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A Brief History of Castlemilk Castlemilk Group Practice provides general
medical services to patients in Castlemilk and surrounding areas. Castlemilk as
it is known today is one of the largest housing estates in Scotland. It has a
long history and has undergone many changes, which are still on going. It is in
the south east of Glasgow, near to Rutherglen and Carmunnock. There is no castle in Castlemilk now, though many people still remember Castlemilk
House, a stately old mansion built around Cassilton Tower, which was
started in 1460 on the site of a 13th century castle. However it was pulled down by Glasgow Corporation in
1969 like so many other buildings
in Glasgow at this time.
Castlemilk House, about 1870. (From Virtual Mitchell Library) Archaeologists have discovered artefacts from early civilisations nearby - Bronze Age graves, an Iron Age dug-out boat and Celtic cairns in the area where Castlemilk now stands. Previously there was found evidence of a Pictish camp where the 13th green of Cathkin Braes Golf Club now is, though no evidence of these early inhabitants of the area is now apparent. The lands known as Cassilton of Carmunnock were bought by the Stuarts in 1460 and it is here they started construction of Cassilton Tower. The Stuarts brought the name Castlemilk with them. The family owned estates in Dumfriesshire, south of Lockerbie, named after their castle beside the River Mylk. (Their Castlemilk Estate also gave its name to Britain’s rarest breed of sheep, the Castlemilk Moorit!) When the family sold their lands in the south and moved their main residence to the area known as Cassilton in 1579, they changed its name to Castlemilk. Cassilton Tower’s main claim to fame was that Mary, Queen of Scots lodged here the night before the battle of Langside, in 1568. By the 17th and 18th centuries the increased activity in the area is reflected in the fact that there were 3 mills nearby and numerous quarries to provide material for house building. A report in 1796 described 1,500 acres of poor quality farm land, requiring a lot of improvement by the local landowners. Towards the late 18th century villagers from nearby Carmunnock were walking down the hillside here to bring the dirty linen from big houses in grimy, industrial Glasgow, to wash and dry in the clean water and air away from the city. The Stuarts still owned the land at the time of the First World War,
with tenant farmers maintaining much of it. During this war soldiers in their
training were encamped on Cathkin Braes, going on route marches through the
area. Before dying in 1938, the last
Stuart Laird of Castlemilk sold the land to Glasgow Corporation, which
planned a new housing development on the site. With the onset of the Second
World War these plans were put on hold, and Castlemilk House was used for
evacuees. After the war the building continued to be used as a children’s home
until closed in 1968. Castlemilk housing estate was developed from 1953 as one of four
developments on the outskirts of the city. Families who were displaced from inner
city slum clearances were moved to this new public sector housing. There were open
spaces, fresh air and bathrooms in the houses all so different from the
overcrowded tenements many people came from. Soon, however, the area began to
develop the same problems as the other peripheral ‘schemes’. Poor initial
planning meant isolation and a lack of such basic amenities as schools and shops.
Flats under construction, Dougrie Place 1962. (From Virtual Mitchell Library) Over the next 20 years the area gradually declined. The housing
was soon in need of upgrading and was poorly maintained. The decline of local
industries in the Glasgow area led to a rise in unemployment and social
problems that follow poverty developed. People began to move away and between 1971 and
1991 the population of 37,000 fell by almost a half. However, from the early 1980’s much work has been done. A regeneration strategy has focused on improved housing and the development of local arts. An active network of community groups has achieved much and Cooperative housing associations have done a lot to regenerate the housing, an active project that continues today. Grants allowed the construction of some improved amenities for local people such as a swimming pool, sports centre, shopping arcade and community centres. New schools, training facilities and sports amenities continue to be built and many people who have not seen Castlemilk for 5 or 10 years might hardly recognise the place! There are even plans afoot to renovate the last standing structure of the old Castlemilk House - the stables which stand on Machrie Road. The plans are for a modern interior for businesses, offices and a nursery but it is hoped to display the oak fireplace which was saved from Castlemilk House on its demolition, within the building. If you are looking for more on the history of Castlemilk try looking at www.castlemilkhistory.bravehost.com/ |
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Last modified: 20 February, 2008 |
