In around 1850 iron ore deposits were found nearby and Messrs. Merry & Cunninghame, Ironmasters, built a row of houses for 200 people. John Cunninghame, at one point the sole proprietor, developed his business by taking loans out against the 'Lands of Chapeltoun', his home. He later became bankrupt and the estate was sequestered. A brickworks was later established near Netherton farm at Horners Corner in the Castlewat plantation to use up the blaes bing produced in the mining of the iron ore, which had ceased in around 1900, but it in turn closed in 1921. It was run by the Reid family. A lime works had existed near Lugton as far back as 1829: it is shown on Aitken's map of Cunninghgame. A modern lime works was more recently established at the top of the belt of limestone, now worked out, by Reid of Halket and later sold to R. Howie & Sons in 1947. Limestone is now brought to the site from elsewhere and the finished lime is used by farmers, in tarmacadam, previously in the manufacture of pig iron, etc. It had been used as 'Davy Dust' to help settle the coal dust in the mines.