Bridgeton ( sco, Brigtoun, gd, Baile na Drochaid) is a district to the east of
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
city centre.
Historically
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
part of
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland.
Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...
, it is bounded by
Glasgow Green
Glasgow Green is a park in the east end of Glasgow, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde. Established in the 15th century, it is the oldest park in the city. It connects to the south via the St Andrew's Suspension Bridge.
History
I ...
to the west,
Dalmarnock
Dalmarnock (, gd, Dail Mheàrnaig) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated east of the city centre, directly north of the River Clyde opposite the town of Rutherglen. It is also bounded by the Glasgow neighbourhoods of P ...
to the east and south,
Calton to the north-west at Abercromby Street/London Road and Broad street to the north-east.
History
It started as a small weaving village in 1705, when the third John Walkinshaw marked out a portion of his Goosefauld estate for rent. However, not much interest was shown until 1776 when
Rutherglen Bridge
The Rutherglen Bridge or the Shawfield Bridge is a bridge which was built 1893–96, which crosses the River Clyde, in Scotland.
It connects Shawfield, the most northerly district in the town of Rutherglen, and the south-side Glasgow district ...
was built over the
River Clyde and the area became known as ''Bridge Town'' (or ''Brig Toun'' in Scots).
The area was incorporated into the city of Glasgow officially in 1846. A major employer was carpet manufacturer
James Templeton & Co. Bridgeton used to be bounded by a village named Mile-End to the north, however this district seems to have vanished over the years, resulting in Bridgeton's boundary moving north to Crownpoint Road.
Bridgeton Cross
Bridgeton Cross, also known as 'The Toll' is a major junction, the meeting point of London Road (
A74 towards
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is the home stadium of Celtic Football Club, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest football stadium in Scotland, and the eighth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom. It is al ...
), Dalmarnock Road (
A749), Main Street, James Street (leading to Glasgow Green), Olympia Street and Orr Street.
The intersection is notable for the , a
Victorian (1875) cast iron
bandstand
A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...
covering the centre of the Cross.
[ The ]Category A listed
This is a list of Category A listed buildings in Scotland, which are among the listed buildings of the United Kingdom.
For a fuller list, see the pages linked on List of listed buildings in Scotland.
Key
The organization of the lists in th ...
landmark structure and surrounds was renovated in the early 21st century, resulting in improved public realm areas and the complete refurbishment of the Umbrella.
Bridgeton Cross is the location for Bridgeton railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Bridgeton404.JPG
, caption = Bridgeton station, looking south east towards Dalmarnock
, borough = Bridgeton, Glasgow
, country ...
(opened in 1895, closed in 1964, reopened in 1979) which is on the Argyle Line
The Argyle Line is a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland. The line serves the commercial and shopping districts of Glasgow's central area, and connects towns from West Dunbartonshire to South Lanarkshire. Named for Glasgow's Argyl ...
connecting the area to central Glasgow. The Category B listed building which previously housed Bridgeton Central railway station (1892-1979) is a short distance away. A number of local buses also pass along London Road and Dalmarnock Road.
The Cross is also the location for the ''Olympia Theatre'' (built 1911), which after lying abandoned for many years has undergone rebuilding and reopened in 2012 as a library and community facility for the people of Bridgeton. There are several public houses in the vicinity, with most themed around Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the Govan district of Glasgow which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Although not its official name, it is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers outside Scotland. The fou ...
In 1893 William Millard started ''Millers Linoleum Stores'', renting sheds in Charles Street (now Olympia Street) from the North British Railway Company
The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...
. On 26 June 1913 planning permission was granted to build a two-storey warehouse on this land, which had now been purchased by Millard. Under the directorship of William's great-grandson David Millard, the building was sympathetically renovated in 2013. Believed to be the only surviving family business from the 1800s in the area, ''Millers 1893'' continues to operate.
Points of interest
Bridgeton has one of Glasgow's original Carnegie libraries, designed by the Invernesian architect, James Robert Rhind
James Robert Rhind, architect, was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1854 and trained as an architect in his father's local practice.
He was successful in the architectural competition for new libraries to be constructed in Glasgow following Andrew C ...
. Since 2014, the library has been in use by the Glasgow Women's Library, holding a lending library, archive and museum collection, who have made significant renovations both inside and out.
After the 2014 Commonwealth Games was held in Glasgow, Bridgeton now has international-class sporting facilities within walking distance: the Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome
The Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, known for sponsorship reasons as the Emirates Arena, is an indoor arena and velodrome in Dalmarnock, Glasgow, Scotland. Built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, these venues hosted the badminto ...
are located in nearby Dalmarnock, with the ''Crownpoint Sports Complex'', a modern outdoor athletics track, also located in the area adjacent to St Mungo's Academy.
Bridgeton has been the centre of the Orange Order in Scotland. Their marches are a fairly common sight in Glasgow during the summer months but reach a peak around the Twelfth
The Twelfth (also called Orangemen's Day) is an Ulster Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It began in the late 18th century in Ulster. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution (1688) and victory of Protestant King William of Orange over ...
of July when the parades commemorating the Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and J ...
are in full flow. In 2019, the ''Sunday Times'' reported that concerns over an incident during the 2018 Apprentice Boys of Derry (Bridgeton) march had led to suggestions that Glasgow council reroute the march to avoid passing near two Catholic churches.
The Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust, one of the largest voluntary commercial and passenger vehicle preservation groups in Scotland are based at Bridgeton Bus Garage which opened on 5 June 1965 on a site bordered by London Road to the south, Fordneuk Street to the West, Broad Street to the north and Rimsdale Street to the east. It replaced the former tram depot at Dalmarnock which had suffered fire damage.
Bridgeton's use as a Glasgow Bus Garage was brief, the tendency was to use a smaller fleet of larger buses and that led to the garage being closed in 1976, however it was then taken on by Strathclyde Regional Council
Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government ...
for its Internal Transport fleet, servicing everything from light vans to Gritting Lorries. In this capacity it later passed to Glasgow City Council who when they ceased using it for that purpose were prevailed upon to rent it out for vehicle preservation.
Football
For four decades in the mid-20th century, Bridgeton was represented in the Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "junior" refers to the level of football ...
by Bridgeton Waverley F.C. Initially a local Juvenile team, upon joining the Junior setup they played at Shawfield Stadium
Shawfield Stadium is a closed greyhound racing, football and speedway venue in the Shawfield district of the town of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located close to the boundary with Glasgow.
Originally a football ground, Shawfie ...
(home of Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football club who play in Scottish League One. Formed in 1877 at the River Clyde in Glasgow, the club host their home matches at New Douglas Park, having played at Broadwood Stadium from 1994 ...
), then moved to ''Barrowfield Park'' which was bought and demolished by Glasgow Corporation
The politics of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city by population, are expressed in the deliberations and decisions of Glasgow City Council, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament.
Local government
As one o ...
for the construction of the housing scheme of the same name in the 1930s. Waverley then moved to ''New Barrowfield'' on the edge of the Parkhead
Parkhead ( sco, Pairkheid) is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road (now the Gallowgate and Tollcross Road) and Westmuir Street. Glasgow's Eastern Necrop ...
district. After they folded in the 1960s, that site became the training ground of Celtic F.C.
The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...
Another Junior club which became defunct around the same time, Strathclyde F.C., was also based in the area. Strathclyde's predecessor senior league club Thistle F.C. had their roots in Bridgeton/Dalmarnock
Dalmarnock (, gd, Dail Mheàrnaig) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated east of the city centre, directly north of the River Clyde opposite the town of Rutherglen. It is also bounded by the Glasgow neighbourhoods of P ...
, as did the aforementioned Clyde and the 19th century side Eastern F.C.
Eastern Football Club was a 19th-century football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. They were one of the founder members of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and one of the sixteen teams to participate in the inaugural season of the Scot ...
who both once played at another Barrowfield Park
Barrowfield Park was a football ground in the Bridgeton / Dalmarnock area of Glasgow, Scotland. It was the home ground of Eastern during the 1870s and Clyde between 1877 and 1898.
History
Clyde moved to Barrowfield Park in 1877, initially gr ...
.
Although Celtic's stadium is nearby the district is now known for a large and passionate Rangers following.
Notable people
* Elky Clark, boxer
*Bobby Dougan
Bobby Dougan (3 December 1926 – 7 February 2010) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a centre half for Heart of Midlothian and Kilmarnock in the Scottish Football League, having started his career with Shawfield.
Playing career
Dougan w ...
, footballer
* Don Greenlees, footballer
*David Hayman
David Hayman (born 9 February 1948) is a Scottish film, television and stage actor and director, known for his role as DCS Mike Walker in ITV drama ''Trial & Retribution'', as Jonas Franks in BBC period drama '' The Paradise'' and as Brace i ...
, actor
*Archie Kyle
Archibald Kyle (13 July 1883 – 21 July 1957) was a Scottish football player who played for Rangers, Blackburn Rovers and Hamilton Academical.
Career
Kyle joined Rangers from Parkhead in 1904. He was one of a number of Roman Catholic players ...
, footballer
*Henry May Henry May may refer to:
*Henry May (American politician) (1816–1866), U.S. Representative from Maryland
* Henry May (New Zealand politician) (1912–1995), New Zealand politician
* Henry May (VC) (1885–1941), Scottish recipient of the Victoria C ...
, recipient of the Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
*Frankie Miller
Francis John Miller (born 2 November 1949) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter and actor.
Miller wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his 1977 album ''Full House'', the singles "Be Good To Yourself", " D ...
, rock musician
*Willie Miller
William Ferguson Miller MBE (born 2 May 1955) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, who made a club record 560 league appearances for Aberdeen. Sir Alex Ferguson described Miller as "the best penalty box defender in th ...
MBE, footballer
*Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly, (born 30 November 1959) is a Scottish journalist and television presenter. She has presented various television shows for ITV, including '' Good Morning Britain'' (1988–1992), '' GMTV'' (1993–2010), ''This Morning'' (2003 ...
, TV presenter
*Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the " King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scot ...
, skiffle musician
* Jim Diamond, singer and musician
* William Sheret, showjumper
*John Paul Young
John Inglis Young, OAM (born 21 June 1950), known professionally as John Paul Young, is a Scottish-born Australian pop singer who had his 1978 worldwide hit with " Love Is in the Air". His career was boosted by regular appearances as a perform ...
, singer
* Jim Watt, boxer
*Billy Mack, Actor
*Rev William John Thomson (born 1852 in Ireland) Free Church minister of Bridgeton 1879 to 1882. The only known minister "loosed" (fired) for constant intoxication.[Ewing, William ''Annals of the Free Church'']
See also
* Glasgow tower blocks
Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, has several distinct styles of residential buildings, and since its population began to grow rapidly the 18th century has been at the forefront of some large-scale projects to deal with its housing issues, ...
*Sectarianism in Glasgow
Sectarianism in Glasgow takes the form of long-standing religious and political sectarian rivalry between Catholics and Protestants. It is particularly reinforced by the fierce rivalry between Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C., the two largest Scott ...
References
External links
*
Calton and Bridgeton
socio-economic profile at ''Understanding Glasgow'' (2012)
ast Endat ''Glesga Pals''
{{Authority control
Areas of Glasgow
Irish diaspora in Scotland
Road junctions in Glasgow
Bridgeton–Calton–Dalmarnock