The History of Cambuslang is explained to a great deal by its geography. Now in

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 town of

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 ...

is an ancient part of Scotland where

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

remains (at

Dechmont Hill Dechmont (Gaelic: ''Deagh Mhonadh'') is a small village located near Uphall, West Lothian in Scotland. Bangour Village Hospital is located to the west of Dechmont. It has an approximate population of 989 people. Its postal code is EH52. An alleg ...

) loom over 21st century housing developments. It has been very prosperous over time, depending first upon its agricultural land, (supplying food, then wool, then linen) then the mineral resources under its soil (limestone and coal, and, to some extent, iron).

History

Etymology

Reverend Doctor James Meek, minister in Cambuslang from 1772 until 1810 and

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...

in 1795, wrote in the

First Statistical Account of Scotland The ''Statistical Accounts of Scotland'' are a series of documentary publications, related in subject matter though published at different times, covering life in Scotland in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The ''Old (or First) Statistical Ac ...

(1792): :"Cameos, now changed into Camus or Cambus in the Gaelic language, signifies a crooked torrent or rivulet; and LAN or Launse, now changed into Lang, was the name of a saint famous as the founder of many monasteries". His follower and son-in-law, Rev Dr John Robertson, assistant to, then Minister of Cambuslang from 1797 until 1843, suggested in the Second Statistical Account of Scotland (1845): :"Cam, in the British and Celtic, transformed by the Scoto-Saxons (sic) into cambus, signifies bending or bowed- usg or uisg means water- and glan, which in composition becomes LAN – denotes a bank or bank of water. Thus Cambuslang appears to signify the water with the bending bank. But whether the camb or cambus is to be sought for in the bending banks of the rivulet which passes the church or in the magnificent sweep of the Clyde, as it winds round the northern end of the parish, it is impossible to say.''" However, Iain Mac an Tàilleir writes in his collection of placenames in Scotland (2003): :Cambuslang (Lanark). "River bend of ships", from ''Camas Long''. This was the furthest point up the Clyde navigable by large vessels.Local and family history: Cambuslang and King Arthur
South Lanarkshire Council

Origins

The

Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Cambuslang in the Barony of Drumsargard – whose castle ruins can be discerned to the south-east of Hallside – can be traced back to the time of King Alexander II of Scotland (1214–49) when it belonged to Walter Olifard,

Justiciar of Lothian The Justiciar of Lothian (in Norman-Latin, ''Justiciarus Laudonie'') was an important legal office in the High Medieval Kingdom of Scotland. The Justiciars of Lothian were responsible for the administration of royal justice in the province of ...

. The Barony of Drumsargard passed to

Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas, Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Douglas and Bothwell (c. 1330 – c. 24 December 1400), called Archibald the Grim or Black Archibald, was a late medieval Scottish nobleman. Archibald was the bastard son of S ...

in 1370, as part of the settlement in his marriage to Johanna, daughter of Thomas Moray of Bothwell. In 1452 the Douglases were displaced in favour of James Lord Hamilton, who became tenant-in-chief in 1455. This feudal superiority remained with the

Dukes of Hamilton Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Sco ...

– who were also the largest landowners – up until 1922, though the abolition of feudalism in Scotland did not come until the end of the 20th century.

The church

The origin of the Parish Kirk of Cambuslang is lost in history, though it is traditionally supposed to have been founded by

Saint Cadoc Saint Cadoc or Cadog ( lat-med, Cadocus; also Modern Welsh: Cattwg; born or before) was a 5th–6th-century Abbot of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorgan, Wales, a monastery famous from the era of the British church as a centre of learnin ...

in the 6th century. Certainly, St Cadoc (or Cadow) is recorded as wandering about the hills of Strathclyde and finally founding a monastery at a spot most likely to have been the current site of the Old Parish Church. However, we hear of its first ecclesiastic about 1180 in relation to the Barony. Subsequently, there is a fairly full record of at least the names of

Cambuslang clergy 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 ...

. John Cameron of Lochiel was Rector of Cambuslang before he became Bishop of Glasgow. In 1429, as Bishop, he made Cambuslang a

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

of Glasgow Cathedral – meaning that the

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

(or Prebendary) could siphon off its

teinds In Scotland a teind () was a tithe derived from the produce of the land for the maintenance of the clergy. It is also an old lowland term for a tribute due to be paid by the fairies to the devil every seven years. Found in the story of Tam Lin as ...

(that is

tithes A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

) to pay for one of his officials. The prebendary and his successor were to be perpetual Chancellors of the Cathedral. A later Archbishop of Glasgow James Beaton (or Bethune) was uncle to David Beaton, the Cardinal murdered at the Reformation. James made David Rector (and so prebendary) of Cambuslang in about 1520. The prebendaries had a very fine view of the Cathedral from Cambuslang, but the distance meant they had to reside at Glasgow. Instead, they appointed vicars to care for the souls of the Parish. The vicars were allocated a house and 6 acres (24,000 m²), in an area near the Kirk, which is still called Vicarland. This indicates that the area was (relatively) prosperous. A post-

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 ...

church was erected in 1626 and a village (

Kirkhill Kirkhill or Kirkhills may refer to a number of places. In Canada: * Kirkhill, Nova Scotia * Kirkhill, Ontario, an area of North Glengarry In Northern Ireland: * Kirkhills, a townland in County Antrim In Scotland: *Kirkhill industrial estate, near ...

) grew up around it. A new kirk was built in the middle of the 18th century and this was replaced by the current building during the 19th century.

Our Lady of Cambuslang

Another source of prosperity might have been derived from pilgrims to Our Lady of Cambuslang. Pilgrims had long come to Cambuslang to venerate the "ashes of St Cadoc" so it was not surprising that a chapel was founded in 1379 by William Monypenny, Rector of Cambuslang, and this had been ratified by a Charter of King Robert II (dated 8 August 1379). The chapel was on the edge of the ravine near Sauchiebog and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. No trace of the chapel remains. Even its location is in doubt, but local Catholics like to think their current church of Saint Bride’s is built on the spot. 19th century maps suggest it was situated where the Kirkburn gorge crossed the Caledonian Railway. Moreover, there are vestiges of an ancient hospital at Spittal (still called so to this day) some southeast of the Kirk. This again is suggestive of pilgrimages, in search of cures, which is confirmed by the fact that the Chapel was recorded as a valuable commodity at the time of the Reformation.

Prosperity

The soil in Cambuslang was a light loam, suitable for cultivation, but its mineral reserves are what brought modern prosperity. There was a limestone so fine as to be called "Cambuslang marble". This is capable of a very high polish. A good example can be seen in an 18th-century fireplace in the

Duke of Hamilton Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Sco ...

’s old hunting lodge at

Chatelherault Country Park Chatelherault Country Park is a country park in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

near Hamilton. ( James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, was granted the title of Duc de Châtellerault in 1548 for his part in arranging the marriage of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

, to Francis, Dauphin of France). However, coal was mined from the 16th century and ironstone from the 18th, and it was these that brought industrial wealth.

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 ...

started as an offshoot of the Carron iron works in 1786 and by the early 20th century was the largest ironworks in Scotland. It was here, in 1828, that the hot blast was invented by

James Beaumont Neilson James Beaumont Neilson (22 June 1792 – 18 January 1865) was a Scotland, Scottish inventor whose hot blast, hot-blast process greatly increased the efficiency of smelting iron. Life He was the son of the engineer Walter Neilson, a millwri ...

. Clydebridge Steelworks started in 1887. It was linked with Clyde Iron Works just prior to

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

when it became the largest integrated steelworks in the country, producing steel plates for most of the famous ships on the Clyde. Clyde Iron Works finally closed in 1978. Steelmaking at Clydebridge stopped in 1978, the plate mill closed in 1982, but the heat treatment section of the works is still in operation. The extensive ironworks also attracted engineering and manufacturing during the 19th and 20th centuries – the most prominent being Mitchell Engineering and Hoover (since shut down). A

shale oil Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil ca ...

business was present in the mid 19th century. There is also reference to a trade in violet quartz and turkey-red dyeing, associated with the textile industries of nearby Dalmarnock. The standard

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

of the area was used in building – most of the elegant 19th century villas which cover much of today’s Cambuslang were built of sandstone, quarried on the spot, or from several quarries, including two at Wellshot and Eastfield. Nowadays, Cambuslang takes advantage of its proximity to the motorway system and has developed several industrial estates and distribution centres. The Reverend Doctor James Meek wrote the entry for the

(published 1791 to 1799). He writes clearly, elegantly, and enthusiastically. He was a true

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

cleric. On the one hand he records personally-gathered and extensive data on weather, population, farming, industry, history, transport and local personalities. He gets quite carried away with enthusiasm in describing the great improvements brought to Cambuslang in the late 18th century as a result of applying reason and science to practical problems. The opening of the

turnpike road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented ...

to Glasgow was a particular joy. This allowed locals access to a burgeoning market (and allowed them to bring in cartloads of city manure in return). But he lays out a parallel table showing the vast improvements between 1750 and 1790.

The Cambuslang Wark

On the other hand, Meek is rather distrustful of any suggestion of 'enthusiasm' in religion. He realises he is on contentious territory so he affects to tell the whole story of the "Cambuslang Wark" (

Cambuslang Work The Cambuslang Work (or ''Wark'' in the Scots language; February to November 1742) was a period of extraordinary religious activity, in Cambuslang, Scotland. The event peaked in August 1742 when a crowd of some 30,000

) of 1742 with due dispassion. At the top of the gorge, near the kirk, is a ‘natural amphitheatre on the green side of the ravine’ where the Methodist preacher

George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...

came to preach in the open. This was part of the

Great Awakening Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late ...

, or Revival, affecting the whole of the UK and stretching to the colonies in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. As Dr Meek's successor (and son-in-law) Dr Robertson describes it in the Second Statistical Account. It occurred from 15 February until 15 August 1742 under the ministry of the Rev Mr Mcculloch ‘''when in an encampment of tents on the hillside, Whitefield, at the head of a band of clergy, held day after day a festival, which might be called awful, but scarcely solemn, among a multitude calculated by contemporary writers, to amount to 30,000 people.''’ Dr Robertson had inherited his father-in-law’s suspicion of 'enthusiasm'. A centenary event was held on 14 August 1842 attracting from 10,000 to 20,000 participants.

A railway suburb

By the end of the 19th century, many wealthy Glasgow businessmen had built houses in Cambuslang due to its easy accessibility by rail from the city. Many of the heritors had sold off their estates for building. In the late 1860s, Thomas Gray Buchanan sold off the 'lands of Wellshot' on which elegant limestone and slate roofed villas were built. His own mansion house still exists – a very modest early 19th-century country house, situated in Milton Avenue off Buchanan Drive – though it is divided into flats. The original wall to its orchard and garden can be seen on Brownside Road – the limestone blocks are roughly hewn as opposed to more 'modern' villas whose machine-cut stones are very regular.

Population

Dr Robertson also carried on Dr Meek’s other "enlightened" enthusiasms – for collecting detail of the progress of science and industry in Cambuslang, as indicated by a growing population which he tabulates thus: Census data (given in the ''Gazetteer of Scotland in 1901'') shows that the population had grown in 1881 to 5538. By 1891 it was 8323. Dr Robertson says that most of the population lived in 'villages' (really very small hamlets) while the rest lived in 'rural areas'. None of the villages bore the name of Cambuslang (this was the parish). Their names are retained in district names to this day but Dr Robertson recorded the thirteen villages as Dalton, Lightburn, Deans, Howieshill, Vicarland,

, Sauchiebog, Chapelton, Bushyhill, Culluchburn, Silverbank, East Coats, and West Coats.

Heritors

Robertson also gave details of the 'heritors' (the landowners who appointed the minister and schoolteacher and set the rates to pay for them and the poor rate). The most important heritor was still (in 1845) the

but all the estates, big and small, were listed, with their area. Not all these heritors lived in the Parish (for example the Parish Records indicate that the Duke was always represented by a minion), but Dr Robertson opines, ''"The number of families of independent fortune residing occasionally or permanently in the parish is about 5. There are about 7 fatuous persons and 2 blind."'' (Not among the heritors, one presumes.)

Buildings

The buildings of Cambuslang include ancient sites, medieval castle ruins, 18th-century mansion remnants, churches, schools, public buildings, commercial and industrial premises and retail and leisure facilities. There are three, much modified, railway stations. The very diverse domestic architecture comprises 19th-century mansions, villas and tenements, and sheltered and nursing homes constructed from Victorian public buildings. Extensive 20th- and 21st-century housing estates include private and social housing and range from small terraces to high rise flats. The 1960s town centre has recently been redeveloped.

Ruins and remains

*Remains of an

fort can be seen on top of

Drumsagard Castle Drumsagard Castle, near Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, was a motte and bailey castle which was then built of stone. The castle was the caput of the barony of Drumsagard. Drumsagard was held in the 13th century by the Oliphant family, be ...

near Hallside (now within the

Drumsagard Village Drumsagard Village is a new construction village in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire. It is built around the site of Drumsagard Castle and immediately south of the site of Hallside Steelworks, also known as the Cambuslang Iron and Steel Works. On ...

development). A circular mound is all that remains, though the stones were used c1775 to build Hallside Farm. *

Gilbertfield Castle Gilbertfield Castle is a ruined 17th-century castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located at , on the north slope of Dechmont Hill, just outside Cambuslang, to the south-east of Glasgow. History The castle is within the former barony o ...

– a 17th-century fortified house now gently decaying. *Westburn House Do'cote (18th century) – now in the grounds of Cambuslang Golf Club. Westburn House was built in 1685 and demolished at the end of the 19th century. The dovecote is all that remains. It is octagonal, single chambered, with an ogee slate roof, two circular windows and a low door. Around the top, four dove holes and them a continuous stringcourse-cum-pen. Harled in 1978. Inside there are 488 nest-holes with slate perches. *Wellshot House – original early-19th-century mansion house of Thomas Gray Buchanan, on whose lands the late-19th-century villa suburb was built. This is now divided into flats. The walls to his orchard can be seen on Brownside Road, as well as (so it is claimed) the gatehouse.

Churches

* Cambuslang Baptist Church (1895, by William Ferguson). New Testament Greek 'classical style' typical of Baptist churches, with an 'ingeniously planned' Memorial Hall at the rear (1932, by Millar and Black). The Baptist congregation was dissolved in 2022, and the building used by a congregation of The Romanian Church of God. * Cambuslang Flemington Hallside Church (1885, with halls of 1929) in simple lancet style. Located close to

Halfway Halfway or Half Way may refer to: Places Canada *Halfway, New Brunswick, a community in Durham Parish * Halfway, Ontario, a community in Madawaska Valley Ireland *Halfway, County Cork, a village in the Republic of Ireland United Kingdom * Halfwa ...

. * Cambuslang Old Parish Church (1839–41, by David Cousin; chancel rebuilt in 1919–22 to plans drawn up before the First World War in 1913 by MacGregor Chalmers; War Memorial 1921 by MacGregor Chalmers; Halls 1895–97 by A Lindsay Miller, extended 1968). This is the successor to the original and subsequent parish churches, with some memory of its medieval predecessors in its Transitional style, if a bit 'English' in perspective. A stone inscribed 'AMT 1626' inside the spire may be a relic of the first post-reformation kirk. The arms the Heritors are displayed on the walls of the kirk, with those of the Duke of Hamilton, as chief Heritor, appearing a dozen times. The current decorative scheme dates from 1957–58 includes stained glass windows (by Sadie McLellan) showing the Life and Works of St Cadoc, Christ as Head of the Church, symbols of the Passion and Angels. Tapestries, also by McLellan, include an Angus Dei, Burning Bush. The organ of 1896 is by Abbot & Smith of Leeds and was rebuilt in 1968 by

Conacher and Co Conacher and Co was a firm of British organ builders based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. History The firm originated with Peter Conacher (1823–1894), who was born in Scotland and who studied as an apprentice organ builder in Leip ...

of Huddersfield. The bell is inscribed MIH 1612 (for John Houston, a heritor) and CH (Charles Hogg, an Edinburgh bell-founder). Located in the

district of the town. * St Andrews Church of Scotland (1961–66, by Beveridge & Dallachy). This was part of the new town centre 'with many popular mannerisms'. In one courtyard is a relief of 'Christ and St Andrew' (by Thomas Wallen, who also designed the font and chancel pavement). The furnishings and stained glass windows are 19th-century relics from the demolished Rosebank and West Parish churches. The organ is by Compton. The building has served as Cambuslang Parish Church since the 2008 union Cambuslang Old Parish, Trinity St Paul’s, and St Andrew’s. * St Bride's Catholic Church is a small church of 1902, possibly on the site of a medieval chapel dedicated to Our Lady. A stained glass window depicting the calling of Peter and Andrew by Gordon Webster stands near the new entrance. * St Cuthbert's Episcopal Church is the hall of a church planned in 1909 by HD Walton but never built. Land was gifted by Anne, Duchess of Hamilton. * St Paul's United Free Church (1904–05, by Alexander Petrie). * Trinity Parish Church (1897–99, by William Ferguson). Originally a United Presbyterian Church, it is of red Corncockle sandstone in a freely interpreted Perp style, advertising the wealth of the surrounding suburb. The stained glass windows show, in the gallery, the 'Resurrection' by Stephen Adam (after 1914) and, in the east aisle, 'Christ's Entry into Jerusalem' by Gordon Webster (1947).

Schools

* West Coats Primary School. Cambuslang's first school after Cambuslang Public School. During the war it was transformed into a hospital. * St Bride's Primary School (1936, by John Stewart of the county council). Built as an RC Advanced Division school, in his 'particularly severe stripped classical manner'. The school was rebuilt in the 2010s. * James Aiton Primary School (a county council erection of 1974, by Edward Allan) This was part of the post-tenement developments. It was formerly single-storey, circular, open planned and

pre-fabricated Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The term is u ...

. The school was rebuilt in the 2010s. *St. Charles Primary School in

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

was demolished and rebuilt in a new location (several hundred yards further up Westburn road) in the 2010s. The original building followed the same wooden-fronted architecture as the first buildings in Westburn village.

Public buildings

*Cambuslang Institute was erected 1892–98, by A Lindsay Miller; extended in 1906 and 1910. Interior modernised in 1978–83. It carries on the work started by 19th-century weavers and miners determined to educate themselves. *Cambuslang Public Library – a county council erection by John Stewart in 1936–38 – 'one long range with stripped classical detail'. Now closed and demolished (April 2007). *Health Institute (1926, by John Stewart, Lanarkshire County Council architect). It is similar in style to his other buildings if a little more domestic. *New town centre (completed in 1965) replaced all of the northern half of the Main Street with a new shopping precinct and residences set below and further back than the original tenements, allowing the road to be widened. It had a fine sunken public square in a modernist style, approached by heated ramps and featuring a pond with fountains. Surrounding this were two storeys of shops, the upper levels having their own elevated walkway. The whole of this precinct was connected to the older southern half of the Main Street by two pedestrian subways at the east and west ends. Maisonette-style flats were situated above these shops, with the larger slab-style Kyle Court high-rise block situated to the east. Three more brutalist grey residential

tower block A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently ...

s were built further to the west. The central section of this development, incorporating the elevated shops with maisonette flats above, was demolished circa 2004, and the eastern pedestrian subway, located near Greenlees Road, was filled in. The replacement development includes local offices for South Lanarkshire Council and Cambuslang Public Library, as well as shop units directly on the Main Street with flats above. As of 2017, however, some of these shop units have failed to find long-term tenants. A small plaque marks the 2001 renovation of the pedestrian precinct, featuring new landscaping and a

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

depicting key scenes and figures in the town's history.

Domestic architecture

*Social housing is pleasant and varied – cottage-flats 'fit for heroes' (1920s);

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

brick trim on whitened render (1930s); modernist (1950s and 60s) and

brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...

(1960s and 70s). *Suburban villas in various styles, but mostly standard Scottish

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

(with a hint of the Italianate). *Classic Scottish tenements in honey-coloured and red

. *Police Barracks (1911, converted into

sheltered housing Sheltered housing is a term covering a wide range of rented housing for older and/or disabled or other vulnerable people. In the United Kingdom most commonly it refers to grouped housing such as a block or "scheme" of flats or bungalows with a sch ...

in 1982) has an attractive 17th-century doorcase enclosing the arms of Lanarkshire Constabulary. *Cambuslang Public School (1882–83, by A Lindsay Miller; later an annex of Cambuslang College of the Building Trades; presently a nursing home). Has a decorative façade of Tudor-Gothic style, and plainer extensions of pre-1910 nearby. Now a nursing home.

Leisure buildings

* Cambuslang Bowling Club, founded in 1874 when the suburb was laid out, has a classical gateway and pavilion with a miniature Baronial tower (all of which may be later). * Cambuslang Royal Arch Lodge, No.114, is a fine, red sandstone building at 11–13, Tabernacle Lane, dating to 1904. It is home to a Masonic lodge which was founded in 1769, and which formerly had a lodge hall in Kirkhill, South Lanarkshire.

Cinemas

*The Savoy Cinema was built in 1929 for a local company primarily with facilities for theatre use. The architect was

John Fairweather John Fairweather FRIBA (5 February 1867 – 13 January 1942) was a British architect, who specialised in cinemas. Early life John Fairweather was born on 5 February 1867, at 11 Franklin Terrace, Anderston, Glasgow , the son of John Fairweather, ...

, who was the house architect for the Green's cinema chain, although this particular cinema did not initially have any link with that chain. Fairweather was responsible for designing the two largest cinemas built in Britain, the

Green's Playhouse Green's Playhouse was an entertainment complex comprising a cinema, ballroom, tea rooms and other facilities. The Playhouse was at 126 Renfield Street, Glasgow, Scotland, commissioned by ''George Green Ltd'', designed by the architect John F ...

s in Dundee and Glasgow. Fairweather's influences were more neo-classical than art deco, and his cinema interiors, including the Cambuslang Savoy, usually had giant columns along the sidewalls. The classical, monumental facade is a landmark on the Main Street, and was for many years a rather garish shade of yellow. It became a bingo hall around the early 1960s, and was renamed Vogue, although it has since reverted to the Savoy name. The building was run by an independent bingo company, the interior is relatively unspoiled. The building is now transformed into a

Wetherspoon's J D Wetherspoon plc (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It op ...

pub, named The John Fairweather and was externally repainted November 2014, and opened February 2015. The building has been restored, maintaining original features, and now functions as a classic backdrop to a modern pub and restaurant. *The Empire was on the corner of Hamilton Road and Clydeford Road, next to the former gas works, between St Andrew's Church and the bus terminus. The exact opening and closing dates of this cinema are not known, but it seems likely it dates from around the 1920s and was closed as a cinema in the 1950s or 1960s. The building remained in increasing dereliction until demolition around 1986. *The Ritz cinema was built for the ABC chain in 1930 on the site of the current Spar shop. It was designed by William Beresford Inglis, the architect and businessman who later designed and ran the Beresford Hotel in Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street. The Ritz was unusual in that it was an atmospheric cinema, a particular type of design that Beresford specialised in – this meant that the auditorium created the impression of sitting in an outdoor setting, with an open sky above and pseudo-3D buildings along the sidewalls. Inglis generally created these with a Spanish theme, and the Ritz followed this by having its entrance in the form of a large white archway. It was a short-lived cinema, and was closed and demolished in 1960. The Ritz Bar is named after it, and occupies a corner of the site where it once stood.

Industrial buildings

* Rosebank Dyeworks (1881 until 1945) banded with Greek key pattern in white brick on red and visually very striking, with a double pitched roof and bell turret. * Hoover factory (1946 and later) was large and modern and emptied in the late 2000s, with housing built on the site a decade later.

Bridges

There have been three bridges of different types over 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 ...

north of Cambuslang Main Street. In the early 21st century there is a large

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...

on the Cambuslang side of the bridges, and on the other side is the ancient village of

Carmyle Carmyle ( gd, An Càrn Maol) is a suburb in the east end of Glasgow, Scotland, directly north of the River Clyde. It is in an isolated location separated from the main urban area of the city and has the characteristics of a semi-rural village. A ...

, which is administered by the City of Glasgow.

Orion/Rosebank Bridge

The earliest crossing over the river (other than informal fords at crossing points which were unsafe when the water levels rose) was a 19th-century wooden

mineral railway An industrial railway is a type of railway (usually private) that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics, or military site. In regions of the world influenced by British ra ...

bridge. It was constructed in the 1850s and named Orion Bridge in commemoration of a naval tragedy involving a paddle steamer of that name which had occurred a few years earlier. The bridge was also known as ''Rosebank Bridge'' after Rosebank House, the nearby mansion on the Cambuslang side. For a time the Dunlop Family, operators of the

around a mile to the north on the opposite side of the river, were also the owners of Rosebank House, explaining the reason for the desire to link the sites. The private railway linked the iron works to the main Clydesdale Junction Railway lines and also provided a source of fuel from local collieries. The Orion connection would appear to stem from the fact that another previous owner of Rosebank,

shipping Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting Commodity, commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it h ...

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

Sir George Burns Sir George Burns, 1st Baronet (10 December 1795 – 2 June 1890) was a Scottish shipping magnate. Burns was born in Glasgow, the son of Rev John Burns (1744–1839), a Presbyterian minister. George was the younger brother of James Burns ( ...

, had

a brother A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

who died in the Orion incident. The wooden bridge eventually burned down in a fire in 1919, by which time the iron works were linked to the closer Rutherglen and Coatbridge Railway lines and most of the local coal had been exhausted.

Cambuslang/Orion Bridge

Cambuslang Bridge which has been referred to as ''Clyde Bridge'' and later as ''Orion Bridge'', was built in 1892 by Crouch and Hogg. It was built using the steel lattice girder structure commonly used in rail bridges of the time (see Westburn Viaduct, Dalmarnock Railway Bridge in the vicinity) but historical maps do not show it ever having been used by a railway. For 80 years it carried the main road north towards Tollcross 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 ...

but weight restrictions meant it became unsuitable for such heavy use, and in 1976 a replacement was built downstream. Vehicles continued to use the Cambuslang Bridge until 1986 when the Bogleshole Road Bridge was built around half a mile to the north.

Footbridge

Cambuslang Footbridge (constructed by Strathclyde Regional Council in 1977) is the point where 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 no ...

and the National Cycle Route 75 cross from the north to the south bank of the Clyde. In 2015 a feasibility study was conducted on creating a new cycling and walking route which would run along the south (Cambuslang) river bank to Farme Cross in Rutherglen via the Clydebridge Steelworks site. The footbridge is just downstream from the original Cambuslang Bridge, and although becoming overgrown and blocked off from vehicular traffic the older structure is still in place and can be used freely by pedestrians, meaning that for several years there have been two crossings serving the same function only a few yards from one another.

Cambuslang clergy

The Catholic Church

The revenues of the

of Cambuslang (originally Drumsagart) were obviously substantial enough for the priests to carry the title

. One – William Monypenny – had enough to endow a

Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

to Our Lady. These revenues also supported

Vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

s when the Rectors were made Prebendaries and were usually absent, attending to their official duties in Glasgow Cathedral. Cambuslang Parish was obviously a step on the career ladder of ambitious clerics who also had political ambitions. John Cameron (of the Lochiel Campbells) became Bishop of Glasgow – and made the Prebendaries of Cambuslang

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

s of the Cathedral – and went on to hold all the Great Offices of State. David Beaton probably never even visited his Parish on his way up the ladder to become the

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

later murdered by soldiers supporting the

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Both Cameron and Beaton were members of the Scottish aristocracy, as were a number of other Rectors and Prebendaries – such as Lord Claud Hamilton – and the "English Cleric" mentioned below no doubt accompanied the many

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 *Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature *Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 1066 ...

adventurers who came to Scotland at the time. The issues associated with the revenues of Cambuslang, and its entanglement with finding a living for young aristocrats, continued beyond the reformation. The revenues were in the hands of the landowners – the Heritors – who therefore nominated the Ministers, according to the Patronage Act, 1712.

The established Protestant churches

During the years of the Reformation, Cambuslang clergy were sometimes priests of the

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

Church of Scotland and sometimes Ministers of the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

. Several were doughty fighters for

Presbyterianism Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, notably John Howison, while others, such as Patrick Hamilton gave much of their time to (sometimes provocative, not to say scurrilous) poetry.

William M'Culloch William M'Culloch (1691 – 18 December 1771) was Cambuslang clergy, Minister of Cambuslang during the extraordinary events of the Cambuslang Work (1742) when 30,000 people gathered in the hillsides near his church for preaching and Holy Communion ...

organised great preaching festivals on the hillsides near his Kirk, inviting one of the founders of

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

to preach to upwards of 20,000 people. This "Cambuslang Wark" was part of an extraordinary series of revivalist movements which swept Scotland,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

in the 1740s. Subsequently, many of M’Culloch's Elders opposed the Duke of Hamilton's nominee,

James Meek James Meek FRSE (1742–1810) (or ''Meik'') was Minister of Cambuslang from 1774 until his death. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1795, but is most remembered as the model Enlightenment cleric who wrote ...

as his successor, on the grounds that he was unsound in doctrine. Meek was a typical Moderate in the 18th-century Church of Scotland – well educated, ”enlightened”, well-connected – his friend and supporter was William Robertson, Principal of Edinburgh University – and more concerned with good Christian conduct, which often meant good order, than with what he thought of as the more contentious areas of scholastic

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. He won the fight and became a much-loved minister. He was followed in his place by Principal Robertson's nephew. This was

John Robertson John, Jon, or Jonathan Robertson may refer to: Politicians United Kingdom politicians * J. M. Robertson (John Mackinnon Robertson, 1856–1933), British journalist and Liberal MP for Tyneside 1906–1918 *John Robertson (Bothwell MP) (1867–1926) ...

, who died the year before a great split in the Church of Scotland over the long-standing issues, familiar to his predecessor, of

Patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

and doctrine. Later Ministers lived quieter lives. The Robert Blair not only helped translate the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

into

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 ...

, but also found time to translate

Gaelic Poetry The Goidelic or Gaelic languages ( ga, teangacha Gaelacha; gd, cànanan Goidhealach; gv, çhengaghyn Gaelgagh) form one of the two groups of Insular Celtic languages, the other being the Brittonic languages. Goidelic languages historically ...

. Robert Sibbald Calderwood wrote "''Bible Stories''", but also proclaimed his patriotism on the coronation of

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

Other churches

In 1799 some

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

who were not prepared to attend the Parish Kirk, perhaps including some remnants of M’Culloch's Cambuslang Wark, rented a house to hold independent meetings. In 1801, they bought a building, which became known as the Tabernacle, in what is now Tabernacle Lane. David Dale, a Glasgow Merchant who lived nearby, contributed some money for this, and worshipped there himself. Thus began the

Congregational Church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

in Cambuslang. After the Disruption of 1843, a

Free Church of Scotland Free Church of Scotland may refer to: * Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900), seceded in 1843 from the Church of Scotland. The majority merged in 1900 into the United Free Church of Scotland; historical * Free Church of Scotland (since 1900), rema ...

congregation was set up. The Duchess of Hamilton gave land for an

Church to serve the needs of English immigrants who had come to work in the Cambuslang collieries and Hallside Steelworks (

). Later,

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

and other

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 ...

denominations set up chapels, then more substantial churches. Similarly,

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 ...

immigrants from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and the Highlands were served first by a chapel, then a more substantial church. Meanwhile, the growing population of Cambuslang meant that the Church of Scotland had to set up subsidiary churches – the mission church in Hallside, for example – to accommodate the growing population. These eventually became the separate Parishes of the Church of Scotland – Flemington Hallside Church, Trinity Parish Church and St Andrew's Church of Scotland, are remaining examples. Smaller Protestant Churches were also set up – Westcoats Evangelical Church for example, and the

Gospel Hall Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

Clergy of Cambuslang Parish Church

Pre-Reformation

=Rectors

= * William, Rector of Drumsagart, c. 1180 * Conewall, Rector of Cambuslang,c. 1296 * An English Cleric, c. 1319 * William Monypenny, c. 1372 * John de Merton, c. 1387 * William de Fowlis, M.A., c. 1421. * John Cameron, M.A.,c. 1423. Later Bishop of Glasgow * Thomas Roule c. 1430

=Prebendaries

= * Thomas Roule, c. 1430 * John Cameron, c. 1438 * John Raulston, c. 1445 Later Bishop of Dunkeld * John de Ironhose, c. 1458 * Edward de Calderwood,

, c. 1458 * George Graham, c. 1462 *

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

, M.A., c. 1497–1511 * David Burtoune,

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

–

, c. 1500 *

James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland * James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman * James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), S ...

, c. 1503 * David Beaton – later

, c. 1520 * David Hamilton, cleric, c. 1531–1535 * William Hamilton, c. 1552–1570 * John Spreull, c. 1553 * James Lindsay,

, c. 1554 * John Millar,

, c. 1565 * Lord Claud Hamilton, c. 1574

Post-Reformation ministers

* James Lyndesay, Reader, 1560–1572 * Adam Foulis, 1572–1580 * John Howison, 1580–1618 * Robert Hamilton, helper * Alexander Thomson, 1623–1626 * Patrick Hamilton – Curate and poet, 1626–1645 * John Baillie, 1647–1652 * Robert Fleming, 1653–1663 * David Cunningham, Parson, 1663–1688 * Archibald Hamilton, 1688–1723 *

, 1731- 1771 *

, 1774–1810 *

1797–1843 * James S Johnson, 1809–1881 * Robert Blair, 1882–1892 as minister * J E Houston, 1892–1908 as minister * Robert Sibbald Calderwood, 1864 –

References

* Wilson, James Alexander OBE, MD ''A History of Cambuslang: a Clydesdale parish''. Chapter X Ecclesiastical History Jackson Wylie & Co Glasgow (1929) * Porter, Wm Henry ''Cambuslang and its Ministers'' (in Mitchell Library – Glasgow Collection, reference GC941.433 CAM 188520 Box 952)

External links

Images of various existing and demolished buildings and bridges at ''Photos Of Old Cambuslang'' website
{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of Cambuslang Cambuslang