How about a tale from a village that once echoed with the clang of industry? This is Gartcosh. It is a place now transforming into a residential haven. Gartcosh a village in North Lanarkshire holds more than meets the eye.
Gartcosh’s story begins perhaps with its name. Some say “Gart” means field and “Cos” means hollow in Gaelic. Others suggest “enclosure of the foot”. Maps from centuries ago show Gartcosh spelled as “Gartcash”.
Originally Gartcosh was an agricultural village. The 19th century brought mines and a railway used to transport coal to Glasgow. By 1837 a railway stop existed although without platforms or waiting rooms.
The mid-19th century marked Gartcosh’s industrial rise. Ironworks and fire clay works opened. James Binnie established the Gartcosh Fireclay Works in 1863. They made firebrick garden vases pedestals and more. Other businesses sprang up nearby. The Glenboig Union Fireclay Company Limited eventually owned the Gartcosh Fireclay Works. The works closed in the 1950s when local fireclay ran out.
In 1865 Woodneuk Iron Works came to Gartcosh. William Gray & Co owned it initially. Smith & McLeans bought it in 1872 followed by David Colville & Sons. The British Steel Corporation took over in 1967. The steel mill operated until 1986. The main building was torn down around 1994-95.
A galvanising plant became a storage shed then a paper recycling company used it. Stirling Fibre occupied it from 1990 to 2001. The building was demolished in 2002.
Smith & McLeans faced difficulty buying land to expand. Two Presbyterian spinster sisters owned most of Gartcosh. They resisted financial offers. They finally agreed but with a condition. No public house betting shop or Catholic church could exist within Gartcosh. This agreement remains today.
Chapman’s public house sits just outside Gartcosh’s boundary. In the 1960s the Gartcosh Works Social Club obtained a license to serve alcohol. Gartcosh has never had a licensed bookmaker. Catholic residents travel to nearby towns to attend church.
The Co-operative store opened in the late 19th century. It was located at the junction of Old Gartloch Road and Lochend Road. The store eventually closed and the building has had various uses since then. It is now privately owned flats.
Gartloch Hospital opened in 1896. The Glasgow City Council bought the Gartloch Estate for the hospital. It became an asylum for Glasgow’s poor.
Today Gartcosh is mainly residential. New homes have been built in and around the village. More developments are planned.
Gartcosh Business Interchange is on the site of the old steel works. Scottish Enterprise and North Lanarkshire Council invested in land reclamation and transport upgrades. The project provides business space.
The Scottish Crime Campus is within Gartcosh Business Interchange. The facility opened in 2014. It houses elements of Police Scotland’s partner agencies.
Next to the campus is the Gartcosh Local Nature Reserve. It hosts wildlife including a great crested newt colony.
Gartcosh has a Church of Scotland parish. The church hall hosts community projects. The original Gartcosh Police Station closed in the 1990s.
Gartcosh is home to Gartcosh United. This is a Caledonian Amateur Football league team.
In 2008 the old Co-Op building was acquired by Harlequin Leisure Group. It was converted into separate units.
Gartcosh and Glenboig may see up to 3000 new homes. At least 25% must be affordable housing. Infrastructure and amenities will be included.
A new road between Gartcosh and Glenboig opened in 2018.
The M73 motorway is the main transport link. Gartcosh has a railway station opened in 2005.
The films “The Big Mill” and “Make Way For Steel” feature steel production at Gartcosh. Gartcosh is often mentioned in Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus novels. It is depicted as the location of a fictional police station.
Gartcosh has transformed from an agricultural village to an industrial hub and now a residential community. Gartcosh holds a unique place in Scotland’s story.