Bargarran is a residential area of Erskine located north of the town centre, some 8km (5 miles) northwest of Paisley just off the A726.The area had been rural until after the second world war. Erskine became one of the first post-war new towns, developed by the Scottish Special Housing Association. There was reference to Bargarran farm on 1865 Ordnance Survey maps.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Erskine Harbour, once a busy local port, is today mainly silted up. The harbour is a recognised birdwatching spot according to the Scottish Ornithologists' Club. It is surrounded by good wetland and woodland habitats. The Clyde Walkway runs through here and there are good views of the estuary. It is a site of Importance for Nature Conservation according to the Scottish Executive. The Clyde mudflats support wintering waders and wildfowl.
Ruins of the North Barr farm can be found in the woods adjacent to the Erskine Bridge Hotel carpark.
HISTORY
In 1696, when witchcraft was against the law in Scotland, Paisley saw a famous case of witch-hunting. Christian Shaw, the ten-year-old daughter of the laird of Bargarran near Erskine, fell mysteriously ill. The girl was reputed to have disgorged fur, feathers, bones and stones from her mouth, floated around her room, and been struck down with fits and seizures which left her screaming and foaming at the mouth as if she was about to die.
A number of people were accused of witchcreft as a result of this illness and were tried as witches, and seven of them were found guilty. One died in prison and the others were executed on Gallow Green just off Queen Street,at the west end of Paisley. Their remains were buried at a crossroads and a horseshoe set in the road. This was suppose to prevent their spirits from returning to trouble the living. The horseshoe can still be seen where Maxwellton Street crosses George Street. Crossroads were deliberately chosen for burial so the spirits of the victims would not know which direction to go in revengeful pursuit of their executioners. Christian Shaw is buried in the graveyard at Erskine Parish Church.
Christian Shaw, was responsible for bringing the thread industry to the west of Scotland. She moved to Bargarran around 1720 when widowed. It is thought, some years earlier, she had paid a visit to Holland and managed to smuggle out a twisting machine. With this she spun the linen yard and twisted a strong, white sewing thread on 12 bobbins at a time.
BISHOPTON
Bishopton is a large village located 11km (6.8 miles) northwest of Paisley, via the A8 or M8 motorway.
Situated a short distance from the Erskine Bridge this village has expanded from a predominately farming commuting through the addition of a variety of modern housing estates to one larger centres for commuting.
In 1900 there were 21 homes in Bishopton and the village continued to grow from then on. By 1920 a further 70 homes and been built, with a further 133 by 1940. Renfrewshire County Council built the first socially rented homes in Bishopton before the second world war. The village saw major housing development throughout the 1960s and 1970s. ln 1988 protests took place in the village to try and stop houses being built on an area of land known as Matey's Field which had once been farmland and later became a children's playground.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Blantyre Monument is situated in a field adjacent to the Old Greenock Road on the way to Erskine. It is in memory of Robert Walter Stewart, the 11th Lord Blantyre, who lived at nearby Erskine House. A Major-General in the British Army, Lord Blantyre served with the Duke of Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars. He survived the grim Peninsular campaign in Spain and Portugal where he displayed great bravery. Sadly, Lord Blantyre was accidentally killed by a stray bullet while caught in a street riot in Brussels in 1830. Because of the high esteem with which he was killed, his friends and colleagues erected the towering monument at Bishopton in his memory.
By 1841 a railway station at the village had opened and many Irish navvies who had come to Scotland to work on the Glasgow to Ayr line decided to stay in the area leading to a growth in the catholic population. There was no Catholic Church in the village so Catholics would travel to St Fillan's in Houston. Our lady of Lourdes Chapel in Old Greenock Road was built in 1926 by a group of volunteers keen to have a place of worship nearer to home.
There is a long railway tunnel, built by the Glasgow and Greenock Railway. The tunnel and cuttings at either end involved hundreds of workmen for years. The railway line was officially opened on the 1st June 1889. Bishopton Station was opened 1km (0.7 miles) south of the village centre, probably due to the deep railway cutting through the village, and the extra time and money required to widen it to accommodate a station. The hill-ridge which the line passes through separates the Clyde from the low land of the Gryfe valley.
HISTORY
Roman Occupation
There was once a number of Roman camps in the area, including one at Whitemoss Farm at Bishopton, The fort was built on 4.5 acres of land at around 80 AD. Around 500 soldiers were based there to patrol the River Clyde as far as Old Kilpatrick where the Antonine Wall ended and to guard the Dumbuck crossing. A major archaeological excavation took place at Whitemoss between 1951 and 1954. The barracks which were excavated held the horsemen during the Roman Occupation.
Until the early 14th Century the lands of Bishopton were in the hands of the Bishopric of Glasgow. Up until 1671 the estate belonged to the Brisbane family and was then in the hands of the Lords of Blantyre until 1703.
Bishopton was originally two villages, Blackstown and Easter Rossland and in 1840 the two combined, under the name of Bishopton.
The Golf Inn is around 200 years old and said to be the oldest remaining building in the village.
Over the years Bishopton House has been extended and modernised. However some of the old thick walls and vaulted cellars have survived. In 1948 the house became a convent after being taken over by a group of Catholic nuns known as the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. A home for girls, St Euphrasia's was added as was a school, St Gerard's. A Church was also added which was connected to the main house by a corridor. The house was renamed the Good Shepherd Centre in 1985.
The Bishopton Parish Church was known as the Erskine Parish Church up until the end of 1998.
There has been a church in the parish of Erskine since the 12th Century. That church was demolished in 1813 due to the dangerous state it had deteriorated into. The Lords of Blantyre have a special pew in the loft of the church.
The Brisbane family once lived in Bishopton House, and moved to Largs, in Ayrshire, in the 1700's. Their son, Thomas Makdougall Brisbane was born in 1773, and after a successful career, became Governor of the colony of New South Wales in Australia. A settlement in Queensland was named after him - today's state capital of Brisbane.
BLACKHALL
Blackhall is an area of Paisley, 1.6km (1 mile) south of the town centre adjacent to the A726 Barrhead Road.
The area has a mixture of retail and industrial use, as well as tenement residential and some Victoria villas.
The highest point in the area is Saucel Hill (42 metres).
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Paisley Canal railway line crosses the White Cart River near Blackhall. The tracks cross Blackhall Aquaduct at an unusual angle. This was originally built as an aqueduct for the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal in 1806. The canal was filled in and converted to carry a new railway in 1885. It is thought to be the oldest bridge in the world which still actively carries a railway.
HISTORY
There are references to Blackhall on maps dates back to at least 1596. A chapel once stood at Blackhall. The latin name for chapel is sacellum, and this is from where the name Saucel derives.
The first Blackhall was actually a hunting lodge of the Steward, built around the 14th century.
The current Blackhall (or Black Hall) Mansion, built in 1832, belonged to Sir Maxwell Stewart, who had many business interests in Paisley and in Glasgow, and who represented the county in Parliament in the 1830’s. The building is now surrounded by a port-war housing estate.
Ironstone was mined here before 1800 until the accessible seam was exhausted. There was a lime works in the area in the 1880's and the Espedair Dye Works existed [1864] in Espedair Street. There was a large reservoir in existance, centered on today’s Dunearn Place.
A 1864 map shows the A726 Barrhead Road called ‘Blackhall’ between the Paisley Canal Line and adjacent to Marnock Terrace.
The Paisley Canal Line
1st July 1885 - Paisley Canal line opened by the Glasgow and South Western Railway on the route of the Ardrossan canal.
10th January 1983 - Passenger services on the Paisley Canal and Kilmacolm line ended.
10th November 1984 - The line from Hawkhead through Paisley Canal to Elderslie was completely closed.
28th July 1990 - The Paisley Canal route was reopened.
BRAEHEAD
5 miles to the west of Glasgow city centre, the redevelopment of the 200 acre brown field site at Braehead is among the largest major regeneration projects in Europe. Almost 50% of Scotland's population is within 45 minutes travel of Braehead and the Centre attracts over 300,000 visits each week.
Braehead has two main sections - the shopping centre and the retail park.
Braehead Shopping Centre has over 100 shops, including Britain's biggest retail names, such as Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Bhs, Boots, Woolworths, Primark, Oasis, Warehouse, WH Smith and Sports Connection. There are many cafes and restaurants. The Big World Cafe look out over the boardwalk and the River Clyde on one side, and the Ice skating rink on the other. The shopping centre was designed to make disabled shopping easy, and a number of information desks will point you in the right direction. There are 6,500 free car parking spaces, as well as transport links with a bus station, a taxi rank and cycle spaces.
The adjacent retail park includes such major outlets as Ikea, B&Q, PC World, Currys, Halfords plus may more.
The second phase of the Braehead development plan includes an indoor snow mountain, cinema, ten-pin bowling, business parks, 1,700 new houses and a new public park by the River Clyde built by the Braehead developers. Experts are working on a traffic management scheme to make sure there will be no problems when the ENLARGEMENT scheme is up and running. A spur off the M8 at Bishopton is considered to avoid traffic congestion as people living in Bishopton and Erskine wouldn’t have to cut through Renfrew on their way home from the motorway.
POINTS OF INTEREST
IKEA
Braehead is the home of Britain’s largest IKEA store, covering almost 30,000 square metres of floor space. The store cost £34million to build, and after recent extentions, around 2.5m visitors are expected to head for the new-look store within the next 12 months.
CLYDEBUILT
The River Clyde runs through three hundred years of history at CLYDEBUILT. This dynamic new attraction on the River Clyde brings to life the story of Glasgow's development from the tobacco lords in the 1700's right up to the 21st century.
Kids can steer their own ships in the virtual world of the river pilot, learn to make a fortune as an ocean trader, take control of a real steam engine or go aboard the oldest Clydebuilt vessel still afloat.
Opening hours and prices: Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 11am - 5pm, Adult £3.50, Concession £1.75, Family £8.00
Braehead shopping and leisure hours differ from Clydebuilt. For details and to check the above information telephone 0141 885 1441.
Clyde Waterbus Service Ltd
For a unique view of Glasgow and the River Clyde try catching the Clyde Waterbus, the Pride O' The Clyde! This extremely comfortable vessel with its own refreshments bar, shows you the sights, ships and shipyards between Braehead Shopping Centre and the very heart of Glasgow at the Central Station bridge. Fares: Adult: £2:00 Children: £1.50 OAPs: £1.50. Please call 07711 250969 to check prices and timetable.
Skating @ Braehead
Braehead's indoor skating rink is open daily, and times and costs can be checked by calling 0141 885 4611. In operation are 'Skate UK' courses, which are approved by the National Ice Skating Association, and are suitable for all ages and abilities. Starting from Grade 1 (beginners) and advancing through to Grade 10, this programme is suitable for all disciplines, whether recreational, figure skating or ice hockey. All Braehead coaches are qualified to teach under the BCCP certification programme.
Scottish Rocks Basketball
Formerly the Edinburgh Rocks, The Scottich Rocks pro-basketball team have agreed to play at state of the art Braehead Arena. Situated on the waterfront at Braehead shopping centre the facility provides Scotland's only pro-basketball team with a brand new 4,000-seater venue.
History
In 2001 the remains of an Iron Age settlement, believed to be more than 2000 years old, was found in a construction site adjacent to today's Ikea store. Archaeologists believed the site was occupied by a large family unit from the Celtic Damninii tribe, who used the site only during the summer months when there was no risk of flooding. It is throught the Damninii tribe were on good terms with the Romans who invaded Scotland in the first and second centuries AD. The site included a three-ditch enclosure with a circular house in the centre. There were remains of wooden fences, known as palisades, a ring-ditch house and numerous post-holes which probably belonged to other houses and stores.
Braehead was named after a farm which stood until the early 1990's.
It was located on the north side of Old Renfrew Road where the shopping centre now stands.
The Battle of Braehead
The dispute between Renfrewshire and Glasgow over Braehead stretches back to the 17th century but only came to light in 1985 when Braehead was first mooted as an out of town shopping centre. Strangely enough, both councils opposed the development, but it was approved after an appeal by Capital Shopping to the then Scottish Secretary of State.
Almost 90% of Braehead lay within the Glasgow city boundaries, but the line between Glasgow and Renfrewshire ran through the middle of Sainsbury’s supermarket, which required a licence from both authorities to sell alcohol. The Boundary Commission decided to recommend returning Braehead to Renfrewshire to remove this anomaly. Renfrewshire Council suggested that Braehead represented a continuation of the Renfrew riverside frontage to a clear physical boundary at King George V Dock and was contiguous with Renfrew's industrial area at Hillington to the south and residential area of Deanpark to the west. The entire area was within 2 km of Renfrew town centre. Historically Renfrew extended into the Braehead area, confirmed by seventeenth century plans of Renfrewshire, which depicted Braehead within Renfrewshire. Early twentieth century Ordnance Survey plans also depicted the Renfrewshire County and Renfrew Burgh boundaries extending to Merlinford, within the Braehead area, some 700m east of the existing administrative boundary. The Council further stated that Braehead is currently located on the western periphery of Glasgow. It is physically separated from the north of the city by the River Clyde, isolated from the adjacent city community of Govan by the King George V Dock area and disconnected from Cardonald by the M8 motorway and Glasgow - Ayr railway line. The more than 230 acres in question was historically part of the former Royal Burgh of Renfrew and was the site of Salmon Fishing Rights granted to the town of Renfrew at the Merlinford Stone. The boundary between Renfrewshire and Glasgow was shifted eastwards on 1st June 2002.
Town Status Application
In April 2002 Braehead management approached the Scottish Executive and raised the issue of the area gaining town status, which was the long term objective. The area, however, would have to have it's own doctor's and dentist's surgeries. There are plans for 1000 houses, a hotel, a business centre and an indoor ski slope, which have already been given outline planning permission. The planned waterfront development is to occupy the south bank of the River Clyde from George V dock to Renfrew Ferry. Despite this, the idea was refused.
BRIDGE OF WEIR
Bridge of Weir is a large village located 11km (6.8 miles) west of Paisley on the A761. The village was notes for its 18th and 19th century cotton mills along the River Gryfe and its tanneries, which contributed to the Bridge of Weir's growth. Once the industry declined, its proximity to Glasgow made it an attractive location for merchants who wanted to move out of Glasgow. The legacy of these past residents can be seen in the fine mansions and large houses at Ranfurly, on the higher ground to the south of the railway alignment.
There is a variety of modern and more traditional housing available within Bridge of Weir and Brookfield, which lies a short distance away.
The population, according to the 1991 census, was 5151.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Notable buildings include Castle Terrace (1882 by Robert Raeburn and formerly the Ranfurly Hotel), St Machar's Church (1877-78) and Ranfurly Castle (15th century) which was built by John Knox's ancestors and is now on the golf course.
Ranfurly is regarded as an Outstanding Conservation Area by Historic Scotland.
The cycle path from Linwood, through Bridge of Weir, to Kilmacolm (Inverclyde) is a haven for birdwatchers. A reader of Paisley's Gazette newspaper reported in the Autumn of 2003 he had counted 86 species of birds along the track.
HISTORY
Bridge of Weir gets it's name from ‘Bridge of Vere’s stream’. Vere is a Norman-French proper name, imported to Lanarkshire, from the word ver (Old Norse) which means ‘stance' or 'station’.
The earliest mention of the name, "Bridge of Weir", in relation to the Village is in Kilbarchan Parish records when George Barr and Margaret Coldwell were resident at Bridge of Weir, in 1707, probably at Mill O' Gryfe, as they had been in Locher Mill 3 years previously.
There is no mention of Bridge of Weir in the Poll Tax roll of 1695, though the district was inhabited by small farmers and crofters.
Until the arrival of cotton spinning in 1790, Bridge of Weir had been no more than a few small houses with a tannery and the Ranfurly Estate's corn mill.
The name Ranfurly means ‘Portion of the farthing rental’ and comes from the Scottish Gaelic rann which means ‘part' or 'portion’ and feoirlinn ‘farthing’. When the Poll Tax was taken in 1695 the population of Ranfurly, whole, was in the region of 200, while on the north side of the River Gryfe, in the Parish of Kilallen, farms of Gryfe Castle, Burngil & Mill O'Gryfe, covering the present district of Bridge of Weir north registered 9 names.
The Greenock and Ayrshire Railway was authorised in 1862 and was opened in 1865. The line ran from Greenock to Bridge of Weir. The company was absorbed by the Glasgow and Southwestern Railway in 1872.
On the 10th January 1983 railway services on the Paisley Canal and Kilmacolm lines ended , resulting in the closure of Bridge of Weir Station.
The River Gryfe
In the 1790's four cotton mills were built along the banks of the Gryfe and various dams and mill lakes were constructed to turn the water wheels and drive the spinning machines. The last of the cotton mills ceased production in 1876 and companies involved in the tanning and working of leather and other skins which had been carried on in the village since the 1770's took over a number of the old buildings. Bridge of Weir acquired a fine reputation for both the tanning and the working of leather and other animal skins and this reputation is upheld to this day by the Bridge of Weir Leather Company which is still based in the village.
The Ranfurly Knoxes
The Knoxes acquired the land of Ranfurly about 1440 and constructed the castle which can now be viewed as the current ruins. The family was very active in religious and political affairs and John Knox was a relative of the Ranfurly family.
The district on the Kilbarchan side was formerly known as Ranfurly. The Knoxes acquired part of Ranfurly in 1440.
Ranfurly Hotel [Kilmacolm] was opened in 1882 but due to poor business it closed down before the First World War. It was then used to accommodate the homeless and during the war wounded soldiers were billeted there. In 1920 it became a private school but this closed five years later. After lying empty for some time it was then developed into shops and flats. In its first years as a hotel the Ranfurly's guests were mostly visitors from Glasgow and beyond. By express train it was only 22 minutes from the city and guests could enjoy beautifully kept gardens with panoramic views and a bowling green. Fishing, golf and walking were further attractions and an 1898 advertisement stated that a coffee room, drawing room, billiard room, extra bedrooms and a conservatory had all been recently added to the existing facilities.
Opened in 1830, the 128-roomed Hydropathic Hotel represented the last word in elegance. But it had an uncertain beginning when the company in ownership collapsed after only 3 years and the building had to be sold at a third of its original cost of £47,000. Nevertheless it survived and was a successful venture for many years until it was severely damaged in the 'hurricane' on 1968. This, allied to the fact that the hotel could not get a full alcohol licence, led to its closure and eventual demolition in 1974.
BROOKFIELD
Brookfield is recorded as being the smallest community in Renfrewshire. It is located on the A761 2 kilometres (1.5 miles) from Johnstone, roughly half way between Johnstone and Bridge of Weir. It has been described as a small version of the Hampstead garden villages of north London.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Kilbarchan Cemetery is a well-maintained local graveyard just north of the village. The oldest gravestones date back to just pre-WWI which can be found in the lower section of the cemetery. The newer section, in the hill's summit, dates back over the last few decades only. The cemetery has a local feel, with references to Kilbarchan, Bridge of Weir and Linwood. The most touching are those which have been provided as a sign of respect from fellow employees of the local mills and factories.
HISTORY
In the mid-1890’s, a Johnstone cuvil engineer and architect named Peter Kerr purchased Boghouse Farm with the aim of building a small village, and settle down with his wife who he married in 1896. His house was called Branscroft. The first villas were built in 1898.
The village remained isolated until the country-wide building of roads in the 1930’s. The first official mentioning of the name was possibly in the Paisley Directory of 1904/5 and the Ordnance Survey map of 1911.
On the 10th January 1983 railway services on the Paisley Canal and Kilmacolm lines ended , resulting in the closure of Houston railway station. It located on today’s cycle track behind Merchiston Hospital.
In 2001 the village had 216 dwellings with a further 18 in outlying areas, but still within the Community Council District.
The population in 1991 was about 600.
CARRIAGEHILL
Carriagehill is an area of Paisley 1 mile/1.6km south of the town centre on the B774 Neilston Road.
Although there is some light industry and retail on Neilston Road, the area is primarily residential, and is known for it's fine Victorian villas.
POINTS OF INTEREST
A man named Brodie bought a large estate in his adopted town of Paisley, where he was a much respected figure. This estate lay in the South End of Paisley and formed part of the old lands of Carriagehill.His mansion, called Carriagehill House, with its well laid-out gardens, stood on Carriagehill (now Braids Road) on land which is now a children's playground. Brodie stayed there happily for the last 15 years of his life. Such was Brodie's love of Paisley, that, in 1870 the year before his death, he made a will conveying the grounds of Carriagehill to the Burgh of Paisley. He stipulated that twenty-two acres of his estate were to be used as "pleasure grounds and places of public recreation for the inhabitants of Paisley".
The Brodie Park was formally opened in 1877 by his old friend Provost Murray, in the company of 10,000 cheering spectators. Specimen trees were planted around the perimeter of the new park and wide carriageways cut through it.
It was then the custom for rich Paisley families to ride through the park in horse and carriage displaying their finery. At the Mary Street entrance, ladies could rest and shelter in the specially-built Ladies' waiting-room adjoining the park-keeper's house. The park was adorned with benches, formal flower beds and drinking fountains.
Great excitement took place in the park with the arrival of two kangaroos. The animals had been presented to the town in February 1885, by the Marquis of Bute.
Today, Brodie Park is still popular. The Ladies' waiting-room and the parkie's house have been converted into fine homes. The fine Victorian bandstand, the fine wrought iron gates and railings, the greenhouse and the cast-iron fountains are now gone.
HISTORY
In 1895 Carriagehill was becoming industrialised, with the Carriagehill Starch Works dominating. Colinslie Print Works were located on the eastern side of Neilston Road. Carriagehill House was located inside the bend of Braids Road where a park exists today.
There are plans to build a new housing estate at the site of the Hellman’s Mayonnaise plant, after production was transferred to the Netherlands. The plant was formerly owned by Brown and Polson and CPC. The red brick office building is a grade-B listed building, and may be incorporated into the new housing estate.
The Craw Road Institution was opened as the Asylum of the Abbey Parish Poor House in 1851. This psychiatric institution existed alongside general hospital facilities whhich were erected in 1890. Today, the site is marked by a modern housing development at Polson Crescent.
Neilston Road was originally a dirt track and the main route south from Paisley. It's route skirted the eastern foothills of the Gleniffer Braes, and originally climbed the hill called Stoney Brae, until an easier route around the hill was created in the early 1800's. The reason for this was the growth of the villages at Neilston and Barrhead, due to the growth in the local textile industry, and the need for a cart-friendly route north to Paisley. Today's Neilston Road still follows the meandering route of the original track.
CASTLEHEAD
Castlehead is a Victorian middle-class housing development, believed to be on the side of a Roman installation, most of which today remains open land in the form of a park. Housing in this area is of the villa variety, and can be accounted for by social pressure for space exerted inside Paisley’s central area. Built between 1860 and 1886. Ruins of a circular fort house have been found on Castlehead , but unlikely that it was Roman, since they never constructed forts in that shape.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Castlehead Church
The West Relief Church was opened for the first time in 1782. At that time, the building sat on the corner of Common Loan and Castle Street. Common Loan was rebuilt and today is known as Canal Street. In later years it’s name was changed to Canal Street Church and most recently named Castlehead Church in 1970.
The Castlehead Church (formerly the West Relief Church) provided land for the burial of 140 victims of the 1823 cholera epidemic which hit Paisley. There is a badly-weathered stone in the churchyard which reveals that ground containing 20 lairs was purchased by funds raised by voluntary subscription for the poor victims of the deadly disease.
Robert Tannahill, Paisley's most famous poet, was buried in the same churchyard 22 years earlier in 1810 after his tragic death at the age of only 36. His burial had been refused by other churches throughout the town because he allegedly took his own Life, drowning in the Candren Burn. (see photo below)
A former fiancee of the poet, Jenny Tennant, born in Dunblane and known as Jessie in her home town, is also buried in the churchyard. Many claim that she was the inspiration for Tannahill's famous song, ‘Jessie the Flower of Dunblane‘, from which the poet apparently never received a penny but the publisher was able to retire on the proceeds.
Three other Paisley poets are buried at Castlehead, including Dr Thomas Lyle who wrote the song ‘Kelvingrove‘, first published in The Harp of Renfrewshire in 1820.
HISTORY
A map of 1839 refers to the remains of a Roman fortification at Castlehead, located at the site of today's High Road. Castlehead was rural as late as 1865, when the only significant building was Castlehead House.
The Castlehead High School was once the temporary Paisley Police Station, back in 1967. The police had to vacate their offices at the old prison in Gilmour Street, but construction of the new Cotton Street offices had fallen behind. The prison, built between 1805 and 1812 was scheduled for demolition to the police had to move out.
There was once a colliery located at the present high school's site. It was not successful, resulting in bankruptcy of the mining company.
CROSSLEE
Crosslee [lee = grass land] is a residential village located on the B789. It is 1 kilometre south of Houston, 4km (2.5 miles) NW of Johnstone and 9km (5.6 miles) NW of Paisley. The oldest part of the village is adjacent to the main road, although modern homes have been built east of the village on the grounds of the former Crosslee House, Crosslee farm and Back of the Hill Farm.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Crosslee was an important point on the Scottish West Coast coach line. At this point the main road to Houston once crossed the River Gryfe at the Linning Ford, and a toll booth was set up on the northern side of the river. This ford was eventually replaced by the Linningford Bridge.
It is possible to follow the Gryfe via a footpath, which runs from near Goldenlea Farm, through Crosslee, and on to Craigends.
HISTORY
The Crosslee Mill built in 1793, burned down about 1858 and finally demolished 1986) was used for cotton spinning but in 1916-17 a new factory was constructed for 'spinning cordite fuses'. In the late 1800's most villagers were employed in the neighbouring oil-works at Clippens (Linwood).
Crosslee House existed in 1864. Crosslee Cotton Mills existed prior to 1864.
Population: (1861) 383, (1871) 379.
DEAN PARK
Dean Park is a residential area southeast of Renfrew town centre. It is located off the A8 Glasgow Road 3 miles/5.0km from Paisley.
Most of Dean Park is of post-1966 construction, as a result of the closure of the old Renfrew Airport and surrounding area.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The area on which today's Tesco store and carpark is built was part of the old Renfrew Airport grounds. The long straight of road which is the nearby M8 Motorway follows the course of the former runway.
In the Tesco carpark is a memorial commemorating the former Renfrew Airport, which was unveiled on 25th October 1997. There is also a memorial cairn to the Scottish Air Ambulance Service and the 1957 Air Ambulance crash at Islay.
HISTORY
In 1864 there were references to Deanfield farm and Deanside, but no Dean Park.
Before World War 1 the area was used by pilots using the flat fields to practice take-offs and landings. During WWI the Ministry of Munitions created an airfield between Renfrew and Arkleston for the testing the aircraft built by Glasgow engineering firms. By the 1920's it was used by the newly formed Scottish flying Club where it held its headquarters.
They were also to later run the newly named Renfrew Airport. It was in 1933 that the first scheduled air service took off from Renfrew bound for Campbeltown, then a London service commenced. On the 14th May 1933, Jimmy Orwell flew from Renfrew to Islay to rescue a fisherman with acute peritonitis, and the Air Ambulance Service was born.
Today there is a monument on the corner of Newmains and Sandy Road which contains stones taken from the highlands and Islands, the areas served by the Scottish air Ambulance in tribute to their service to saving so many lives. Air travel increased enormously in the 1950's and the Renfrew airport soon became too small to handle the extra traffic. The airport was then moved to Abbotsinch near Paisley in 1966 and renamed Glasgow Airport. The Renfrew Airport terminal building, was constructed in the early 1950's. It was constructed with the intention of eventual dismantling and reconstruction at the RNAS station at Abbotsinch. The traffic volume quickly exceeded the planners expectations and that move never happened. it was destroyed and the site is now used for a supermarket.
DYKEBAR
Dykebar is a primarily residential area 1.8miles/3km southeast of Paisley off the A726. The area remained rural until after World War II.
The highest point in the area is Dykebar Hill, which has undergone a number of spelling changes. Map references to Dykebar date back from at least 1596 until after 1640. By 1800 the hill was Dikebar, and remained such until the start of the 20th century when the old spelling of Dykebar returned.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Dykebar Hill, at 168 feet / 58 metres, is the highest point in the area. Access to the summit is possible opposite a small carpark near the end of Glenapp Avenue. The Romas once had a camp here, and it is easy to see why. Views cover Gleniffer Braes to the Kilpatrick Hills, Campsie Fells, Kilsyth Hills and the eastern parts of Renfrewshire.
HISTORY
Dykebar Hospital opened in 1909 as the Renfrew District Lunatic Asylum. In 1948 it joined the National Health Service under the Renfrewshire Mental Hospitals Board of Management (renamed the Dykebar and Associated Hospitals Board of Management in 1964). From 1968 to 1974 it was under the Paisley and District Hospitals Board of Management. At the reorganisation of 1974 it passed to the Renfrew District of the new Argyll and Clyde Health Board
Three historic wards at a Paisley Hospital have been placed on an at-risk register. Wards 20, 22, 23, at Dykebar Hospital are cited in the Buildings at Risk Bulletin published by the Scottish Civic Trust on behalf of conservation body Historic Scotland.
Also on the at-risk list is Mid Dykebar, a large red sandstone building within the grounds of the hospital.
Ward 22 - formerly known as Villa 2 - is vacant and has been the target of vandals for some time.
The remaining two wards - before the new hospital was built in the mid-Seventies ward 20 was known as Villa 1 and ward 23 Villa 5 - are also vacant and boarded up.
All four buildings were built in 1909 by renowned architect TG Abercrombie in the Scottish Baroque style.
Mid Dykebar was built to house the superintendent of the hospital, which was then Renfrew District Asylum.
A notable feature of the building is that the east entrance is unusual in having large areas of walling without windows.
ELDERSLIE
Elderslie is a large village located 4km (2.5 miles) west of Paisley on the A761.
The name derives from ‘Alder lea’. Elloern (Old English) ‘alder’; li (Old English) ‘meadow’. It was founded in 1398 as Eldersly, and Timothy Pont’s map of about 1596 makes reference to ‘Ellersley’.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Wallace Monument
The Wallace monument was unveiled on 28th September 1912 by Sir Thomas Glen Coats. It was designed by Mr.J.C.Murray of Westminister. It is 37 feet high and the base is 20 feet above street level.Every August the Wallace Day parade takes place, with a march from Johnstone town centre to the Monument at Elderslie, where a service takes place.
William Wallace was born in Elderslie about 1270. The legend of the Wallace Oak says Wallace avoided capture by hiding more than 100 of his men in the giant tree. The tree began to deteriorate in health due to age and souvenir hunters, removing part of the bark. A cutting from the 300-year-old Wallace Yew is to be planted outside the new £400 million Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh. The owner of the sapling wished to remain anonymous.
HISTORY
Next to the road leading to the Gleniffer Braes is a large rock engraved with a number of circles and hollows known as cup-and-ring markings. Thought to be at least 3,000 years old, the Bronze and Iron age rings and circles symbolised eternity and cups symbolised prosperity and plenty.
The deepest coal mine shaft in the area’s coal fields was called Snodgrass. The location is thought to have been either in the Barclay Avenue or Abbey Road area.
A cotton mill existed prior to 1864, located at today’s Glen Gardens.
It is said the Ring O’Bells pub in Main Street is haunted. Over 160 years ago a horse-drawn coach left the inn, but soon overturned, killing the horses and at least one passenger. Witnesses claim they have heard the sound of horses hooves and images of men in black cloaks.
Trams were withdrawn from Elderslie in 1932, and the tram service to Linwood Road Toll (Elderslie Depot) withdrawn on 11th May 1957.
The bore Well was used to provide fresh drinking water for the village. It’s importance was replaced by the Auchenlodment filters on the 27th March 1869.
Stoddard Carpets opened its Elderslie headquarters in 1862 and had become such an important part of the village and the surrounding area. When the factory’s closure was announced in 2002, 300 jobs were to be lost from the area, including 200 being transferred to the Riverside plant at Kilmarnock. More than 1700 people were employed at Stoddard's Elderslie factory in the 1960s.
Elderslie Parish Church opened 9th June 1840
The Wallace School was built in 1866
Elderslie East Church (Glenpatrick Road) opened about 1900
Elderslie Golf Club founded in 1908
Elderslie’s first council houses were built in 1924 at Old Road and Ritchie Crescent.
Elderslie Baths opened June 1975
ERSKINE
The name comes possibly from ‘high marsh’ from ard (Scottish Gaelic) ‘high’ and sescenn (Scottish Gaelic) ‘marsh’, but a derivation from Cumbric ir ysgyn ‘green ascent’ has also been put forward. The area was noted as Erskin in 1225.
Erskine is one of the most popular commuter towns in Renfrewshire. It is located 7.5km (4.6 miles) northwest of Paisley on the A726. It was one of the first post-war new towns, developed by the Scottish Special Housing Association. Companies like Yarrows, the Linwood Car Plant, India Rubber at Inchinnan, Royal Ordnance and Rolls Royce all needed a supply of labour close at hand. Construction of the town started in 1971 and was later awarded the Saltire Society award for town planning. The recession of the 1970's shelved the planned 30,000 population town, and since then the population has remained fairly constant. based on the 1991 census the population was 13,186.
The £1.6 million Erskine Community Sports Hall was opened in 2002. The facility includes a 300-seater sports hall suitable for football, basketball, indoor hockey, netball and volleyball, a 250-seater general purpose hall for community use, three team changing rooms with disabled access, a fitness suite and a café and a multi-purpose room where a creche or meetings can be held.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Erskine Bridge
The Erskine Bridge crosses the River Clyde near the villages of Erskine to the south and Old Kilpatrick to the north, linking Renfrewshire to West Dunbartonshire. It is a toll bridge and extends the A898 road from the M8 motorway on the south to the A82 (Great Western Road) on the north. Built between 1967 and 1971 by Freeman Fox, it was opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 2nd July, 1971, and today bears approximately 7,000 crossings per day, a figure which has held steady since the late 1980s.This box girder bridge with cable stays is 524m (1720 feet) in length, not including the two approach spans of 68m (224 feet) each. The masts of the main span are 38m (125 feet) high, while the steelwork weighs some 11,000 tons and runs over 1310m (4300 feet).
On 4th of August 1996 an oil platform struck the bridge while being towed alon the River Clyde. It became stuck causing some serious damage to the Bridge. The error occurred due to a miscalculation of the platform’s height. For a number of months the bridge was closed to traffic, or restricted from use by heavy vehicles. It opened to traffic again in mid-December 1996.
Erskine House / Erskine Hospital
Erskine House, to the north of the town, was formerly the residence of the Lords Blantyre and was built in 1828.
It is a magnificent ediface in the Tudor syle, on a wooded eminence overlooking the river. In 1916 it became the Princess Louise Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers, and was known as this until well after World War 2. It is now known as Erskine Hospital. It houses disabled ex-servicemen and women and is the largest ex-service hospital in the United Kingdom with 290 beds. The structure is a A-grade listed building, and in 2002 a plan to convert it to a 54-room hotel was approved. Part of the grounds are to turned into an 18-hole golf course with a club house. Also planned is the removal of the former nursing buildings and the construction of 20 executive-style homes, as well as an extension of the Clyde walkway through the grounds.
HISTORY
There is a legend which tells how Erskine got its name. During the Danish raids a young warrior cut off the head of the Danish leader. He impaled it on a stake and, with the battlecry "head on a knife" or "Eris Kyne" he fought fiercely, brandishing his trophy. The defenders carried the day. After the battle, in true legendary fashion, the King granted the warrior the land he had defended and changed his surname to Erskine.
Records show Henry de Erskine was proprietor of the barony in 1225 and the name of Erskine can be found on maps dating back to at least 1596. It was in ancient times the property of the Earls of Mar, and they took their family name from it when surnames began to be used in Scotland. In the middle of the seventeenth century the estate was purchased by the Blantyre family.
Artifacts dating back 5,000 years have been found, indicating a farming community had been in the area. Finds dated 1,000 BC also indicate human habitation. The remains of heavily defended forts and crannogs were excavated, particularly around where the ferry was later situated. The River Clyde was shallow enough at this point to be forded, and the ford was eventually replaced by a ferry. By the end of the 18th century, stone quays had been built on either bank to enable vehicular traffic to be ferried across.
Erskine Ferry operated just upstream from the current Erskine Bridge, linking Renfrewshire with Old Kilpatrick and Dunbartonshire. The ferry service ceased when the Erskine Bridge opened in 1971.
FERGUSLIE PARK
Ferguslie Park is a residential area 2km (1.2 miles) west of Paisley. The area was hit particularly hard by the industrial decline during the 1970's and 1980's, including the closure of the nearby Chrysler Car Plant at Linwood. Ferguslie became a by-word for social disadvantage due to it's high unemployment, poor housing, and low educational achievements. A number of improvements were implemented, but the effects were slow and limited.
Part of the problem was geographical. The area was almost cut off from nearby Paisley by a circle of railway lines and disused railway embankments. Selective demolition and the lack of a full plan of redevelopment resulted in Ferguslie Park being one third open space or wasteland. There was no central point for the community and therefore no cohesion. Since then, the Tannahill Centre has opened, providing facilities for social activities, a larger library, and the creation of a nursery, surgery, health clinic etc. The Tannahill Centre was opened on 5th July 1995 by HM The Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. The area's isolation has been addressed by the construction of Barskiven Road, linking Ferguslie Park to Linwood Road and the sprawling Phoenix Retail Park, on the site of the Chrysler Plant.
In the 1990's a number of private housing estates were built where council homes once stood.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Ferguslie Sports Centre is a state of the art sports facility suitable for a variety of activities. Both indoor and outdoor all weather synthetic pitches, Provision of three exhibition standard grass pitches and a training area. The upgraded Ferguslie Sports Centre provides an enhanced facility which can be used by both the general public and private sector sporting organisations. Paisley Partnership has secured funding to resurface the synthetic pitch. As a result, Total Soccer Experience, St Mirren Football Club and a private developer have all approached Paisley Partnership with a view to working in partnership to expand the development.
HISTORY
Ferguslie Park was built on the estate which belonged for some time to the monks of Paisley, but was afterwards divided. An old castle stood on the estate, and Ferguslie House
was located there. Ferguslie is mentioned on maps dating back to at least 1596.
Close to White's Bridge, Candren Road, on the outskirts of Ferguslie Park was the site of the ironstone-mining community of Inkerman. Built during the 1850's by the Merry and Cunninghame Ironmaster's Company, the village consisted of five rows of houses, known locally as "raws", a school and a grocers shop. The single storey houses were illuminated with candles and parafin lamps and heated with coal fires. At the end of the garden, the outside toilets, or "cludgies" were found. Merry and Cunninghame went into liquidation just before the second world war, due to the decline of the ironstone industry. The village was put up for sale, but there were no buyers, and the buildings were demolished. The occupants were rehoused at Linwood and Elderslie. In a field, just opposite the village, in 1941, a Blenheim bomber crashed.
The village was named after the indecisive battle in the Crimean War, fought on 5th November 1854. Many of the British soldiers who fought there were from the Paisley area. They trained at the Newton Woods, near Elderslie, where they had a rifle-range for shooting practice on a steep hillside close to what is now Foxbar.
The Blackstoun pits were owned by the Blackstoun Mineral Company.
In the first half of the last century, the Queen Mary Block was one of the best-known areas in the scheme. It got its name because it looked like a huge ship. It was also called `The Balconies' because it had verandahs. It was in Ferguslie Park Avenue, but is long demolished. There were big rhubarb parks by The Racecourse, such as Jameson's Rhubarb Park and at Pinkerton's Rhubarb Farm. The construction of the Ferguslie Estate started around 1924, based on the date of an old electricity sub-station.
The Privey Woods, off Blackstoun Road, are thought to be haunted by the former matron of the old Glen-Coats Auxiliary Hospital. Known as Lady Glen-Coats by staff and patients at the hospital, the restless spirit was often heard playing the piano in the room where dead bodies were kept before the arrival of undertakers.
Sweet Ferguslie, hail! thou'rt the dear sacred grove,
Here Nature first wakened me to rapture and love,
Where first my young Muse spread her wing;
And taught me her beauties to sing.
Robert Tannahill, September 1807
FOXBAR
Foxbar derives it's name from 'hill of the foxes', after it's large population of wild foxes.
Paisley’s boundaries were extended as a result of The Housing Act of 1946. Provisions were made for the addition to existing estates. Foxbar was built on the former site of the bleachworks, and was initiated in 1952, and completed in 1965, and was the first estate to include high flats.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Stanely Castle (once spelt Stanley) sits ruinous in the waters of Stanely Reservoir, which was constructed in the first half of the 1800's as a water supply for Paisley by the Paisley Water Company. The castle is thought to have been built in the 15th century. Semple visited the castle in 1782 and noted on the west side "two lions near the base and two boars a little above. Within 70 years these wre almost impossible to decipher. Paisley poet Robert Tannahill wrote on a number of occasions about the castle -
"Keen blows the wind o'er the braes o' Gleniffer,
The auld castle turrets are covered wi' snow;
How changed frae the time when I met wi' my lover
Amang the broom bushes by Stanley green shaw!"
In 1804 he wrote to his brother Scadlock in Perth. . .
"If e'er in musing mood you stray
Alang the classic banks of Tay,
Think on our walks by Stanley Tower
And steep Gleniffer brae."
A visit in 1856 notes "The castle is about 40 feet high with a rectangular tower. Round the top there is a cornice, the corbels of which project considerably, and seem at one period to have been surmounted by a series of small turrets. These, with the entire roof, have now disappeared..."
HISTORY
References to Foxbar on maps date back to at least 1596.
Famous in the 1800's was 'The Sale at Foxbar'. One eyewitness described it as "the crowds of corbies in waggonettes and on foot from Paisley and Glasgow looking for real bargains".
Robertsons commenced the bleachfields at Foxbar in the late 1700's. It was a flourishing industry and relied heavily on the pure water from Gleniffer Braes. It was one of the first bleachfields in the area. Girls came from the Highlands to work in the field, settling down in the neighbouring towns and villages.
In 1820 there were uprisings in Johnstone and Paisley. Crowds were protesting about the poor working conditions and bad housing. Paisley was under martial law at that time. On the 3rd April 1820 a number of Radicals, as the protesters were called, decided to raid farms and cottages on the Gleniffer Braes to aquire weapons for their cause. They visited houses at Lounsdale and Millarston where pistols and guns were obtained. After a small skirmish at Foxbar House, on the Elderslie outskirts, the military approached to break up the disorder.
In 1829, three men from Johnstone were arrested after breaking into old Foxbar House and assaulting a 70 year old man and his sister. The victims were left bruised, bloodied and bound after the pair beat them up with a cudgel then escaped with silver spoons and other valuables.
Two of the men, James Brown and John Craig were hanged at County Square in Paisley on October 29, 1829. They have the distinction of being the last in Scotland to be hanged for robbery. Their bodies were buried in Johnstone.
The Newton Wood was a popular spot in the 18th and 19th century for rifle practice. The Renfrewshire Brigade of Volunteers would practice there in the late 1800's.
Within the Newton Woods was the Lex [Latin=law] Well, a source of refreshment, complete with a cup attached by a chain. The waters were enjoyed by hikers and ramblers, following in the footsteps of Robert Tannahill. The well is thought to have been revered by Druid priests of the Celts of the iron age. Two thousand years ago the local Strathclyde tribe tried to win favours from the water goddesses by hanging ornaments and trinkets from the surrounding trees. From the 6th century, holy men visited the site, purified of its pagen deities.
The well aquired a reputation for its healing miracles, and in the 10th century a eight-foot high stone cross was placed nearby. It not only reminded visitors of the well’s religious importance, but pointed the way to the shrine of St. Mirin and the Paisley Abbey. The cross was sculpted with carvings of savage beasts and fighting men. During the 16th century Reformation, the Elderslie Cross, as it came to be known, was broken and dumped in a deep pit in the woods. The cross was discovered in the 19th century and now sits in the Paisley Museum.
Near the now overgrown Lex Well is a rock locally known as the Druid’s Stone, or Druid’s Altar. This two-foot high stone is probably the base of the Elderslie Cross. [Based on an article by Derek Parker - Paisley Daily Express - 30th April 2001]
FREELAND
Freeland is an area of Erskine located south of the town centre, some 7km (4.3 miles) northwest of Paisley just off the A726.
The area was rural until the construction of the Erskine town development in the early 1970's. Today is is entirely residential with pockets of woodland.
HISTORY
Maps show Freeland Farm existing in 1864. If readers can add to the history of this property, please email HappyHaggis.
Old Greenock Road (Parkway) is the route of the original road from Renfrew to Greenock. A new, straighter alignment was built in the late 1700's, and forms part of today's A8.
GALLOWHILL
Gallowhill is a residential and retail area 0.7miles/1km north of Paisley on the A741 Renfrew Road.
Renfrew Road is lined by a middle class Victorian housing development to the south, and council-built properties to the north.
The 3 Gallowhill flats were built in the 1960’s to deal with a shortage of houses in the area. Each block is 15 storeys high and contains 90 flats. On the roof of each block are aircraft warning lights, due to their proximity with Glasgow Airport.
The Gallow Hill was the site during the 17th century where those found guilty of witchcraft were executed.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Chivas Regal traces its routes back to 1801 in Aberdeen when a grocery store opened for business, selling a range of whiskies. The company used the Paisley site as a warehouse and dispatch location until the opening of the new site at The Phoenix, near Linwood in October 1996. From here Chivas Regal, Royal Salute 21-year-old, The Glenlivet, and Glen Grant Pure Malt Whisky are distributed to over 150 countries. The Chivas Regal worldwide headquarters are still at the Paisley location on Renfrew Road.
HISTORY
Marjory Bruce was the only daughter of King Robert Bruce. She was killed at Knockhill in 1316, by being thrown from her horse while hunting. She was far advanced in pregnancy at the time, and a caesarean operation resulted in the safe delivery of her child, who became Robert II (the first authentic record of such an operation being performed since the birth of the eponymous Julius Caesar). Marjory died within a few hours. Aged only about 19 years and 3 months, her last words are reported to have been "He's a laddie; I ken he's a laddie; he will be king". Her improbable dying prophecy eventually came true, but not for another fifty-five years."(Quote from The Stewart Society) She is buried in Paisley Abbey and there is a memorial to her as well as one to the other kings and Steward(t)s buried there.
Tradition says injury to his eyes during the operation gave him the nickname 'Bleary' The spot of the accident was marked by an octagonal pillar known as "Queen Blearie's Cross" until sometime between 1779 and 1782. The monument was destroyed by a local farmer who used the pillar as a door lintel and the supporting steps to repair a fence. There is now a memorial cairn next to the A741 Renfrew Road, near Dundonald Road.
There are references to Gallowhill on maps as early as 1596. A map of 1925 shows Gallowhill farm still in existance, but missing in the 1930's. The area remained primarily rural until the construction of the first housing estates between 1925 and 1945.
On 9th September 1880 a passenger train from Glasgow to Paisley crashed into a city-bound good train carrying pig iron. The accident took place near the Arkleston cutting . Farm labourers in nearby fields helped free the trapped passengers, and were helped by coalminers from the nearby Hillington pit. 4 people died.
GLASGOW AIRPORT
Glasgow Airport is located 3km (1.8 miles) north of Paisley, and 13km (8 miles) west of Glasgow adjacent to the M8 Motorway.
Glasgow Airport is one of seven in the UK operated by the denationalised British Airports Authority, BAA plc. Opened in 1966, and formerly known as Abbotsinch Airport, it is Scotland's busiest airport with more than 6.7 million passengers and 86,000 take-offs and landings annually. The airport has two runways of 2658m (8720 feet) and 1088m (3570 feet) respectively.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Forming part of Glasgow Airport and bounded by motorway slip roads, Paisley Moss is a hidden oasis for wildlife. A remnant of a larger site, it became a Local Nature Reserve in 1993. It contains ponds, mossy marshes, reeds and sedge beds supporting hundreds of different animals and plants. The site is maintained by careful management organised and carried out by a team of local people and airport staff. The reserve is open to the public throughout the year. An hour is needed to enjoy the circular walk, and welly boots are recommended at all times of the year.
Directions are signposted from the airport road system. Parking is available on St. Andrews Crescent and the Moss is a ten minute walk from the terminal building.
HISTORY
This area, between Paisley racecourse and Inchinnan was used for the Navy’s Auxiliary Air Force during the wars. During WW2 the squadron located at Abbotsinch (HMS Sanderling) were involved in the Battle of Britain.
Restrictions of capacity had necessitated the replacement of Renfrew Airport and the new terminal at Abbotsinch was commissioned in 1963. The nearby Inchinnan viaduct, over the River Cart, was agreed upon for the M8 construction in 1966.
In June 1992 HRH The Princess Royal officially opened the new terminal building. By April 1993 construction work had begun on the second phase of the development, a £40m new international pier. This was officially opened in November 1994 by Ian Grant, Chairman of the Scottish Tourist Board. In March 1995 £2m was spent to improve the east end of the terminal and provide additional offices, seating, retail outlets and upgrade the domestic baggage reclaim hall. This was followed four months later with a £4m expansion of the airport's cargo village, providing an additional 4150 sq m of warehousing.
By 1998 the airport needed further enlarging and work began to extend the terminal building in November of that year, at a cost of £60m. In April 1998, a further £6m was spent on developing the cargo village to provide new 50,000 sq m warehouse.
The plan for an airport rail link had been fought by footballers and families who had used St.James Park, known as the Racecourse
pitches. The plan was for the rail link to pass over the 22 playing fields. At one point campaigners claimed the carcasses of cattle and sheep buried under the park were infected with anthrax. The livestock were buried there on the site of the old racecourse prior to the First World War. They also mentioned the Paisley Improvement Act of 1877 which stated the ground was "for the use of the inhabitants of the burgh in all time thereafter". A plan to tunnel the line under the pitches was scrapped due to 'technical difficulties'. Eventually the Scottish Executive announced the rail link would be constructed and would cost about £60 million. A start date for construction has yet to be announced. The line will have trains running from the airport, through Paisley
to Glasgow Central.
Victims of the the town's 1832 cholera outbreak, which claimed nearly 450 lives, are also buried there. They are commemorated
by a stone plaque near the burial ground.
GLENBURN
Glenburn is a residential area 1.8miles/3.0km south of Paisley off the B775 Gleniffer Road.
Paisley’s boundaries were extended as a result of The Housing Act of 1946. Provisions were made for the addition to existing estates. Glenburn estate began in 1948.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Moredun Flood Control Scheme is one of the most innovative flood control schemes in the country, and involved the creation of a five million gallon water-holding facility at Moredun Playing Fields, off Stanely Road. The football pitches at Moredun hold the excess water from the Espedair Burn and protect nearby homes during a flood situation. The latest floods were in 1991 and 1999. The water can then be stored until the flooding subsides when it will then be slowly released back into the burn. Contractors spent months moving earth at the playing fields to create a 'bowl' effect which effectively makes the area a temporary reservoir.
HISTORY
A golf course was built was built some time after 1864 but gone by WW2. It was located east of today’s Braehead Road and north of Glenfield Road. The area was named after the Glen Burn.
Coal mining has been attempted in the Glenburn, but with no success, resulting in bankruptcy of the mining company.
Glen Villa, in Glenfield Road, was erected in 1888 during the heyday of Victorian wealth and opulence in Paisley when prosperous businessmen who managed their factories and mills in the town wanted prestigious homes in the countryside.
The villa doesn’t meet listing requirements, according to the local Council, despite being designed by distinguished architects and showing unique architectural styles. The villa currently lies in a ruinous state.
GLENIFFER BRAES
Gleniffer Braes [brae = a declivity, hillside, steep road, a knoll, a hill, the bank of a river, the upper part of a country] lookout and carpark is located 6km (3.7 miles) southwest of Paisley on the B775.
The Gleniffer Braes have been a favourite walking-place for centuries. There there are superb views and walks through the 1,300 acre woodland and moorland Gleniffer Braes Country Park. In the 1930's the park was known as Stanely Braemount Park.
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POINTS OF INTEREST
The Bonnie Wee Well
"The bonnie wee well on the breist o' the brae.." The Bonnie Wee Well, sitting next to the road up the braes, was erected to the memory of Paisley poets Hugh McDonald and Robert Tannahill. It is now a listed monument.Next to the well is the Kingdom House Christian Centre. Construction started in 1972 when the building was planned to be a hotel, but the plan fell through. Several other plans were proposed over the years, but Council permission for the building's eventual completion was granted in 1997 when a spiritual retreat plan was approved.
A new , three-mile track costing £203,000 has opened, linking Paisley with the historic Bonnie Wee Well on the top of the scenic Gleniffer Braes. It starts at Rannoch Woods, just off the Beith Road, and runs through the popular Bluebell Woods beauty spot once part of the Laird of Johnstone's magnificent Johnstone Castle estate. Crossing Auchenlodment Road, near Elderslie, the trail then spans the picturesque Brandy Burn before climbing steeply uphill through Bardrain Wood on to the majestic Gleniffer Braes which inspired Paisley poet Robert Tannahill 200 years ago. It terminates at the Bonnie Wee Well.
Ramblers who follow the trail can expect to see a wide range of wildlife, including foxes, squirrels, deer, hares and buzzards. The 5-year project was part of an Urban Fringe Project to provide town-dwellers with more access to the countryside and minimise damage to farmland and livestock. The Project included the installation of ancillary nature trails, benches, viewpoints, fences and footbridges. New trees were planted in suitable areas adjoining the path.
HISTORY
There is a reference to Gleniffyr on a 1654 map of Renfrewshire. Prior to WW2 the area was known as Stanely Braemount Park.
The Peesweep Inn was a small tavern on Gleniffer Braes near where today’s Lapwing Lodge scout hall is located. It was built in the early 19th century , and catered to Paisley buddies walking from the town on Sunday afternoons. Also served were weavers on their way to Ayrshire to sell their wares. The fine reputation was known throughout the West of Scotland, and became a popular destination for writers and artists from Glasgow. The Inn was named after the black and white moorland bird called the peesweep, or lapwing, which were once common on the braes. In the late 19th century the liquor licence was withdrawn and by 1925 business had dropped so bad, the inn was converted into a private house. Nearby, in 1910, a sanitorium was built ( today’s Lapwing Lodge). It was used to provide accommodation for patients recovering from tuberculosis, and was financed and run by threadmaker J & P Coats. In 1934 the building and grounds were handed to the former Renfrew County Council Hospital Board, and continued to operate the hospital until 1948 when the National Health Service was founded. It‘s use as a sanitorium ended in 1955. It is now used as a Scouting Lodge.
At the base of the braes is the Stanely Reservoir, which was constructed between 1837 and 1881. Surrounded by the water is Stanely Castle which is of an unknown date. The rectangular tower is about 40 feet in height and was originally designed to afford protection to the principal entrance. Round the top there is a cornice, the corbels of which project considerably, and seem at one period to have been surmounted by a series of small turrets. These, with the entire roof, was gone by the mid 1800's. Every crevice and seam of the weather-beaten castle is overrun with vegetation - lichens and mosses and ferns.
During WW2 there was a dummy aerodrome on top of the Braes. It was illuminated at night to trick enemy aircraft into thinking this was a real airport, therefore having this bombed instead of a built-up area. There was also a red light on the Gleniffer Braes hillside, near the Foxbar Rifle Range, to warn country-dwellers of the approach of enemy planes.
Paisley poet Robert Tannahill would visit the area on weekday evenings or on the Sabbath. He wrote:
Keen blaws the wind o'er the Braes o' Gleniffer
The auld castle's turrets are cover'd wi' snaw
How chang'd frae the time when I met wi' my lover
Amang the broom bushes by Stanley green shaw...
The poet Scadlock wrote, in 1804:
"If e'er in musing mood you stray
Alang the classic banks of the Tay
Think on our walks by Stanley tower
And steep Gleniffer brae"
GOCKSTON
Gockston is a residential and industrial area 1 mile/1.6km north of Paisley off the Inchinnan Road.
Gockston is a pre-fabricated estate, built on weak, peat ground. The area north of Paisley is part of the former raised beach of Clydeside. The weak land prevented the development north of this point until construction of Glasgow Airport in the 1960’s.
POINTS OF INTEREST
St. James park is located off Greenock Road, and was once Paisley's racecourse. One of the earliest air races, the ‘Circuit of Britain’ in 1911 used the site as one of it’s stopping stages.
On the 13th February 1832 the first case of cholera, in New Sneddon Street, was recorded ona hawker. 18 people died in this area in the first four days. A total of 446 eventually died. A common graveyard had to be opened on the north east edge of the town off Greenock Road to accommodate the victims.
HISTORY
In 1864 there was a Gockston farm, loctated at today’s Mosslands Road. An 1832 map refers to a farm called Gonkstane.
Merksworth High School serving since 1973 was closed in 2002.
St James’ Park certainly catered for a diversity of interests during the races with its shooting-saloons, boxing-booths, merry-go-rounds and “potatoes and herring served to the mob”! Disapprovingly, the Express also recorded after the opening programme, that a number of bookmakers had mysteriously disappeared when Rhoderick Dhu won the Paisley Plate. One special “invasion danger” – as the Paisley Daily Express put it – was from the “thousands of Glasgow roughs” who flocked to the town for the Paisley Races – an event they described as tending to be “a gathering of the vicious and criminal public of the West of Scotland”. But a little of the enthusiasm of the occasion crept into the report next day, with its account of lively scenes, an improved course and a larger crowd than usual. The estimate was that 50,000 people attended the two-day meeting.
When Glasgow Airport and the M8 were constructed, Greenock Road was truncated at the end of the St. James playing fields. Another remaining part of Greenock Road can be found at Glasgow Airport, and is today called St. Andrews Crescent. Under the M8 lies the location of Moss Toll.
HAWKHEAD
Hawkhead is located 2km (1.2 miles) east of Paisley and south of Glasgow Road. The area south of the railway line is dominated by industry, such as the Ciba Chemicals plant, as well as a number of health and educational establishements. The huge Hawkhead Cemetery is found here, as well as some pockets of residential useage. The area north of the railway line (northern end of Hawkhead Road) has some fine Victorian villas.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Hawkhead Cemetery opened on the 13th April 1891, and covers 23 acres of ground. There is a memorial to the 70 children who were crushed to death at Paisley's Glen Cinema in December 1929. There is also a memorial to the 92 people wo died on the night of 7th May 1941, when a parachute mine hit a First Aid post in Paisley. Many of the dead were buried in a mass grave at the cemetery."To the memory of the civilians and personnel of Paisley First Air Post No. 5 (west) who died in the course of their duty May 1941."
HISTORY
There is evidence that coal was mined in the Hawkhead area in medieaval times, which was used by Paisley Abbey.
The Ross family, who were appointed Hereditary Constables of Renfrew Castle in the 1400's held the lands of Hawkhead as their main seat, and King's Inch in Renfrew as one of their lesser seats.
Reference to Hawkhead on maps dates back to at least 1596, when it was referred to as 'Halkhead'.
The area of Hawkhead belonged, in the middle of the 15th century, to the doughty Sir John Ross. Hawkhead House, originally a large, ancient tower, underwent enlargement in the time of Charles I to take the form of a triangle. It was visited by the Duke of York in 1681 (who later became James VII). Repaired and improved in 1782, the gardens were originally formed in the Dutch style and the grounds included a finely wooded park. Today, the area is occupied by Hawkhead Hospital, the estate off Ben Nevis Road and the Bull Wood. Hawkhead Hospital was once an infectious diseases hospital.
Hawkhead Bridge, where Hawkhead Road crosses the White Cart, was known as Hawkheadmill Bridge, as recently as the late 1800's, after the Hawkhead Corn & Flour Mills at the south end of today’s 23-acre Hawkhead Cemetery. It was built around 1750, but reconstructed and widened from 12' to 60' in 1932.
Notes on the Paisley Canal railway line
1st July 1885 Paisley Canal line opened by the Glasgow and South Western Railway on the route of the Glasgow and Ardrossan Canal. The canal only reached as far as Johnstone due to lack of funds. The planned canal route was later built as a railway from Johnstone to Ardrossan.
23rd January 1984 Goods services to Paisley Canal ended .
10th January 1983 Paisley Canal and Kilmacolm services ended .
10th November 1984 Line from Hawkhead through Paisley Canal to Elderslie closed completely .
28th July 1990 Paisley Canal route (and Hawkhead Station) reopened.
The Hawkhead Oil Depot, off Hawkhead Road, has been used as a depot for Glasgow Airport, and is currently owned by Shell.
HILLINGTON
Hillington Industrial Estate is located at the eastern extremity of Renfrewshire. It is 4.5km (2.8 miles) east of Paisley, accessible from the A736 or M8 Motorway.
The estate was opened by HRH The Queen Mother on 3rd May 1938 and was the first industrial estate created in Scotland. It is still one of the largest. Most jobs are in the light industrial sector.
The estate is divided into two by the Renfrewshire-Glasgow council boundary. It is services by two railway stations, Hillington East (located across the boundary in Glasgow) and Hillington West (in Renfrewshire).
POINTS OF INTEREST
HISTORY
There is a reference to Hillingtoun on a 1640 map of Renfrewshire.
In the 1800’s there was a North Hillington farm (near today’s eastern end of Queen Elizabeth Avenue). South Hillington farm existed at today’s Kelhead Avenue and Kelhead Place, Penilee.
Hillington Indistrial Estate is served by two railway stations. The first station opened on 10th March 1934 and was called Hillington. When a second station opened on 1st April 1940, Hillington was renamed Hillington East, and the new station was to known as Hillington West.
The world famous maker of top quality aero engines Rolls Royce was based at Hillington prior to it’s move to Inchinnan. The factory was built to manufacture the famous Merlin engine for Spitfires and Hurricanes during World War Two. The company said it wanted to move into a brand new premises as the WWII vintage factory was just getting too old. The Scottish Executive gave Rolls Royce £15 million to temp them to stay in Scotland, as they had allegedly been looking at the Czech Republic as an option.
HOUSTON
Houston is a large village located 6 miles (9.6 km) north-west of Paisley. Houston village, some of the small modern housing schemes and two areas of open space were designated a Conservation Area in 1968, The conservation controls were strengthened in 1987 when it became necessary to have planning permission to carry out works such as the replacement of windows and doors. Houston has grown considerably over the years, but the old village has remained at its heart. Many housing developments have sprung up around the village making it an extremely popular choice for families and commuters looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. The ease of access to surrounding towns and cities and the excellent schools make this one of the most popular villages in Renfrewshire.
The name derived from 'Hugh's town', from Hugh of Padvinan, who owned the land until sometime between 1740 and 1782. The land was divided up five ways by sale or inheritance.
The old village comprising only a few streets has grown considerable over the years through the addition of a number of modern estates but the collection of traditional properties at its heart remain among the most sought after.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Houston Inn was built around 1784 and is one of the oldest buildings in the village. Another famous drinking spot in the village is the Fox and Hounds. This listed building dates even earlier -to 1780. It was bought over in 1978 and converted into a bar and restaurant. The Fox and Hounds has become famous for the ale brewed on-site in the micro brewery and customers can watch the process from the bar. The brewery has paid homage to the area's past with ales named Kilellen, Barochan (named after the Barochan Cross which was erected on the hills of Houston but later relocated to Paisley Abbey) and St Peter's Well {named after the healing well).
The Parish church was built 1874-5 and is an Early Gothic design. It can accommodate 600 people and has a tower 70 feet high. In 1876 seven stained-glass windows were added.
Houston was originally known as Kilpeter meaning 'Chapel of Peter'. The chapel has long gone but St Peter's Well, just north of the village, still exists. A stone canopy was built over the well in the 19th Century in a bid to ensure the well was protected from the weather. On a hill farther north originally stood the 11 ft high Celtic Barochan Cross. The cross was carved by the Knights Templar who settled in the area. It was moved to Paisley Abbey in 1981 by Historic Scotland for protection from the elements. Recently there has been a moverment to have it returned to Houston.
Barochan House (17th century and 1896) is a notable building.
The Mercat Cross was restored in 1713 and can be found in the village. The location of a Mercat Cross [mercat=market] indicated a proclamation centre, or where criminals were punished.
HISTORY
There was once a number of Roman camps in the area, at Houston, Barochan Hill and Whitemoss Farm at Bishopton.
The village was noted around 1200 as Villa Hugonis.
Originally a cluster of houses around the castle of Hugo de Kilpeter, the population was still only 300 in 1760. In 1781 the castle was partly demolished and the stone from it was used in the building of a New Town of 35 houses. The tower of the castle was so strong that it had to be blown up with gun powder. The new village was originally planned to have 35 houses based on a regular pattern with North and South Street running parallel on either side of the Houston Burn to ensure access to the burn for all householders. As a result of the Houston Bleachfield opening in the area, the population increased to over 2,500 in 1831. The population began to drop by the end of the 19th century, and as the new railway missed the town, Houston was not subjected to the same development as seen in other Renfrewshire villages. The bleachfield had closed by 1905 and the village reverted back to it’s agricultural origins.
The Mercat Cross has a sundial dating from 1713 when the cross was restored, and a shaft which may be 14th century. It is thought the cross was erected by the knights of Houston.
St. Peter's Fair was held every July in mediaeval times in Houston. It provided the men and women of the parish an opportunity to sell and buy merchandise.
At the South Mound (shown on today’s Ordnance Survey maps as ‘cairn’ next to the High School) a stone coffin containing human bones was once found here [prior to 1865].
Houston House, which stood on the land, was largely dismantled in 1780-81 to provide building material for the new village of 35 houses which were built on a regular street pattern. The remaining part of Houston House was built on the site of the former Castle in around 1872 with what was left of the castle making up a wing of the new house. The house remains a magnificent building today and has been renovated recently into flats.
During the 18th and 19th centuries a number of limestone quarries existed in the area. Limestone was quarried then separated from its ore by being burned with coal in kilns. The lime ashes were then spread on fields to make the land fertile for growing crops. The increasing populations of towns like Paisley and Johnstone required nutritious field-grown food like cereals, potatoes, beans and turnips. It was at the Great Lime Work of Craigends where the wealthy Cuninghame family made their profits from a large quarry.
In the late 17th century weaving was the main industry in the area. Large quantities of cotton, muslin, lawn and silk gauze were produced in the village. The Crosslee Mill was established in 1793 as a cotton spinning mill and was the biggest mill on the River Gryffe. This tradition continued into the 19th century and Houston became known world wide for its quality embroidery. Initially the area gained a reputation for traditional white-work embroidery, known as flowering, but later this was developed and they began producing coloured work based on the more modern French designs. The embroidery work was so highly regarded that the velvet seats in the House of Lords were made in Houston. In 1851 when Queen Victoria officially opened the Great Exhibition she spoke in front of a richly embroidered curtain made in Houston, which was another example of the type of craftsmanship that emerged from the area. The introduction of machine embroidery took its toll on the specialist Houston industry and by the beginning of the 20th century the industry had all but come to an end.
The soil of the local area is partly clay and partly loam. Originally hundreds of acres of moss could be found east of Houston. Most have now been reclaimed and have been converted into farmland, such as Fulwood Moss in 1879-80. The two largest of the existing mosses are Barochan Moss, northeast of the village and Linwood moss, east of Crosslee.
On the 1st June 1889 the Caledonian Railway line opened to Gourock. Houston station was opened at today’s B790 at Georgetown. On 10th January 1983 services on the Kilmacolm line ended . There was a Houston Station located next to today’s B789 adjacent to Merchiston Hospital.
John Harper was born at Woodside Cottage, Houston on 29th May 1872. He was a local preacher and worked at AF Stoddard’s carpet factory in Elderslie, the Smith and McLaurin paper-mill at Milliken Park and Sir Stephen Bine Renshaw’s garden at Barochan House, near Houston. He was one of the 1,522 victims of the sinking of the RMS Titanic of the Newfoundland coast on 14th April 1912.
Until the 18th century Kilellan was a separate parish from Houston with its own church Whilst there was no village here as such there was a mill and a smithy. Both were vitally important to the small farms which were sited at Barochan a few miles east of Kilellan. The name Kilellan means 'the chapel of Fillan'. St Fillan was probably an Irish monk who came to the area in the early years of Christianity in Scotland (around 740). The old manse at Kilellan is said to be the oldest inhabited house in Renfrewshire. The building has been carefully restored over the years and parts of it date back to the 17th century.
The Kilallan Bell originally hung in the 12th century Kilallan Church., and was used to summon the faithful to prayer in the little pre-Reformation chapel between what is now Houston and Kilmacolm. Nearby was St Fillan’s holy well, which was often visited by sick people from the local area. Pieces of cloth were hung on nearby bushes as a sign of prayer and thanksgiving. In 1690 the minister of Kilellan had the well filled with stones in a bid to stop locals practising what he considered was nothing short of paganism. In the same field there was also a large boulder with two hollows in it which was known as St Fillan's Seal. Legend has it that St Fillan preached at the site where he baptised babies, using the bigger hollow as his seat and the smaller as a font. Reference to St Fillan was removed from the bell after the 1560 Reformation to prevent it’s destruction by Reformers determined to remove all references to saints in churches.
The bell was originally cast in the 12th or 13th centuries, but was recast in 1618 and engraved with the name of its architect, Charles Hogg. The parishes of Houston and Kllellan were joined in 1760 and when the churches at Kilallan and nearby Houston united in 1771, the Kilellan Church fell into ruin and the bell was acquired by land-owner William Fleming of nearby Barochan House.
The bell was silenced during the Second World War as part of the military effort. The law decreed bells would only be rung in the event of an enemy invasion or to signal a cease-fire. It was bequeathed to the Henderson family, who owned a prestigious jewellery business in Paisley, and succeeded the Flemings at Barochan House.
When the Henderson’s sold Barochan in 1998, the historic bell was donated to Houston and Killellan Church. Today, it is safely ensconced in an old organ loft at the kirk.
Craigends: The Cuninghame family of Craigends was a prominent family in the area for many years. Descendants of the ancient family of Cuninghame of Kilmaurs in Ayrshire William Cuninghame, the first Laird of Craigends was granted the lands of Craigends on 4th February 1479. The first mansion house was built at around this time by William and remained there for over four centuries.
The 1Oth Laird, William Cuninghame, extended the estate by building a large courtyard around 1760 with a barn and stables, as well as office houses. In 1762 an arched bridge was built over the River Locher enclosing much of the land.
William's son, Alexander, took over the estate in 1765 and added an orchard and garden of around three acres adjacent to the courtyard. At one stage tobacco was one of the crops planted in the estate, although little is known of how the experiment went.
The house was demolished during the time of Alexander Cuninghame, the 16th Laird and a new mansion house was designed by David Bryce and built in 1857. It was situated nearer to the river Gryffe than the previous house The new house is believed to have influenced architecture by setting the example of having a central hall forming the main lounge and sitting room of the house.
The last occupent of Craigends House, Alison Cuninghame, widow of John Charles Cuninghame, the 17th and final Laird of Craigends, died in 1958. Three years later the contents of the house were sold by auction and the property lay vacant for many years. Despite efforts to safeguard the house it was finally demolished in 1971. The land, including the gardens, was used for a private housing scheme. The 200 year old stone arch from the property still exists, and can be found in nearby Cuninghame Gardens.
By 1950 Houston’s population had dropped to 600, hardly even enough to support its three pubs. However a growing problem at the time was the invasion of drinkers from Glasgow and Paisley who travelled in on weekend evenings and then caused havoc on the late buses home. In the fifties there were also plans to build a New Town which would take the overspill from Greenock, Port Glasgow and Renfrew and had these succeded the target population would have been 40,000. But Houston remained a sleepy rural community and even today retains an pack of foxhounds.
Population: (1841) 623, (1861) 858, (1871) 518, (1881) 553.
HOWWOOD
Howwood (formerly also known as Hollow-Wood) is a small village located 11km (6.8 miles) west of Paisley just off the A737.
The village comprises of the old village, post-war private housing, and some council-built flats and houses.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Howwood Inn was built about 1770, and is one of a number of buildings dating to this time, located on and near George Street.
A wonderful view is available from the hill on the north side of the Black Cart River, on the Howwood-Lochwinnoch Road. Views extend from Paisley to Lochwinnoch and beyond. The curious building on the summit is referred to as a temple on modern ordnance survey maps, and has been for over 150 years. The owner of the property, however, believes it is an ornate shelter, used by hunters in previous centuries. This is supported by the 1864 Ordnance survey map, which names the hill and surrounding lands as 'Deer Park'.
HISTORY
For many years the Semples were the main family living in the village. They lived in Elliston Castle, the one-wall ruins of the tower house still stand. Around 1500 the family moved to Castle Semple in Lochwinnoch.
The village was spelled Howood according to a 1864 map of the area.
Bleaching and finishing of cotton was an important industry during the 18th century. The Bowfield bleaching works were open until the 1960's. The plant was taken over by a leisure company, and is now the site of the Bowfield Country Club.
There are some remnants of the Midtownfield Bleachworks (1835-40) to the south. There were limeworks and limekilns east of the village, Midtown Bleachworks and quarries, and quarries to the south. A church was repaired in 1874 and adorned with a memorial window. A vast hill fort can be found on Walls Hill. It has been suggested that this was a Celtic 'oppidium' and possibly the capital of the Damnonii in Roman times.
Next to the narrow country road between Howwood and Lochwinnoch can be found the Clochoderick Stone, which is made up of volcanic rock different to the rock on which it sits. It is similiar to bedrock found in the hills a few miles north and west, and was deposited here during the last ice age around 18,000 years ago. Legend asserts it's use by the Iron Age druids as a site for dispensation of justice on this rocking stone. Depending on how the stone moved, with the accused in place, innocent or guilty was decreed. It is thought they also used the site to celebrate dates on the pagan calendar like solstices and equinoxes. Legend also states the stone marks the burial place of Rydderick Hael, monarch of the Kingdom of Strathclyde.
Height 3.6m (12'), Breadth 5.1m (17'),Length 6.7m (22')
The village had a railway station until 1955. A new station was opened in March 2001.
pop. 312 (1871), Pop. 333 (1881), Pop. 1035 (1991).
HUNTERHILL
Hunterhill is a residential area 1 mile/1.6km southeast of Paisley on the A726 Barrhead Road. It is thought the area was named after the High Steward's chief huntsman who had his residence here.
Paisley’s boundaries were extended as a result of The Housing Act of 1946 and as a result provisions were made for the addition to existing housing estates. As a result, the area is almost entirely residential, without any of the industrial sites evident in other areas of Paisley.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Jenny's Well Local Nature Reserve is situated on the south bank of the White Cart River, sandwiched between the housing estate of Hunterhill and the industrial complex of Ciba Speciality Chemicals. In the 19th century, much of the area was quarried for limestone and whitestone. The old domestic laundry, at one time also used for the textile trades, was established for well over a century and became disused around about the 1950s. After the laundry closed, a haulage contractor used the buildings as a garage and lived in the house with his large family and several dogs.
The dam was filled in to make a football pitch and the site of Jenny's well can be found as a pile of rocks on the hillside above. The environmental improvements were originally started in response to the legacy left by 15 years of landfill operations and subsequent disuse of the area during the 1960's and 1970's. Other parts of the site were managed as allotments in the 1950's and 1960's. At this time there was still a railway line running through the middle of the site. At the northern end of the site is the viaduct carrying the Paisley Canal railway line over the White Cart River. This was originally built as an aqueduct for the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal in 1806. The canal was filled in and converted to carry a new railway in 1885. It is thought to be the oldest bridge in the world which still actively carries a railway. The reserve is the home of dozens of bird species and countless plant types. There is an area of bogland, where sedges, rushes and wild orchids grow. The reserve is accessible from the cycle track in the south, off Jenny's Well Road to the east, and for pedestrians, access points off Cartha Crescent, Whinhill Road and Todholm Road to the west.
HISTORY
There are references to Hunterhill on maps dating back to at least 1596 and remained mainly rural until after World War 2.
The pub on the corner of Lochfield Road and Barrhead Road was the site of Todholm Cottage [1864 map].
INCHINNAN
Inchinnan [inch=an island, low-lying land near a river or stream] and [anan = the patron saint] is located 6km (3.7 miles) north of Paisey on the A8. The area is residential, apart from an Arriva Bus Depot on Greenock Road.Forlerly known as Inchienun, Inchenane and Inchinan, the village was named after Inan, a confessor at Irvine in the 9th century. He was also patron saint of Beith. The area was primarily rural until after the second world war.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Sir William Beardmore set up a site to establish a British airship industry. Britain’s one reasonably successful airship, the R34, was built there in a great hangar which later formed The India Rubber Factory. The structure is now a Grade A listed building. While under the control of Dunlop, the company employed 2,500 employees at this site.
The Bascule swing-bridge over the River Cart was officially opened on 28th March 1923, replacing an earlier swing bridge. See Kirklandneuk for details of the Inchinnan Bascule Bridge.
The first recorded mention of Park Estate dates from 1496. Of the 550 acres at the start of the 20th century, the most historic part is home to today’s Riverpark private housing scheme, which began in May 1996. park House stood here for about 164 years. It was built about 1782 and demolished in 1945-46. There were quarries in the late 1700’s, and produced freestone of superior quality, and the 1809-1812 bridges across the Black and White Carts at Inchinnan were built of Park Estate stone. The quarries continued to produce well into the 19th century.
The Church of Scotland (Park Hall) building, on Luckingsford Road, is a C-listed building. It was constructed in 1849 of sandstone. In recent years been used as a community venue and for storage, however, in 2001 there was interest in it's demolition, with the construction of villas or flats in it's place.
Birds: A reader of Paisley's 'Gazette' newspaper recently reported the following birds in the area - long-tailed tits, siskins, red poll, goldcrest, sparrows, dunnocks, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, chaffinches, thrushes, magpies, rooks, collar doves and woodpigeons. Swans are common along the Gryffe River, and the area was noted for it's wildfowling in the 1800's.
HISTORY
Next to Inchinnan Bridge, which crosses the Black Cart River, was Old Parich Church which measured 50 feet by 18 feet, with very thick walls. It was built about 1100, and was pulled down in 1823, when the floor was found to be literally paved with skulls. The site was once the property of the Knights Templar.
The Knights Templar were a fraternity founded in 1118 by Hugo de Payens of Burgandy and eight other 'poor knights of Christ' to protect pilgrims on their way to the holy city of Jerusalem. The secular and ecclesiastical authorities saw the knights as blasphemous heretics, and launched a bloody campain against them on Friday 13th October 1307.
There are references to Inchinnan on maps dating back to at least 1596.
A new church, with its heavy square tower which was built by Lord Blythswood on the same site. It was opened in 1828 and demolished in 1904, when a third church was built on the site. This last church was demolished in the 1960's when the Ministry of Aviation deemed the location of the church, directly under the flightpath of the recently opened Glasgow Airport, as unsafe. In the 1970's the sculptured stones which covered the resting places of the Knights, were moved to their current location, at the new Inchinnan Church.
Nothing remains of 'The Palace of Inchinnan' which was altered and rebuilt about 1506 by Matthew, Lord Darnley, second Earl of Lennox. There were considerable remains of the building in 1710, but these had disappeared by the end of the century. The site is close to Flures Drive, Inchinnan.
The estate of North Barr was purchased originally in 1670 by Donald McGilchrist who claimed descent from the Lord of Tarbart of Robert the Bruce's time.
Basalt was excavated as early as 1760 for the construction of jetties, and there have been a number of sandstone and limestone quarries in the past.
JOHNSTONE
‘John’s settlement’. John (personal name); tun (Old English) ‘farm, settlement’....
Johnstone is a town located 5.5km (3.4 miles) west of Paisley just off the A737. The town was built to accommodate the mills of landowner George Houston in 1782. At one time it was the fastest growing town in Scotland with more than 20 mills in operation. Planned on a formal grid iron basis, there are two civic squares which have been extensively restored in recent years. In the post war years, like many towns in the area, Johnstone built new housing estates to accommodate the overspill from Glasgow. Today, there is a population of about 18,000 people, and is a lively centre with many good shops, bars and restaurants, as well as sports facilities and a modern swimming pool.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The 16th century tower building of Johnstone Castle is located near Tower Road. It was the home of the lairds of Johnstone and was visited in 1848 by composer Frederic Chopin who was the guest of the Houstoun family.The tower house is all that remains of Johnstone Castle which was substantially increased in 1771 and 1812. It is three stories high and has 210 square metres of floor space.
The castle was used as a military headquarters during World War 2. Following the death of George Ludovic Houstoun, the last laird of Johnstone in the 1930s, the picturesque castle was acquired by the former Johnstone Town Council who built the present Johnstone Castle housing scheme in its wooded land in 1956. The castle has lain empty since the 1950's, but recently was put on the market by the local council, in an attempt to have it's high restoration costs seen to by a private buyer.
This is a stone seat and canopy located on the Beith Road near the Bird in the Hand Hotel. It is thought to have been built in the late 19th century by George Ludovic Houstoun, the last Laird of Johnstone. He lived in nearby Johnstone Castle, and was responsible for the construction of many town landmarks, such as the Houston Square bandstand, Gordon Square and Cochrane Tower. The shelter is used by the local Johnstone Wheelers cycle club, who have used it as a starting point for their training runs since the club was founded in 1928.
HISTORY
The name goes back to the 12th century. A map by Blaue, based on a late 1500’s survey, shows a bridge over the River Cart at Johnstone. This was the first ever bridge over the river and was on the original Glasgow to Clyde Coast road.
The town started to expand in 1781, when a large cotton mill was built there. The industrial success of the town in the mid to late 19th century was not surprising. It had coal for the new steam engines, foundry work, and heating. It had plenty of water from the River Cart for textile production, dyeing , bleaching and finishing, for engineering cooling purposes, and drinking water for the growing population. It did, however, become a victim of it’s commercial success resulting in inadequate housing and facilities .
The crow-stepped, quadrangular Cochrane Tower is close to the site of the Benston coal-pit disaster (see below). A mile away is the site of the Battle of Muirdykes, which took place on the 18th June 1685. The family of Sir John Cochrane, the Covenanters' leader, lived at Cochrane Castle on the site of Cochrane tower.Sir John and his army were looking for refuge in the medieval stronghold when they were intercepted and forced to fight against the dragoons within sight of their destination. The Cochranes were related to the Earls of Dundonald in Ayrshire who owned the historic Renfrewshire castle, which bears their name. The powerful Earls were involved in the fierce family feuds and political intrigues which ravaged Scotland for hundreds of years.The original Cochrane Castle was demolished during the late 18th century. In 1896, George Ludovic Houstoun, the last laird of Johnstone, erected Cochrane Tower where it once stood. The site is now in a private garden.
Johnstone was home of globally-renowned machine tool factories such as John Lang, Alban, Loudon's, Clifton and Baird, Craig and Donald, Thomas Shanks, Davie and Horne, and Ferguson's, as well as the flax-spinning mills of Finlayson and Bousfield and William Paton's thread-manufacturing works. Stewart's Mill was engulfed by flames in 1828.
Famous Johnstone people include poet Alexander McLachlan, who was born at the Brig in 1818 and who emigrated to North America where he was revered as the Robert Burns of Canada. John Fraser, the 19th century Radical schoolmaster and political reformer, lived at nearby Newfield House and used revolutionary teaching methods to educate young children at his George Street school. Sir William Arrol worked as a boy at the Johnstone mills before becoming the architect of the Forth Road Bridge and the Tower Bridge in London.
George Houston, the founder and Laird of Johnstone, had by the late 18th century earned for himself a glowing reputation throughout Scotland as an expert on textile and mining matters. George, who lived at Johnstone Castle, was a man of vision who owned cotton-mills in Clark Street, lime-works at Floors Street, coal-mines at Auchenlodment, Quarrelton and the Benston, and sandstone quarries at Craigenfe och at the edge of his vast estate on the south side of the town. A leading light in the financing of Thomas Telford's famous canal which ran from Glasgow to Paisley and Johnstone, his knowledge of industrial processes was so great his testimonies as an expert witness were mich in demand by lawyers in mining controversies which went to court. In 1766, about 30 years before the introduction of high-pressure steam engines at Ironbrldge Gorge, George Houstoun brought to Johnstone the legendary Greenock-born engineer and inventor James Watt, to test an air pump which would extract dangerous combustible gases from hiS Quarrelton coal mine at the junction of Beith Road and Rannoch Road. A historic account book contains an entry in Mr Houstoun's own hand-writing confirming the installation of James Watt's new pumping-engine. But, before the system could be developed further at the Quarrelton colliery, James Watt left for England to team up with Matthew Boulton at the Soho Works, near Birmingham, where he patented his new invention. The air-pump first used at Johnstone later fulfilled an important role at Ironbridge Gorge and other hives of burgeoning industry all over the world.
Our thanks to the Paisley Daily Express for the above text.
Mining disasters: On Tuesday 25th October 1860 the north side of the Benstone Mine was flooded with water from the old workings in the area. Some 50 workers were in the pit at the time. The underground mine was flooded and five miners drowned. Their bodies were never recovered. Most miners were having breakfast at the time otherwise the death toll would have been higher. On 20th September 1873, an accident occurred at the Merry and Cuninghame's New Moss Pit between Johnstone and Linwood. Blasting powder caught alight, causing an explosion which killed two miners. Ironmasters Merry and Cuninghame went into liquidation in the 1930s but their New Moss Pit, near what is now the Barochan Interchange, closed years earlier.
Johnstone once was two railway stations; one at today’s location and another east of Barrochan Road next to today’s A737 (cycle track).The Glasgow & SouthWestern Railway line, which ran from Glasgow, through Johnstone, to Ayr was built in 1840.
The well-known landmark in Ludovic Square, with its granite base, pillars and canopy, was erected in 1886 at the request of an anonymous donor. After the fountain was handed over to the town by the donor's agent, William Borland of Glasgow, Provost John Love turned on the water and drank to its success. Following the ceremony, there was a cake and wine banquet for invited guests in the nearby Town Hall. One of the red granite slabs is engraved with the inscription: “To the people of Johnstone, the gift of Tempus Actium“.
The historic Paton’s Mill is an A-listed building. The six-storey mill, with its white facade, is currently empty, but there have been suggestions on it being converted into a industrial museum or 79 flats. The Old Mill section of the huge factory dates back to 1782 and is thought to be the first machine factory in the world, and it’s original lathe is still in place. The mill in High Street was opened originally as a cotton-spinning factory but was later used for lace manufacture.
Built by the Corse and Burns Company, it predates by four years the New Lanark cotton-mill which was founded by David Dale, the Stewarton-born industrialist who was apprenticed to a weaver in Paisley. Paton's took over the mill in 1896 when their first factory in Clark Street was destroyed by fire.
In 1820 there were uprisings in Johnstone and Paisley. Crowds were protesting about the poor working conditions and bad housing. Paisley was under martial law at that time. On the 3rd April 1820 a number of Radicals, as the protesters were called, decided to raid farms and cottages on the Gleniffer Braes to aquire weapons for their cause. They visited houses at Lounsdale and Millarston where pistols and guns were obtained. After a small skirmish at Foxbar House, on the Elderslie outskirts, the military approached to break up the disorder.
St. Margaret’s Church: Because of their proximity to Ireland, west of Scotland towns, with their textile mills, engineering factories, coal and ironstone mines, and road and railway construction projects, became home to Irish potato blight fugitives. To cater for the town’s Catholic population, a hayloft in a cotton mill in McDowall Street was converted into a place of worship, on 31st October 1852. St.Margaret’s church in Graham Street opened on 26th December 1875, and this remained the only Johnstone parish until 1948.
KILBARCHAN
The name is probably from ‘the place of St Berchan’s church’. Cill (Scottish Gaelic) ‘church’; Berchan (personal name) of a 7th century Irish saint. Found in this form 1246 and Timothy Pont’s map of about 1600 makes reference to ’Kilbachan’. Saint Barchan was, according to MacKenzie, a Scoto-Irish saint who lived between 550 and 650. He pursued his clerical calling both in Ireland and in Scotland, at Clonsast, King’s County and at Kilbarchan. In his old age, being stricken with blindness, he received as a compensation from heaven, the gift of prophecy. On his death his body was borne to Inishmore, Galway Bay, where he was buried beside three other saints in the church which was thereafter known as the Church of the Four Illustrious or the Church of the Four Comely Saints.
Kilbarchan is located approximately half way between Johnstone and Bridge of Weir, 2.5 kilometres (2 miles) from Johnstone town centre. It is an attractive village regarded as an Outstanding Conservation Area by Historic Scotland. Although rather spoiled in part by property demolitions occasioned by the demands of roads engineers, it nevertheless retains an old world charm. Today many of the original terraced houses survive, together with old names such as Shuttle Street and Ewing Street, although many of the outlying mansions were demolished as needs changed. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries trams and trains introduced links to Glasgow. Today a dual carriageway bypass speeds traffic into Paisley and Glasgow and Kilbarchan is a dormitory and tourist town with a population of about 4000. The town centre is
POINTS OF INTEREST
Weaver's Cottage is perhaps Kilbarchan's best-known historical building. It is located at the Cross, and has been restored and managed by the National Trust for Scotland. The cottage has interesting lintel inscriptions and displayed inside are a two-century-old working loom and various weavers' tools and belongings.
The Kilbarchan Church steeple, built in 1755 by James Milliken, dominates the village skyline. When built, the building acted as a combined school and meal market. The door on the west side was also the entrance to the schoolroom. This entrance was closed when the school was enlarged in 1782 and another door made. It has been suggested the pupils could not resist the temptation of pulling the bell rope which hung down the side of the staircase. The bell was rung by the church at 6am, and 6pm and again at 10pm. The church was originally built with only one clock face - facing Kilbarchan cross. The other three faces were put in 27 years later. It has a square shaped spire about 75 feet high. On the building is a niche containing a bronze statue of Robert 'Habbie' Simpson (1550-1620), a famous local piper. This statue was added in 1822. The nickname 'habbie' derives from the old nickname of a native of Kilbarchan. A ballustrade was also placed above the clocks having 5 balusters in each square, for the safety of people wishing to walk around the belfry and enjoy the view of the village, although today it is not open to the public. The steeple building plays an important part in the village's annual Lilas Day celebrations, held in early June.
HISTORY
There are references to Kilbarchan on maps dating back to at least 1596.
Formerly known as Kylberhan or Kilberchan, the village was a religious centre named after the 7th century saint. St. Barchan spent part of his life in a cell on the site of the present Kilbarchan West Parish Church (built 1901). The site was originally the Chapel of St. Katrine, founded about 1483. Next to the church is the Old Parich Church (see photo below), which dates from 1724. It is now used as a church hall. In the grounds is a flat sandstone gravestone (shown with an arrow on the above picture). This is thought to be the resting place of Hobbie Simpson. There is a carving on the stone of a butcher's cleaver - Habble was a butcher to trade - and the initials H.S. and I.C.
Kilbarchan has seen mixed fortunes over the centuries. Before 1560 the monks of Paisley Abbey owned much of the parish and agriculture was the main industry. At the time of the 1695 Poll Tax, agriculture still dominated, but other trades of masonry, carpentry, weaving, tailors and smithies were apparent. In 1695 there were 30 or 40 weavers but the 18th century brought rapid expansion due to the introduction of improved methods of weaving and bleaching. John Barbour built a factory, probably at Stack Yard, in 1739 making thick linen, and this was followed by a bleaching factory using water from the burn. There was also a candle factory and John Houston owned a brewery in 1782. In 1742 Allan Speirs started manufacturing higher class goods (lawns, cambrics etc) mainly for the Dublin market, since transport by sea was easier than by land. In 1782 Alexander Speir, John and Humphrey Barbour in company, John How, John Barbour Jr., and John Houston employed 360 weaving looms. Muslin and gingham were the early home-made products, then the hand looms were used for tartans.
Linen weaving began in 1739 by John Barbour of Forehouse, and others, such as Spiers, How and Houston. In 1774 there were 180 hand looms in the village, rising to 383 in 1791, and increasing to about 800 by 1836. A preserved example of a weavers cottage, owned by the National Trust for Scotland, is at Kilbarchan Cross, and is open for viewing. The advent of the power-loom in the 1880's saw the prosperity of the village decline dramatically.
The triangle of Johnstone, Bridge of Weir and Houston has supported widespread commercial quarrying of sandstone for building, and whinstone for roadmaking. The parish had 7 coal mines, and lime and freestone resources. In 1713 Thomas Kennedy of Pennel was mining coal and lime, William Cunninghame [1742-65] mined coal, with water being removed by a water engine, and in 1755 there were coal pits in the lands of Kaimhill. James Milliken used waste from his coal pits at Barrhill to improve his roads. Around 1794 Kilbarchan coal was only used for burning lime, with household coal coming from Paisley. Today Barr Hill Quarry is still worked, with the stone used for road construction and maintenance.
James Milliken did a great amount of good to the village of Kilbarchan and made several of the neighbouring roads, particularly those between Johnstone and Kilbarchan on both sides of the estate. He built, in 1761, the two-arch bridge over the Cart, near to where the railway station now stands, and contributed largely to the building of the old coach road (today's Park View and Branscroft) and the rebuilding of the bridge on the main road between Johnstone and Kilbarchan. He di
