Pollok, Househill and Hurlet

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Postby Bex Bissell » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:02 pm

A pal of mine grew up in Pollok and says that there was and apparently still is "The Witches Tree" somewhere within the Pollok Park, he said that the tree dates back yonks and was the site of hangings and such and local lore has it that its a gateway to the underworld.
Apparently the tree was a magnate even all the years back for people interested in the black arts and a few years back was the site of a particulary gruesom murder, so he says, however I do recall something on Scotland Today and in the papers about the Pollok Park, a tree and Black Magic.
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Postby jim » Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:39 pm

Its there all right but you have to be an initiate (33rd Degree) just to be able to see it.
a pair of stout boots, a stick, and away...
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Postby Alex Glass » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:56 pm

There is a little park called Househill Park where there are trees said to be used for hanging witches.

It was near where Charles Rennie MacIntosh's house designed for Mrs Cranston "Househill House" was built.

I am sure you can still see the iron rings used to tie the rope.

Househill Park would have been part of the Pollok Estate at one time. It is next to Barrhead Road past where they are building the new Silverburn Shopping Centre.
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Postby job78989 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 3:50 am

This tree?

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and perhaps from these chains?

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or so we were told as weans. whit rubbish our parents sometimes passed on. As the trees were just outside the doors of Househill House Built for the Dunlop Family and later purchased by Mr Cochrane Provost of Barrhead (Miss Cranstons Husband) and then some of the rooms were remoddeled by C. R McIntosh.
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Fosil Tree

Postby job78989 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:09 am

Just an aside to the previous post, Househill Park also has a fosilised tree just to the side of the path that runs south of the former Househill House site, this was found in the quarry at nitshill mid 1800's which was owned by the Dunlop family, the quarry was either the one on what is now cleves road or another that was on nitshill Road on the site of lidels store I think. Thereuse to be two fossil trees, they were sited north of the househill Park bridge on the same path as late as the mid 1980's one has now vannished, last I seen it it had been rolled into the levern water but it now seems to have dissapeared!!!!

Here is a pic of the one that remains, but for how much longer?

Can Alex Glass and the other local Councillor do anything to protect it or even find the other one???????

These things have been arround for millions of years, should we destroy them??????


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and just for effect, the vandalised side:

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Do you know Billy?????
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Postby Alex Glass » Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:31 am

Hi job

Happy to take up this matter. Although this is just outside my area I would be happy to discuss this with you further.

I beleive Land Services recently made some improvements to the park and there are plans for CCTV.

As for Billy ! When I get hold of him!
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Vandalism in Househill Park - Nitshill / Hurlet Issues

Postby job78989 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:52 pm

Hi Alex,

It would be useful if you could raise this matter, the fosil that survives clearly needs some form of attention of the good kind, moving it to a safer location with some record placed on the site perhaps. This thing has been on this site for 150 years 100 or so in private ownership, but when the local authority gets control, look what happens! neglect abandonment and loss. I don't know on what terms the land was given over to Glasgow but I am sure that it would have been with an eye to presevation and conservation all of which are sadly lacking.

When I was a youngster Househill Park was a lovely place with a sunken Rose Garden on Haughburn Road, now a metal fenced weed bed! following the installation of the flood prevention barrier, wich also swept away the Flower Garden and lawns seating areas and the wooden bridge over the levern burn. The upper part of the Park on Barrhead road towards Hurlet has also changed perhaps for the better as it used to be an industrial site with mines and chemical works. But it was used as a landfill site in the 1960's with the destruction of the old Nitshill wagon way bridge that connected to the old paisley canal.

This section really concerns me as the only remaining artifact from Glasgows early industrial past is under threat, that is Hurlet House. As I understand it Charles McIntosh of raincoat fame not the architect, lived in this house when he was in partnership with Charles Tenent, they owned the alum works at Hurlet and invented the first bleaching powder wich revolutionised the cloth industry and ultimately set up the St. Rollox Chemical Works wich became ICI Plc. Macintosh raincoats and Bleach seem to me to be two somewhat signficant inventions and the history of this site has almost been obliterated.

Hurlet House was resently a burned out shell although it was still lived in circa 199? I think it is now being renovated or at least I hope so!

Here are a few pics

Nitshill Wagonway Bridge:

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Hurlet House:

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Sorry the pics are crap!

:twisted: As for Billy! you would not be suggesting that this could be another councillor! Ha Ha :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
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Postby crusty_bint » Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:45 pm

I thought this warranted a thread of it's own... fire away you lot :D

House Hill
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The (Mackintosh) Music Room
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The Music Room

Postby job78989 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:49 pm

The music room from househill is in part replicated in the House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park
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Dunlop Family

Postby job78989 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:23 pm

Just noticed that the househill photo also has members of the Dunlop family outside!
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Postby Alex Glass » Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:48 pm

Take your point about the loss of some of Nitshills heritage and the condition of our park.

I noticed that work has begun at the cottage but don't know what is happening. I will need to find out. I didn't know the importance of it's history.

As for Billy. No not a Councillor but he is always causing bother in the local area.

Alex
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Victoria Pit Disaster

Postby job78989 » Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:23 pm

I have collected a lot of information about this tragic event over the years. I had intended to put together a decent article about the subject but never seem to have the time. So I am just going to post a few bits and bods just now given that we have started this thread.

The Victoria pit was in the Nitshill and Craigbank areas of modern glasgow, originally in renfrewshire for anyone who may wish to look further. In a book by McWhirter James Mine ain grey toon the story of Barrhead he identifies that mining for coal had been going on circ.12?? at Hurlet for the monks of Paisley Abbey.

The Nitshill Mine known as the Victoria was a much later venture by the Coats family of Paisley thread fame, On the morning of 15th March 1851 there was a massive explosion at the pit which killed 61 men, this dispite the fact that the ventilation system in the mine was reckoned to be the most advanstanced in existance at the time, the company had plans to exhibit a model of the system at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace, to demonstrate how good it was. This idea was dropped following the explosion.

Tragic as the disaster was, the fact that irritates me most is this. At the time 1851, this was the largest mining disaster ever in Scotland and possibly the uk and no effort was made to commemorate this in the local area.

This was rectified by a memorial next to Nitshill War Memorial placed there by Glasgow District Council, following much local effort and donations from the local traders, trade unions, the local community and the council.

I have added a few images taken from the Illistrated London News in April 1851 and a few very bad pics of the modern memorial.

Nitshill in 1851:

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The Explosion:

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The Freetrader:

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The Funeral of the miners at St. Johns RC in Barrhead:

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The Modern Memorial erected 199?

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And close up:

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and just for good measure, The Nitshill War Memorial:

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Map of Colliery Feb 1851:

Comming Soon if I can manage to stick the 3 bits onto one pic!!!!!!!!
Last edited by job78989 on Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Socceroo » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:18 pm

Fascinating post Job78989, look forward to your next installment.
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Postby Alex Glass » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:54 pm

The Bellarmine Resource Centre produced a Teachers Pack about the Mine Disaster some years ago along with some other booklets on the local area.

Sadly when the funding ran out all there material was lost although there is still a Teachers Pack in the Polok Library. The Levern Community Council commemorated the disaster in 2001 by arrangeing a service attended by the Lord Provost Alex Mosson and local churches and schools. The Teachers Pack was re-packaged and provided to schools to ensure that local school children still had access to the history of this event.

On another subject. The war memorial has the name of John Meikle VC. He died days befor the end of the First World War. A member of the Seaforth Highlanders 4th Battalion, John was killed in action and was postumusly awarded the VC for his heroism during battle. He rushed at the enemy and disarmed soldiers in a German bunker which was causing many deaths and holding up progress. A memorial to John was erected at the railwat station, as he was a former worker there. This memorial was moved to Fort George due to vandalism. There is a brass plaque in the Priesthill/Nitshill Parish Church in Dove Street remebering our local hero. This was previously on display at Levern Primery School, John's old school.

A booklet produced by the Bellarmine Resource Centre was re-produced to include photographs and was passed to the Pollok Kist.

I am currently working on two other booklets produced by the Resource Centre. Giving them a new look and adding some photos. These will aslo be passed to the Kist when I can get then finished. It would be good to get it all into one book and have it professionaly packaged to ensure that the history of Nitshill lives on.

Sorry for not posting photos. As a new member it is taking me all my time to get round the site and learning how to get the most out of the many and varied threads.
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Bellarmine Resource Centre

Postby job78989 » Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:16 am

Bellarmine Environmental Resource Centre really was an inovative project. It was some of the best ever urban aid funding ever used. It paid for four members of staff and funded environmental research, history and most importantly education.

It also provided a valuable hub for many of the southside communities with a practical resource facility in terms of access to things like typewriters, photocopiers etc. This was back in the mid seventies before computers etc. It empowered all sorts of community based groups to promote themselves and to develop much of the social infrastructure that is so sadly lacking today.

As it was based in a school it had a vast impact on the young minds who passed through its library and clubs. Groups such as the Bellarmine Beasties taught children about the areas natural heritage.

Social history projects like Darnley Mill Farm, The Victoria Pit Disaster were developed and research by school children and then written up and published with some assistance from the resource centre staff. Developing not only skills in social history but in the areas of research, writing, art and graphics, printing and publicity, all excellent future life skills.

I still have a copy of some of these and will try to condense them for this site.

The project also held a monthly community meeting dealing with all sorts of local environmental issues from planning to cleansing. This worked well as a local forum as it was regularly attended by the local council officers from various council sections town clerks, planning, architects, housing, social work, parks, cleansing, libraries, education etc. alongside all sorts of local community organisations, tenants associations, local charities, churches etc, all with the same aim of improving the environment.

Some may argue that it clearly failed, however I would suggest that the lack of improvement was mostly due to the vast reductions in public spending in the following decades of neglect and the development in the eighties of a culture of selfishness, mass media, and now celebrity. Rather than considering issues of community or the common weal.

I know this is a bit boring, but hell we desperately need some modicum of togetherness in this city. Sites like HG clearly indicate the goodhearted nature of large sections of the City's people as deeply caring about the place they live. Hopefully new agendas like the respect and anti racism initiatives will engage our young people and alter some of the deeply held predjudices so clearly evident in some sections Glasgow.
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