Before you, lies Newlands a suburb steeped in history. It began as farmland within Cathcart Parish. The White Cart Water separates it from Pollokshaws. Pollokshaws was then in Eastwood Parish.
The working farm buildings were known as the Mains of Newlands. These included stables and a dairy. Today Newlands is mainly residential. It officially became part of Glasgow in 1912.
Did you know Newlands and Auldhouse share a history? Auldhouse gets its name from Auldhouse Mansion. It was the oldest mansion on the South Side. In 1983 remnants of it became Auldhouse Court. You can find Auldhouse Court near Thornliebank Road at Garvock Drive. This explains Auldhouse Road and Nether Auldhouse Road.
Similarly Newlands Mansion stood near Newlands Road and Lubnaig Road. The Mains of Newlands farm buildings were near Kilmarnock Road and Riverford Road. Now, McCarthy and Stone retirement properties occupy the site.
Development in these areas started in the 1890s after the railway’s completion. The line from Glasgow Central to Cathcart opened in 1886. It ran via Queen’s Park. In April 1894 the line via Maxwell Park opened. The area has two stations. One is Pollokshaws East. The other was Langside and Newlands. It was renamed Langside in 1963. Electrification arrived in 1962.
Before development, this area was farmland. It sat among Cathcart, Langside, Shawlands, and Pollokshaws. Books about Glasgow’s South Side often omit Auldhouse and Newlands. Aileen Smart’s Villages of Glasgow Volume 2 is one example. Saskia McCracken’s South Glasgow Heritage Trails: a Guide is another.
In 1527 James Beaton sold the lands of Langside and Newlands. He was formerly Archbishop of Glasgow. The buyer was the Earl of Eglinton.
Today Newlands boasts four public parks. It also has churches, sports clubs, and a primary school. Sadly the Newlands Hotel closed. So the suburb no longer has a pub.
Newlands offers many traditional shops. One such place is The Newlands Cafe. A Glasgow Academy preparatory school resides in Newlands. It occupies a blonde sandstone villa common in the area. A Glasgow Corporation Tramways depot once stood here from the 1910s.
Newlands has several churches. You can also find a bowling club and a tennis club. Newlands Park has tennis courts. The annual Newlands fete takes place here too.
Ricky Ross and Kelly Macdonald are notable residents. Their presence adds to the area’s charm. Newlands continues to evolve. It balances its historical roots with modern life. This blend makes it a unique part of Glasgow.