page_title: River Irvine
section_title: Fords
hierarchical_section_title: River Irvine / Crossing the river / Fords
caption_attribution_description: The Dean Ford over the Kilmarnock Water in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. 2007.
context_page_description: The River Irvine is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of 810 feet above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog, and 7 miles SW by W of Strathaven. It flows 29 ¹⁄₂ mi westward, dividing the old district of Cunninghame from that of Kyle, until it reaches the sea via Irvine Harbour in the form of the Firth of Clyde, and flows into Irvine Bay by the town of Irvine. It has many tributaries, some of which form parish, district and other boundaries.
context_section_description: The toll road authorities found fords something of a nuisance as passage was free unlike the bridge where a toll was levied. To prevent this they often obtained authority to deepen the fords in the river to force the use of bridges on the toll roads; very few fords therefore remain in Ayrshire. Even the Dean Ford has ceased to exist on the Kilmarnock Water after resolution of difficulties to do with the legal transfer of the property to the council by Lord Howard de Walden and the legal definition of the boundaries of the lands gifted. Further up the Fenwick Water the Bringan Ford still survives. Many of the fords eventually developed wooden footbridges alongside, such as at the Bringan Ford and as at Knockentiber in 1860 on the old Kilmarnock Road ford. The fine 'suspension bridge' footbridge at the Dean Ford was famous for collapsing with the weight of sightseers on its opening day. It was replaced with a stronger structure but has been removed due to the ford being bridged over circa 2016.
  A 'Romford', 'Rameford', 'Room' or 'Rome Ford' was situated where the modern road bridge crosses the Irvine at Gatehead. In Scots 'Rommle' is to rumble or stir violently, a more likely explanation than some memory of the Roman occupation of Scotland. Another suggestion is that 'Room' or 'Rome' meant a small farm. Adamson states that this bridge was built in around 1870, replacing an older bridge.
  The Hurling Ford existed at Shewalton where it crossed the river to the Warrix Holm (see video).
caption: The Dean Ford over the Kilmarnock Water in Kilmarnock. 2007.
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