces were worked around the clock shifts ... each pig bar having 'Glengarnock' stamped along it. The old trade mark was continued by Merry & Cunningham until they went into liquidation in 1931. The works were dismantled shortly after, and finally razed to the ground in 1935, after being in existence for nearly ninety years.