Neilston
Neilston (
Neilston is mentioned in documents from the 12th century, when the feudal lord Robert de Croc, endowed a chapel to Paisley Abbey to the North. Neilston Parish Church—a Category B listed building—is said to be on the site of this original chapel and has been at the centre of the community since 1163. Little remains of the original structure.[4] Before industrialisation, Neilston was a scattered farming settlement composed of a series of single-storey houses, many of them thatched. Some domestic weaving was carried out using local flax. Water power from nearby streams ground corn and provided a suitable environment for bleaching the flax.
The urbanisation and development of Neilston came largely with the
Although
History
Local historians have proposed various theories for the origin of the name Neilston.
Despite this, some writers have given etymological explanations which post-date 1163. For instance, it has been written that "Neil" was a
Before its recorded history began, and possibly before its founding, the territory of what became Neilston is known to have formed part of the ancient
In the Middle Ages Neilston's position in the Barrhead Gap, a pass linking Ayrshire to Glasgow, gave it strategic importance.[13] Robert Croc may have had a fort or watchtower at Coldoun in Neilston in the 12th century. "Doun" is a corruption of "dun" meaning castle or fort, and the prefix perhaps implies the lack of physical warmth within the tower or the greeting received by unwelcome guests.[13] Despite this distinction of local importance, Neilston remained a scattered community of small dwellings and farms, changing only with the arrival of the Industrial Revolution.[11]
In the 17th century Neilston shared in a national hysteria about
The foundations of a textile industry in Neilston were laid by the monks of Paisley Abbey who mastered the local woollen trade in the Middle Ages.
Crofthead Mill (known locally as Neilston Mill) was established in 1792.[18] It was one of seven large cotton mills on the banks of the River Levern between Neilston and Dovecothall, and although it closed for business in the early 1990s,[18] it is the only industrial structure from this period still standing.[19] Because of the large size of the complex, coupled with its short distance from the main residential core of Neilston, it was described in 1830, at the peak of the industry's prosperity, as "a little town of its self".[9] Other mills and factories have existed but have been demolished, however Broadlie Mill from around 1792 is currently still a working site now called Clyde Leather[20] and Gateside village[21] now mainly a residential area with no signs of the Spinning Mill.[9]
Following its period of rapid industrialisation, in 1904 about 400 mill houses were constructed forming Lintmill Terrace and its neighbouring streets in what was then the non-contiguous Holehouse area of the Parish of Neilston. Additional housing schemes in the 1920s and 1930s led to Holehouse and old Neilston becoming a single continuously connected urban area,[11] described as that of a "sizable small township".[13] Since this time, much rebuilding and further expansion has taken place.[13] Gentrification projects since 2000 have included the refurbishment of the parish church in 2004, an experimental public space renewal initiative in 2005[22] and the renovation of Nether Kirkton House, a mansion.
Governance
Neilston is represented by several tiers of elected government. Neilston Community Council forms the lowest tier of governance whose statutory role is to communicate local opinion to local and central government.
The territory of what became Neilston anciently formed part of the
Neilston forms part of the multi member ward 1 of East Renfrewshire Council, namely Neilston, Uplawmoor and Newton Mearns North. Four Councillors are elected using the proportional Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. The current elected members are Charlie Gilbert (Conservative) Paul O'Kane (Labour) Elaine Green (Labour) and Tony Buchanan (SNP).
Neilston is part of the
Geography
At 55°47′4″N 4°25′24″W / 55.78444°N 4.42333°W (55.784°, -4.423°) Neilston is in Scotland's
The topography of the areas around Neilston are varied. To the east, the land is relatively flat, but to the south and west it is steeper, rising to heights of 400–900 ft (122–274 m) above the level of the River Clyde.[28] The highest points in the surrounding areas are Neilston Pad and the Corkendale-law, at about 853 and 900 ft (260 and 274 m) above sea level, respectively.[28] Neilston Pad is characterised by a craggy face on its eastern side.[29] Between these hills is the valley of the River Levern. In this valley is the A736 to Barrhead.[28] The soil in the eastern parts of Neilston is a dry loam, occasionally intermixed with gravel. The soil in the hills near Neilston is considered to be largely infertile, whilst to the south and southwest there is an expansive moorland which extends as far as Darvel and Strathaven.[28] The local geology is represented by basalt.[30] The surrounding landscape is dominated by Duncarnock, the resistant core of an ancient and long extinct volcano, known locally as 'the Craigie'.[15]
Neilston experiences a
Neilston's town centre is characterised by its mixture of 19th and 20th century detached cottages, single and two-story buildings. Several mansion houses were built for the owners of former mills and factories.
The Killoch Burn and glen, on the other side of the Levern northwest of Neilston are associated with witches, because at low water the numerous pot-holes or rock-cut basins have worn into one another, giving the area an unusual shape. Locals named some of these the witch's floor, hearth, cradle, water-stoup and grave.[31]
Demography
Neilston | East Renfrewshire | Scotland | |
---|---|---|---|
Total population | 5,168 | 89,300 | 5,062,011 |
Foreign born | 1.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
Over 75 years old | 4.8% | 6.9% | 7.1% |
Unemployed | 3.5% | 2.5% | 3.9% |
According to the
The median age of males and females living in Neilston was 37 and 38 years respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years for those in the whole of Scotland.[32] Forty six percent were married, 3.2% were cohabiting couples, 11.3% were lone parent families and 25.5% of households were made up of individuals.[34]
The place of birth of the village's residents was 98.5% United Kingdom (including 94% from Scotland), 0.4% Republic of Ireland, 0.4% from other European Union countries, and 0.8% from elsewhere in the world.[32] The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 45.4% in full-time employment, 11.4% in part-time employment, 5.2% self-employed, 3.5% unemployed, 4% students with jobs, 4% students without jobs, 11.4% retired, 4% looking after home or family, 6.8% permanently sick or disabled, and 3.5% economically inactive for other reasons.[35] Compared with the average demographics of Scotland, Neilston has low proportions of people born outside the United Kingdom, and people over 75 years of age.[32]
Following the
Economy
Long existing as a
Due to its supply of
Neilston Agricultural Show is a cattle show, sheepdog trial and sports and arts festival held near the village on the first Saturday of every May with a tradition beginning in the early 19th century.[5][41] It began as a result of a dispute between two farmers from the village. Each farmer had a prized bull that he said was better than the other's. In a bid to settle the argument, the farmers arranged a contest that would be judged by the other farmers in the area. It is not documented who had the better bull, but the contest grew into an annual event that has become a local custom which is celebrated each year at the end of the show with the burning of a 50 ft tall wickerman.[41]
Although agriculture continues to a limited extent on the village's outskirts, Neilston's textile processing industry has diminished. Since
In 2005 the
Landmarks
A chapel at Neilston was first recorded in 1163 in a charter of
In 1559, in the
Crofthead Mill in Neilston is a Category B listed building.[49] It is Neilston's largest and oldest cotton mill, dating in part from 1792 but predominantly 1880 after much of the original building was destroyed by fire.[19] The mill is now used by J & M Murdoch & Son Ltd., a transport, waste disposal and recycling company.[50] Nether Kirkton House is a mansion and the former home of whisky heiress Marion Buchanan.[51] It was Category B listed but had this status removed in 2017.[52]
Transport
Travellers historically used the Levern Valley as a route to and from the Ayrshire coast. An ancient road from Glasgow to Kilmarnock known as the Flush was the most common path and can still be seen near Neilston.[11] The major A736 road (Lochlibo Road) from Irvine to Braehead runs to the north of Neilston. The nearest motorway is the M77, of which Junction 4 at Newton Mearns is the interchange for Neilston.
Neilston railway station, opened 1 May 1903, is the western terminus of the Cathcart Circle Lines from Glasgow Central station. The station is managed by ScotRail[53] and is 11+3⁄4 miles (19 kilometres) southeast of Glasgow Central. It was constructed when the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway built its line through the village to the coast at Ardrossan.[54] Neilston Low was a Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway station, but closed in 1966.
The closest airport is
Education
A school for children of
Neilston Primary School was founded in 1880 and the current building was built in the late 1960s with an open-plan extension completed in 1991, With a new campus plan in 2023 shared with St. Thomas'.[56] The school roll was 350 in June 2005.[56] St Thomas' Primary, linked with the local Catholic church of the same name, was built in 1964 in Broadlie Road beside the church where the old building was demolished.[37] The school roll was 186 in 2007.[57]
Both buildings are planned to be demolished and a new shared campus is under construction behind the current location of Neilston Primary, which was opened in late March 2024..
Sports
Neilston F.C. is a football club playing in the West of Scotland Football League (established in 2020 - previously the club operated within the Scottish Junior Football Association since their establishment).[58] Formed in 1945, they operate from the Brig O' Lea Stadium in Neilston and play in red and white kits. Their nickname is 'The Farmer's Boys',[59] and their anthem is the folk song, A Farmer's Boy.
There are two 11 a-side grass football pitches at Kingston Playing Fields in Neilston, these are maintained by
Neilston Leisure Centre has a 25-metre (82 ft) swimming pool and a gym. Activities in the leisure centre include casual swimming, swimming lessons, pool fun sessions, fitness classes, sauna, gym sessions.[61] It has a mural from the 1960s.
Neilston has two
The Neilston Agricultural Show (an annual
Neilston formerly hosted two senior football clubs which played in the Scottish Cup in the 1870s and 1880s - Glenkilloch F.C. and an earlier Neilston F.C.
Public services
Neilston forms part of the Western water and sewerage regions of Scotland.
Policing in Neilston is provided by
Notable people
People from Neilston are called Nulsoners.[15]
References
- ^ Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba ~ Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland
- ^ List of railway station names in English, Scots and Gaelic – NewsNetScotland Archived January 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
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- ^ a b McCaig, Donald (24 July 1988). "Seeing Sheepdogs Have Their Day". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
- ^ a b c d "Neilston". portaltothepast.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
- United Kingdom Census 2001 (2001). "People of East Renfrewshire". East Renfrewshire Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2007.)
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External links
Media related to Neilston at Wikimedia Commons