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This article is about the suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. For the 1980s band, see Easterhouse (band). Coordinates: 55°52′07″N 4°07′26″W / 55.8686°N 4.1240°W
Easterhouse is a mainly post-war suburb to the north-east of the Scottish city of Glasgow. It was partially built on land gained from the county of Lanarkshire as part of a boundary expansion of Glasgow before the Second World War. Construction began in mid 1950's when building by the then local authority, Glasgow Corporation, commenced. The aim was to provide better housing for the people of the east end living in sub-standard conditions. The area is situated on a high elevation north of the River Clyde and south of the River Kelvin and Campsie Fells. The current population (based on the 2001 census) was 26,495, of which 96.85% were born in Scotland.[1] 172 people or 0.63% of this population were born outside Scotland, the lowest percentage in the country.[2]
[edit] History of the areaThe remains of Iron Age Crannogs were found in Bishop Loch, dating from around 700 BC by an archaeological dig in 1898.[3] The Bishops of Glasgow were granted the land on which much of modern Easterhouse was built when the church of Glasgow was elevated into a bishopric in the 1100s. The remains of the bishop of Glasgow's country palace[4] have been revealed by archaeologists from the West of Scotland Archaeology Service next to Bishops Loch (an SSI) at Lochwood. Local oral history talks of the Bishops of Glasgow sailing in a Venetian gondola from Glasgow Cathedral to his palace at Bishops Loch. Hogganfield Loch is the source of the Molindinar Burn next to the Cathedral, so some truth may lie in this claim. The Forestry Commission administers land around Easterhouse under the name 'Bishops Estate',[4] thus maintaining a link to the medieval bishops. The far western and far northern parts of modern day Easterhouse are believed to have been administered by the prebends of Barlanark, called the 'Lands of Provan' but the boundaries of this has never been accurately defined. The fifteenth century mansion house, Provan Hall is a reminder of this ecclesiastical Pre-Reformation Papal administration. The southern and eastern parts of the area, Bartiebeith, Blairtummock, Dungeonhill, Easterhouse, Hallhill, Netherhouse and Commonhead were also part of the Bishopric although granted by Malcolm IV to the Monks of Newbattle a little after 1162 in an un-named charter by permission of Bishop Herbert of the See of Glasgow. The lands remained under the monks until 1268 when Bishop John de Cheyan redeemed the 'lands along the Clud' (Clyde) called Kermyl (Carmyle) - most of the area now comprising modern Easterhouse were included in this grant - to sustain three chaplains to 'minister for the salvation of the Bishop's soul and also for the souls of all the faithful deceased'. [edit] Easterhouse village and the origin of Name EasterhouseIn Timothy Pont's map and manuscript of 1596 the area where the late nineteenth century village of Easterhouse later developed was called 'Conflat'. Variations of this name are contained in the rental book of the Baronie de Glasgow (1513-1570) when it is recorded that one 'Johannes Woyd (John Wood) was rentaller of the 18s 8d land of Conflattis. The William Forrest map of 1816[5] calls the area of the old village Wamnat. Like the nearby village of Whifflet, now in Coatbridge, the term conflat probably deived from corn/wheat flats - flat land where wheat was farmed. The village of Easterhouse was built from the late 1800's in land owned by, and south of, a farm of that name, in the immediate area around where Easterhouse railway station stands. The village was bounded to the north by the Monkland Canal and to the south, almost continuously with, the village of Swinton. Some cottages and other buildings (now a public house) can still be found on and adjacent to Easterhouse Road[6] that were part of the nineteenth century village of Easterhouse. A modern corruption of the ancient Conflats name can be seen at Whamflet Avenue in Easterhouse village.[6] The village's name was derived from Easterhouse Farm. Easterhouse farm was opposite (to the east) to the farm called Westerhouse. Easterhouse farm was located on what is now Millenium Court and Westerhouse near where Errogie Street now stands (off Westerhouse Road). A small group of remaining trees are still present lead to the site of the farm buildings. Other farms in the area included Westerhouse, Netherhouse and Dungeonhill farms, these names are still found in local street names). Other farms, villages[7] and country estates[8] included West Maryston (or Merryston), Queenslie Farm, Netherhouse, Provanhall, Blairtummock and Lochwood.[9] [edit] ArchitectureAuchinlea [1] and Blairtummock parks both contain listed mansion houses. Provan Hall[2] is the best-preserved medieval fortified country house in Scotland.[3] The house stands on its own grounds on the edge of Auchinlea Park[4]. The building dates from before 1460 and is one of the oldest in the Glasgow area. The original doors lead into the kitchen, a dairy and a hallway. The Kitchen boasts a fireplace capable of roasting an ox and has one of the finest examples in Scotland of a Roman style barrel vaulted ceiling. The cross vaulting in the dairy ceiling is medieval. On the upper floor, the dining hall contains an ancient oak table and dumbwaiter. There is a collection of historic chimney pieces. The hall may have been visited by Mary, Queen of Scots while her husband, Lord Darnley was ill in St.Nicholas Hospital (Provans Lordship) in the late 1500s. Provanhall has a boundary wall dating from 1647. The coat of arms of the Hamilton family, which at that time owned the estate, is found above the entrance arch of that wall. Across the courtyard is a later building, Blochairn House, which today is occupied by Greater Easterhouse Environmental Trust. Built by a Tobacco Lord, Blochairn House was remodeled in 1760 to resemble the plantation house on his Jamaican tobacco estate. Both Blochairn and Provanhall are category A listed by Historic Scotland (1970)[5]. The houses were served by the now Provanhall Loch, now artificially banked and part of Provanhall Park. A formal parterre garden is to the north of both listed buildings. Provanhall is now the headquarters of the local preservation trust. Blairtummock House [6] and adjoining walled garden and garden house is category B listed (1990)[7]. The garden pavilion was created from a demolished Robert Adam house on Queen Street, Glasgow. The house was built in at least four phases, late medieval (1580's)[[8]], Georgian (1721), Victorian (1830's) and minor alterations in the 1960’s. As the house was enlarged, the farm land surrounding the house was developed into an estate and when the Blairtummock estate and house was purchased from the Lamberton family in 1954, for development of housing, it consisted of 103 acres[9]. The Lamberton family owned the Lamberton and Co Ltd engineering steel works in Coatbridge[10]. The Lamberton and Co Ltd works (from 1870) are now listed buildings themselves[11]. The house and gardens were restored in 2008-2009, partly as offices by the GEDC (Architects, Simpson and Brown, 2006)[12]. The restored building includes a modern extension replacing the 1960s alterations, so adding a fifth phase of building [13]. The walled gardens have had the original parterre restored. The tree lined drive way to the house has been resurfaced and additional planting has restored the parkland setting of the house. St Benedict's Church (Gillespie Kidd and Coia 1962-65)[14] is a prominent example of modernism. It was category B listed in 1994 together with the adjoining Presbytery[15] The church was renovated in 2005-6, given a new copper roof and function rooms.[16]. The church was built on the site of Craigend Cottage. The woodland surrounding the church, Craigend Wood, is named after this cottage and farm. Other modern architecture includes the Easterhouse Health Centre (Gareth Hosins Architects, 2004) [17], The Bridge , Wellhouse community centre (Chris Stewart Architects, 2004) [18] and a new College building. The Bridge was short-listed in the RIAS Awards, and won the Design Award from the Glasgow Institute of Architects. The Bridge was highly commended at the SURF awards in the Partnership category. Originally and better known as Easterhouse Pool, The Bridge is also home to Glasgow Club Easterhouse Pool, Visual Statement (Dance Company), and Easterhouse Library. Glasgow Fort, built on the grounds of Provanhall house and park of the same name, is a large, semi-circular, traditional street style shopping centre. [edit] Public ArtPublic art installations include a Clydesdale horse and a Phoenix sculpted from galvanized steel by noted artist Andy Scott.[10] The Phoenix was designed to represent the regeneration of the area and is located in a prominent location on Easterhouse road, in the grounds of the old Easterhouse farm. The Easterhouse mosaic (1982-4) is located on Lochend Road.[11] It covers 1500 square feet - making it the UK's biggest hand made mural and one of the largest in Europe. [edit] Housing and the modern estateLarge-scale building commenced in the mid-1950s by the Corporation of Glasgow, replacing farms and country estates, to provide housing[12] for city residents living in sub-standard accommodation in the city. The old village of Easterhouse was not developed with the new estate and declined. The old railway station was demolished (later replaced with a modern train station building), together with a small number of the houses. The 1950-70's housing was an improvement from the tightly packed tenements that many people moved to Easterhouse from. These tenemented dwellings had double bedrooms and interior bathrooms with a lavatory. The population peaked at over 56,843[13] in the early 1960s and is now around 26,000.[1]. The Scottish Public Health Observatory 2008 report on the life expectancy, Smoking levels and unemployment show that Easterhouse has lowers levels of life expectancy and higher levels of smoking and unemployment levels than Scotland, though both levels of the latter are falling by large percentages. [19] Easterhouse, along with other large housing projects built at that time by Glasgow Corporation, came to prominence in the wider world through its social problems and became a case study for social planners hoping to avoid the same types of problems. For example, the lack of basic amenities, such as shops, sports and other recreational grounds and cinemas, poor transport links and etc. Housing was mainly of the two/three bedroom tenement type, off a common close. The lack of variety of housing types, such as detached and semi detached house types created a somewhat monotonous and bland townscape. This along with a lack of any stable pre-existing community structure and unemployment in the area contributed to the rise of youth gang culture. This became so notorious in the 1960s that celebrities including Frankie Vaughan became involved in community issues in an attempt to bring order and attract resources to the area. This was much to some local bemusement as it served to focus public attention on surface problems but failed to address grass root problems, such as high unemployment and the lack of facilities. The late 1960s and 1970s saw the construction of a large indoor shopping centre, later named Shandwick Square, local area shops, Easterhouse Library, Pool and community centre, local schools (both primary and secondary) churches and in the early 1980s, the health centre (GP Surgery and Dentist). Since the early 1980s Glasgow City council and more recently Glasgow Housing Association began a program of renovation, demolition and refurbishment of the housing stock, replacing the old style tenement housing with detached and semi-detached houses. This has attracted significant amount of privately owned property and investment into the area, including the provision of better transport links and amenities. Housing is now mainly under local housing associations such as Easthall Park, Blairtummock and Bishops Wood. [edit] AmenitiesShopping areas include the Glasgow Fort, which is a high street style retail park. It has many well-known high street stores, including Morrisons Scottish flagship supermarket, several restaurants including Pizza Hut and Frankie & Benny's. The Fort has excellent transport links, being built at junction 10 of the M8. There is a smaller shopping centre, Shandwick Square, which contains a McDonalds Restaurant. Several small, village style shopping areas are scattered throughout the suburb. There are two Business Parks, Glasgow and Westwood. Glasgow Business Park were built to the west of the nineteenth century village. Businesses located in the park include Home Scotland, Lovell Partnership Scotland, Real Radio, Miller Homes, MFI Distribution and Iveko Ford. Queenslie has a large Industrial Park. Local parks include Blairtummock, Provanhall. Bishopswood is a local nature reserve and SSI. Drumpellier Country Park lies to the east of the estate in North Lanarkshire. The surrounding countryside includes 11 sites of SSI and local nature reserve, including Craigend Moss, Todds Well, Bishops Loch LNR and Gartloch woods[20]. Other waterways and country parks around the area include Lochend Loch, Woodend Loch, Hogganfield Loch [21] and Drumpellier Country Park [22]. Leisure facilities include the Easterhouse swimming pool, sports centre, library, and an arts centre (see The Platform above) (which includes a lecture hall). Easterhouse has a resident artist, sponsored by the Scottish Arts Council, currently Katy Dove.[23] The area is served three primary schools - Provanhall, Oakwood, St. Benedict's, and one High School, Lochend Community High School.[24]. The John Wheately College[25] has two campuses in the area - next to Westwood Business Park and in Queenslie Industrial Park. [edit] Sainthood for Saint John OgilvieIn 1967, Easterhouse resident, John Fagan, had a miraculous remission of stomach cancer after praying to then Blessed John Ogilvie. After investigation by the Roman Catholic Church John Ogilvie was canonised by Pope Paul VI, in 1976, and he became Scotland's first saint since the reformation and for over 700 years[26]. [edit] Bibliography
[edit] References
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