Many examples, such as this 17th century door lintel, still exist. They usually can be found decorating gardens or the like. This lintel, along with others, can be found at the Old Parish Church decorating the hub garden.
We hope these pages will increase your interest in the local area and encourage you to look for other examples in both Uddingston and Tannochside.
Our website is designed to gather and record as much of Old Uddingston history as we are able to through our own research and by encouraging the community at large to participate in this project by submitting any information/knowledge that they may have to the website, using the comments section in the website. As Uddingston is expanding rapidly and green belt is disappearing apace, it is important that historical buildings, etc. are catalogued before they disappear altogether. We also hope that the website will also encourage people of all ages to take an interest in their local community. I still refer to Uddingston as “The Village” , which often draws the question of where that is. Hopefully, this project may answer that question and prevent “The Village” from becoming just another commuter town.
Tannochside, Viewpark & Birkenshaw news
Welcome to the Society’s introduction to the local history of the above areas that are part of our area of interest and which offer a long and colourful history from the prehistoric past to the present time. Our ancestors have seen habitation by pre ; ;historic hunter-gatherers; a Bronze Age urn was found in the vicinity of Viewpark in 1855. Local inhabitants would have engaged with the Roman invaders on the construction of the Roman road, Watling Street, that runs directly through our district.
The 7th century witnessed the journey of St. Kentigern (St Mungo) who passed through on his way to the area now known as Glasgow. The name ‘Tannochside’ is derived from a variation of the name St Kentigern’s mother – St Thenaw.
There is a long tradition of farming locally and the tenant farmers in medieval times would have been subject to lord Douglas and have to pay him a portion of their produce and to use local mills owned by him. Many street names reflect this era, e.g.. Douglas Street, St Bride’s Avenue et al.
The area also boasts of landed estates, e.g. St. Enoch’s Hall (Tannochside House) built in 1683 by the Jack Family from Uddingston, later owned by the Rae’s, also from Uddingston, and finally by James Hozier, who in 1880 was the Grand Master of Scotland. Colonel Henry Montague’s daughter, Clementine, married Winston Churchill in 1908.
Tannochside House (St Enoch’s Hall)
Clementine Hozier
Another notable property was Viewpark Mansion House, built for William Robertson in 1841, designed by classical architect John Baird of Glasgow (see separate note at end of this article). The house and property was acquired in 1851 by the successful coal master, Robert Addie, who influenced the growth and development of industry and the population of the district, owning several collieries in the Rosehall area as well as opening Viewpark pits No.1 and No.2. He spent a reputed £50,000 expanding the property and developing the nursery and gardens still appreciated to this day. He also purchased other local properties such as Coalfield House, built in 1848 and Ashley Park House. The Addie family were also active participants in local affairs, eg. local JP and President of the Co-op Society.
Viewpark Colliery
The population of ‘up-the-hill’ was noted as 56 in 1850 but dramatically increased due to the introduction of modern coal-mining in the 1860’s. Houses were built to accommodate the population increase at Nackerty and Alpine Terrace in 1903.
The closure of the pits in the mid 1900’s made way for new industry like ‘Caterpillar’ and others embracing the thriving steel industry.
Local inhabitants have long enjoyed the adjoining area of ‘the Glen’, which the Viewpark conservation group has tirelessly campaigned for. Our childhood memories were coloured by the ‘picnics’ and ‘rambles’ in its estate and visits to the area known locally as ‘the Kirky’.
Our Society hopes to engender and active interest in local citizens, young and old, in our forthcoming lectures and shared knowledge and we will be happy to offer assistance in research in local history.
************************************************************************************
Site Title 