Giffnock, General

GIFFNOCK

With fewer drumlins here the valley floor climbs steadily from Thornliebank through Giffnock and past Broom to reach Mearnskirk at an altitude of about 150m (500ft). Famous for the largest source of building stone in the Glasgow area, Giffnock was entirely agricultural until the first quarry opened in 1835. Alexander Frame Ltd opened a coal pit near Thornliebank in 1850, to be succeeded by Barr & Thornton, who opened a second and deeper pit in 1908. These Giffnock Collieries closed after the General Strike and the mine slag was then used for brickmaking. There was a small Giffnock Forge in this area from 1850 until 1900; The Orchard Lime Mine had kilns on the site of Orchardhill Church, while there were more brick and tile works in the Williamwood area. These had all gone by about 1900. When the Busby Railway opened Giffnock Station in 1864, the first commuter houses were built but the suburban development really started in the 1890s.

Today, a stone-built ribbon development on Kilmarnock Road contains the local shops for a popular suburb of pleasant terraces and bungalows. The total absence of Council housing, prohibited here by Renfrew County to maintain high rateable values, contributes to the popularity.

Taken from "Greater Glasgow: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Sam Small, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

NMRS REFERENCE

Architect: Salmon & Gillespie