Beneath Glasgow’s sprawling landscape lies a story etched in stone and soil at Arrotshole Farm. It is a story of farmers, landowners and changing times. Arrotshole Farm stands as a testament to Lanarkshire’s agricultural past.
Let’s step back to when David Leggat occupied Arrotshole. He tenanted this farmhouse on land owned by the College of Glasgow. Imagine the rhythmic tasks of farm life. The care for crops and livestock. The changing seasons dictating the pace of work.
Nearby at Dykehead and Eastend lived James Coats. He owned his farmhouse and some cottages at Kittochside. These details come from the Ordnance Survey Name Books of 1858 to 1861. These books documented the landscape. They recorded the names and lives connected to it.
The name “Dykehead” offers its own clue. “Dike” or “dyk” meant a wall of turf or stone. This reveals the efforts to manage the land. Farmers enclosed fields and marked boundaries.
Estate maps became vital. They illustrated how land was used. They showed field boundaries and drainage systems. Maps charted new crops. They displayed the construction of planned villages. These maps mirrored the growing commercial importance of land.
Around Arrotshole Farm, fields once bore the marks of careful cultivation. They were pasture and perhaps some meadow. These would have been carefully managed to improve their yield.
Ordnance Survey maps offer detailed snapshots. They show buildings and gardens. They depict railways and industrial sites. These maps recorded features. They provided a tangible record of changes over time.
Arrotshole Farm found itself amidst agricultural transformation. Starting in the 1770s, the west of Scotland saw land brought under cultivation. Fields were enclosed by dry stone walls and hedges. New farmhouses arose around courtyards. New techniques boosted yields. Glasgow’s growing population drove these changes. They needed to be fed.
Many farms belonged to old families or Glasgow merchants. These owners invested in improvements. They focused on dairying and animal husbandry. Farms prospered during the Napoleonic wars. They avoided the hardships that grain growers faced in the east.
Even now, walk around Arrotshole Farm. Note any geometric field patterns. Perhaps you can see neat classical farm buildings. These are echoes of that era. These survivors hint at their past.
Imagine fish being brought up the River Clyde to Glasgow’s fish market. Fish was a key part of the diet. It especially nourished poorer families.
Consider the lives of David Leggat and James Coats. They shaped this landscape. They responded to economic and social shifts. Arrotshole Farm is more than just a place. It is a story of people working the land. It is a story of how Glasgow grew and changed. It is a story preserved in maps and memories.