Around midnight on April 7 1941 five bombs fell near South Crosshill Road in Bishopbriggs. One hit Bishopbriggs School’s annex. It housed a first-aid post. Five staff and four residents died instantly. Three more ARP staff died later.
Welcome to Bishopbriggs a town with a rich history. It sits on the northern edge of Greater Glasgow. Its roots go back to Roman times. Cadder a Roman fort was here. It was part of the Antonine Wall the northern border of the Roman Empire. King William the Lion gave the land to the Bishop of Glasgow in 1180.
Bishopbriggs grew slowly. It was a small village on the road to Kirkintilloch and Stirling. In the 1800s it incorporated Auchinairn Cadder Jellyhill and Mavis Valley. The Forth and Clyde Canal opened in 1790. This brought industry. The Carron Company mined ironstone and coal. They built the mining villages of Mavis Valley and Jellyhill. Freestone quarries opened at Coltpark Crowhill Huntershill and Kenmure. Bishopbriggs sandstone was prized. It was used in major Glasgow buildings like Glasgow University’s main building. Quarrying continued until 1907 when a fatal accident occurred at Huntershill.
The 1900s brought changes. A tram line reached Bishopbriggs in 1903. It connected to Glasgow. The trams stopped running in 1962. Bishopbriggs faced economic hardship early in the century. After World War I manufacturing grew. Sister Lauras Food Supplement made infant formula. The Scottish Wire Rope Company and Blackie and Sons Publishers also operated here. Blackie and Sons’ printing works made shells during World War II. They also produced aircraft radiators.
Post-war building dramatically increased Bishopbriggs’ population. It grew from 5272 in 1951 to 21000 in the early 1970s. This growth was partly due to the Bruce Report. The report aimed to reduce inner-city Glasgow’s population density.
The town’s center is known as The Village Bishopbriggs Cross or simply The Cross. The Triangle Shopping Centre is here. Victorian tenement buildings remain. Bishopbriggs is known for its Victorian villas art deco houses and post-war housing.
Today Bishopbriggs is a thriving suburb of Glasgow. It has a mix of history industry and modern development. It’s a testament to its resilience and growth. Remember the sacrifices made during wartime. The town’s unique story continues to unfold.