Carmyle ( gd, An Càrn Maol) is a suburb in the east end 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 ...
, Scotland, directly north of the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
. It is in an isolated location separated from the main urban area of the city and has the characteristics of a semi-rural village. Administratively, Carmyle falls under the
Shettleston ward of
Glasgow City Council
Glasgow City Council is the local government authority for the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Glasgow district of the S ...
.
History
Carmyle as a place name, originally appears as a gift of the lands by
Herbert
Herbert may refer to:
People Individuals
* Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert
Name
* Herbert (given name)
* Herbert (surname)
Places Antarctica
* Herbert Mountains, Coats Land
* Herbert Sound, Graham Land
Australia
* Herbert ...
, the
Bishop of Glasgow
The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is now part of the ...
(1147–1164) to the
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
Abbey of
Neubotle
Newbattle (from Neubotle, i.e. new dwelling) is a village and Civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish in Midlothian, in the ancient Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Andrews, about seven miles from Edinburgh. There was an abbey there founded about 1 ...
(Newbattle, in
Midlothian
Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
). This abbey had been established a few years previously by
David I David I may refer to:
* David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399
* David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741)
* David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881)
* David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048)
* David I of Scotland (di ...
, whose mother, the
saintly Margaret,
Queen of Scotland
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...
and wife of
king Malcolm III Ceanmore, had done so much to sow the seeds of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
in early Scotland.
The name Carmyle is derived from
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
and translates as "the bare cairn". The reason for this may not be too difficult to find. Originally, most of the land north of Carmyle and
Tollcross was forest and brushwood, giving excellent cover for wild animals, but the strips of land alongside the
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
banks were very rich for cultivating. Therefore, the lands in and around Carmyle were probably cleared at an early date, so as to give room for successful agriculture. "Bare town" would be quite appropriate in the circumstances. The village has within it a residence of the
Verona Fathers
Daniele Comboni (15 March 1831 – 10 October 1881) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop who served in the missions in Africa and was the founder of both the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus and the Comboni Missionary Sisters. Comboni ...
, in the property once known as Carmyle House.
Following on its becoming an attribute of the church through Bishop Herbert, the district was confirmed to the monks from time to time by succeeding kings and popes. A note appended to the transcript of a
papal bull, dated 1263, shows that the monks had ceased to be owners, for the time being. How the change occurred is explained in a charter granted by
John Cheyam, Bishop of Glasgow, on 11 June 1268. It appears that the bishop had, with his own money and with the help of Sir Reginald of Irewyn, Archdeacon of Glasgow, purchased, or redeemed, the land of Kermil. Being zealous for the increase of divine service in
Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...
, he dedicated the property (except the new mill which he had erected on the water of the Clyde) for sustenance of three chaplains or priests, to celebrate divine service in the cathedral for the souls of the predecessors and successors of Archdeacon Reginald. Bishop John's pious arrangement, however, seems to have been disregarded by
Robert Wishart
Robert Wishart was Bishop of Glasgow during the Wars of Scottish Independence and a leading supporter of Sir William Wallace and King Robert Bruce. For Wishart and many of his fellow churchmen, the freedom of Scotland and the freedom of the S ...
, the succeeding bishop. His interference led the dean and chapter to appeal to the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
in 1275, for redress. The bishops of
Dunblane
Dunblane (, gd, Dùn Bhlàthain) is a small town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire. It is a commuter town, with many residents making use of good transport links ...
and
Argyle were commanded by the Pope to investigate the matter, but the outcome was never documented.
The district and village were known by various names, including Carmyld, Karmyle, Kermil, Neddyr Carmyle, Overe Carmyle and Wester Carmyled. The name Hutchesoune was applied to the district called Nether Carmyle, having been added in or about the year 1579, to the lands now owned by Thomas Hutcheson. His two sons were the founders of the
hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
and
school
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
in Glasgow, bearing their name.
Location
Due to its physical isolation from the main built-up areas of Glasgow, Carmyle has something of a rural village character as opposed to a neighbourhood in a city. The
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
runs directly to the south, opposite the
Westburn neighbourhood of Cambuslang (
South Lanarkshire
gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas
, image_skyline =
, image_flag =
, image_shield = Arms_slanarkshire.jpg
, image_blank_emblem = Slanarks.jpg
, blank_emblem_type = Council logo
, image_map ...
) – the banks were previously connected for pedestrians by the
Westburn Viaduct
Westburn Viaduct, also known as Carmyle Viaduct, is a disused railway bridge over the River Clyde between Carmyle in Glasgow (north side) and Westburn (Cambuslang) in South Lanarkshire (south side). It is constructed of a steel lattice frame wit ...
, a disused rail bridge, but that has now been blocked off. The
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service National Training Centre
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service National Training Centre is a purpose-built training facility in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire. Also known as the Uaill Training Centre, it has mock buildings and areas suitable for training to use specialist fi ...
(2013) and Clydesmill Community Fire Station (2011) are also on the southern bank of the river, on the site of the large Clydesmill Power Station which was present for most of the 20th century.
To the north, the closest parts of Glasgow (on the other side of railway lines and the
M74 motorway
The A74(M) and M74 form a major motorway in Scotland, connecting it to England. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central Glasgow to the Scottish-English border at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the M6 motorwa ...
) are
Auchenshuggle,
Foxley
Foxley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is about 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Norwich and 9 miles (14 km) south-east of Fakenham.
It covers an area of and had a population of 279 in 113 ho ...
and
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
. There is a large
industrial estate
An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park, ...
to the west of Carmyle (built on the site of the
Clyde Iron Works
The Clyde Iron Works was a Scottish-based ironworking plant which operated from 1786 to 1978.
Clyde Iron occupied a large site near the Carmyle and Tollcross areas of Glasgow. The plant was built by William Cadell (1737–1819) and Thomas Edi ...
, in operation from the late 18th to late 20th century).
Land to the east at Kenmuir is undeveloped, some being abandoned farmland and coal workings; the farm was known for its unconventional owner during the latter 20th century who had the farmhouse extended, but it was abandoned to become ruined a few yards south of the motorway after the owner lost a court case in relation to its construction. In the 2010s, plans were outlined for much of this land to be developed for housing as a 'Community Growth Area'.
Transport
Carmyle railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Carmyle railway station, Glasgow (geograph 5278025).jpg
, caption = The station in 2017, following electrification
, borough = Carmyle, Glasgow
, country ...
which opened in August 1866, closed in 1964 but then re-opened again in 1993, is on the
Whifflet Line
The Whifflet Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland.
History
The line was built between 1863 and 1865 as the Rutherglen and Coatbridge Railway, part of the Caledonian Railway. It opened to goods tr ...
. It is an unstaffed, 2-platform halt. Trains run to
Glasgow Central and from Westbound Platform 1, and to , , , and from Eastbound Platform 2. The service is operated by
ScotRail
ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail ( gd, Rèile na h-Alba), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise a ...
.
The village also has bus services to
Glasgow city centre
Glasgow City Centre is the central business district of Glasgow, Scotland. Is bounded by Saltmarket, High Street and Castle Street to the east, The River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to its west and north. Glasgow City Centre is comp ...
,
The Forge Shopping Centre
The Forge Shopping Centre (or Parkhead Forge) is in the East End of Glasgow, in Parkhead. The shopping centre bore the name from the former William Beardmore and Company steel works site, which had closed in 1983.
History
Construction
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 Necropo ...
) and
Cambuslang
Cambuslang ( sco, Cammuslang, from gd, Camas Lang) is a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater Glasgow, Scotland. With approximately 30,000 residents, it is the 27th largest town in Scotland by population, although, never having had a ...
, although these are not among the main routes in the region.
The village is also close to the
M74 motorway
The A74(M) and M74 form a major motorway in Scotland, connecting it to England. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central Glasgow to the Scottish-English border at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the M6 motorwa ...
giving easy access to Scotland's
central belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is the area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in 2019), including Great ...
, the
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...
and beyond. Construction on the extension project extending the M74 from Carmyle to Glasgow City Centre began in May 2008 and was completed in 2011.
Places of worship
Carmyle Church
The current Carmyle Church of Scotland situated in Carmyle Avenue was built in 1907, costing an estimated £2,500. The style is
Scottish baronial revival, mainly in imitation rubble work, with a machicolated belltower featuring the eccentricity of an
onion dome
An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles an onion. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the tholobate upon which they sit, and their height usually exceeds their width. These bulbous structures taper smoothly to a point.
It is a ty ...
for a belfry (actually a ''helmet dome''). The Church was formally opened with a dedication service held on Thursday 7 March 1907, and performed by the Rev. Alex White, D.D., of St Georges, Edinburgh. As well as weekly services the church is used by the local community for
Brownies, Mother and Toddler groups and a regular thrift shop. Carmyle Church is a linked charge with Kenmuir Mount Vernon Church of Scotland on London Road, with the one minister serving both congregations. Both Carmyle and Kenmuir are also linked via a parish grouping with Sandyhills Church of Scotland. Services are held at Carmyle Church every Sunday at 12:00pm.
St Joachim’s RC Church
Like so many other areas in the west of Scotland, the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
and foundation of the
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Reformed Kirk saw the almost complete removal of the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
faith from Carmyle and the land transferred into secular hands. It was not until 1829 and the
Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829
The Catholic Relief Act 1829, also known as the Catholic Emancipation Act 1829, was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1829. It was the culmination of the process of Catholic emancipation throughout the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
that punitive laws against Catholicism were relaxed and the old Church begin to
re-establish itself in Scotland. There had been an influx of Catholics from the
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
as well as from Ireland during the progress of the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
and this was reflected in the growing population of Carmyle. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that numbers increased to the extent that the area warranted provision independent of St Joseph's
Tollcross parish, of which it had until then formed a part.
From March 1954, the priests of St Joseph's used the local Welfare Hall to provide services to the Catholics of Carmyle, with the parish being established under the patronage of St. Joachim in July.
Carmyle Mains Steading farm on River Road was obtained and from a state of dereliction was transformed into a Chapel Hall over a 10-month period to June 1955 by the local folk. Progress continued apace and a new church (designed by
Coia) was built on an elevated piece of land at the end of Inzievar Terrace, opening in September, 1957 – the present St Joachim's. The parish is located within the Glasgow Archdiocese, although the village itself was not incorporated into the city until 1975 with the revision of local government boundaries.
Primary schools
Carmyle Primary School achieved small notoriety in the mid-1970s when it was rebuilt in a flying saucer/open plan design, a rarity in Scotland at the time. The school was subsequently rebuilt as a modern open-plan building after its demolition in 1993 following a fire.
St Joachim's Primary School is affiliated with the Catholic Church of the same name. St Joachim's, in its current guise, was built in 1975.
[
]
Leisure
Carmyle has one public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s and two bowling green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...
s. The Auld Boat Hoose, or "bottom shop" in River Road, opposite the spot where a boat would ferry people across the Clyde from the Cambuslang side,[ and the former Auld Hoose, or "tap shop", round the corner, a few hundred yards up Carmyle Avenue.
Carmyle Bowling Club is situated one hundred yards from the "bottom shop" and has been a member of the Glasgow and Scottish Bowling Associations since the 1960s. Foxley Bowling Club in Carmyle Avenue was instituted in 1914,taking its name from the local estate called ]Foxley
Foxley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is about 15 miles (24 km) north-west of Norwich and 9 miles (14 km) south-east of Fakenham.
It covers an area of and had a population of 279 in 113 ho ...
. Several residents of Carmyle are members and a friendly rivalry exists between the two clubs.[
]
Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Walter Ferguson Smith (24 February 1948 – 26 October 2021) was a Scottish association football player, manager and director, primarily associated with his two spells as manager of Glasgow club Rangers.
A defender, Smith's playing car ...
, although born in Lanark
Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...
, grew up in the Gardenside area of Carmyle. He went on to become one of the most successful managers in the history of 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 ...
across two spells in charge, and also managed the Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team gd, Sgioba Ball-coise Nàiseanta na h-Alba sco, Scotland National Fitbaa Team represents Scotland in men's international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. It competes in the t ...
.
Clydeford Bridge
Built in 1976, the Clydeford Bridge carries vehicles and pedestrians over the Clyde on the A763 road towards an industrial suburb
An industrial suburb is a community, near a large city, with an industrial economy. These communities may be established as tax havens or as places where zoning promotes industry, or they may be industrial towns that become suburbs by urban spra ...
on the site of the Clyde Iron Works
The Clyde Iron Works was a Scottish-based ironworking plant which operated from 1786 to 1978.
Clyde Iron occupied a large site near the Carmyle and Tollcross areas of Glasgow. The plant was built by William Cadell (1737–1819) and Thomas Edi ...
, and towards the M74 motorway
The A74(M) and M74 form a major motorway in Scotland, connecting it to England. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central Glasgow to the Scottish-English border at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the M6 motorwa ...
and A74 road
The A74 also known historically as the Glasgow to Carlisle Road, is a formerly major road in the United Kingdom, linking Glasgow in Scotland to Carlisle in the North West of England, passing through Clydesdale, Annandale and the Southern Upland ...
. The bridge is located to the north-east of Cambuslang and the south-west of Carmyle. Its name derives from Clydeford Road which runs north from Cambuslang Main Street to the river, which was itself named after an ancient ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
across the water at a nearby point. It was built to replace the Cambuslang Bridge (built 1892) located to the west - that bridge has never been demolished although it is closed to traffic.
On the south side of the Clydeford bridge at the Clyde Walkway
The Clyde Walkway is a foot and mountain bike path which runs from Glasgow, Scotland, to just above the UNESCO World Heritage Site of New Lanark. The path runs close to the River Clyde for most of its length. It was completed in 2005, and is n ...
and National Cycle Route 75
National Cycle Route 75 runs from Edinburgh to Gourock via Glasgow. It is often known as the ''Clyde to Forth cycle route''.
It then extends via the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon onto the Cowal peninsula to Portavadie from where another ferry co ...
is a metallic wire sculpture of a wading bird created in 1998 by noted sculptor Andy Scott. It is known as the Carmyle Heron (although it is actually on the Cambuslang side of the river).
References
External links
*
Carmyle
at Gazetteer for Scotland
The ''Gazetteer for Scotland'' is a gazetteer covering the geography, history and people of Scotland. It was conceived in 1995 by Bruce Gittings of the University of Edinburgh and David Munro of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and cont ...
{{authority control
Areas of Glasgow
Villages in Glasgow (council area)