Cornton – Our Story

On the West side of Cornton Road opposite Strathmore Crescent there was an access that left Cornton Road and travelled West towards what was Westhaugh Farm. The published six inch OS map of 1948 shows only the track heading to Westhaugh Farm and nothing else. The 1959 Ordnance Survey map, however, shows that access with, on the south side of the road, three buildings.

The first of these buildings appears to be fairly substantial, being comparatively much larger than a semidetached block of two houses. The other two are much smaller and appear to be situated each within a distinct field. Anecdotal evidences tells us that the owner kept pigs only in the large building. There was no knowledge that the pigs were there to service McGrouthers. The same anecdotal source tells us that the owner only kept the pigs as a hobby.

From enquiries on Old Stirling Facebook page it becomes evident that the Piggery was operated by a man called Mick (Michael) Kelly.

Anne Bedborough recalls that Mick Kelly was the owner and she still remembers seeing him wearing his wellies. She says that Mick was the Provost of Stirling at one point. He lived in the Raploch and had a couple of metal lamp posts outside his home.

Eric Martin says “That was Kelly’s piggery. We lived in Strathmore drive and used to take the waste food scraps over to the piggery where they were boiled up for the pigs! That was early 50s.”

Gus Binning tells us that “Provost Kelly had a small piggery at the bend on the old road that went past the back of the houses on Strathmore Drive. Top of the playing field before the bee Road and before the Primary School. Small caravan site was there too.”

Correcting another post he goes on to say: –

“There was a small piggery owned by a Provost that lived in the Raploch, I believe, and he cycled there every day. (Mick Kelly) It was at the top of the football park next to the old road that went past the back of the houses on Strathmore drive.

George Sutton recalls: – “His son, also Michael, looked after the pigs for a while but eventually gave it up. I used to have a drink with him back in the old days in the Chalet Pub in Cornton. Mick told me one time he was having problems with the pigs fighting. He said he stopped them fighting by wiping their bums with diesel so they all smelled the same – and by the way he was reasonably sober when he said this.”

Anne McSorley says: – “I remember in the 50-60’s we had a ‘brock bin’ (for compostable food waste) and it was collected and taken to Kelly’s ‘Piggery’ which was situated behind Strathmore Drive. It fed the pigs. I remember it being a horrible smelly place.”

Aly Mc says: – “I think there was once someone who kept pigs in the fields which later was where the caravan site used to be prior to the new build houses”

Veronica Walton says: – “I used to walk to and from Wallace High School from the top of the town and tried to hold my breath as long as I could along the road because of the smell. It was disgusting, can still remember the stink after 45 + years!!!”

Kenneth Barbara Scott says: – Amongst Provost Kelly’s other interests was keeping pigs. His pigsty is still standing along Cornton Road, just before the new houses.

Ian Cuthbertson says: – Mick Kelly was an Honory Member of Stirling County RFC. He helped us get started at Bridgehaugh he even dug the holes for our first set of goalposts.

Dr. Michael Kelly O.B.E., F.E.I.S., K.St.G., J.P. died 18th November 1991, 3 days after his 89th birthday, having served on Stirling Town Council, Stirling County Council and Central Regional Council for 48 years.

According to available evidence the Piggery began operating some time after 1948 and if it was associated with McGrouthers would have closed at least when the bacon production function at that site ceased around 1990. Considering that we are told that his son took over the responsibilty of the piggery in the latter years of its existence, this would appear to make sense. This is of course pure speculation. Doug Marshall tells us that Mick only kept the pigs as a hobby and they were never to service McGrouthers although he does say that Mick was a joiner who did most of McGrouther’s joinery maintenance.

At some later point in time it along with more land to the West became a Caravan Park.

The access and the large building still exist but the road itself is long gone. The larger building, at the time of writing is almost invisible, enveloped as it is, within the self seeded undergrowth of 30 odd years. Another larger scale map of 1960 shows the same buildings while showing the remains of what was Westhaugh Farm, at the end of the track, as “ruins”.