Once a small piece of land, what secrets does Roughmussel hold? Roughmussel is a neighbourhood in Glasgow. It sits south of the River Clyde. Roughmussel is near the city boundaries. East Renfrewshire is to the south. Renfrewshire is to the west.
Originally, Roughmussel was part of Renfrewshire. Glasgow absorbed it in the 1920s.
Roughmussel was built on the lands of Roughmussel Farm. The farm covered about 40 acres. A farmhouse was built around 1870. It replaced the original building. The original stood on the opposite side of Barrhead Road. That’s approximately where the electricity substation is now.
The farm was mentioned in the General Review of the Agriculture of Renfrew. It was described as a “paffle”. “Paffle” is a Scots term. It means a small piece of land, croft, or allotment. Thomas Richardson’s 1795 map shows it as “Rochmusch”.
The area became a small council estate off Crookston Road. About 200 local authority houses were built in the 1950s. They replaced two rows of cottages. The estate expanded towards Pollok in the 1970s. This expansion included a few streets of private homes. Crookston expanded southward to meet Roughmussel in the early 21st century. The area is often considered part of Crookston now.
Barrhead Road is a main road in Roughmussel. It has a row of local shops. Househill Park and the Hurlet are to the south and southwest. The Levern Water flows through them. The land west of Roughmussel towards Paisley remains green. It is open countryside and woodland. A residential park with a children’s play area is to the northwest. It adjoins housing at Raeswood, built in the 2010s.
Archaeological work has taken place here. An evaluation at Leverndale Hospital found pits and ditches. Animal bones and pottery were also recovered. These finds suggest activity in the area. Excavations found more pits and ceramic field drains.
So next time you see a seemingly ordinary place. Remember Roughmussel. It reminds us that every place has its own story.