Glenboig & Annathill

Glenboig

Situated north of Coatbridge, at the beginning of this century Glenboig was a thriving industrial village was famous for the production of fireclay products. The population of the village increased from only 120 in 1860 to 1,500 in 1890 and nearly all the houses in Glenboig formerly belonged to the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company whose works were said to be the largest of their kind in the world. The reputation of the goods produced at the works was such that medals were awarded from all over the world including awards from Chile, India and Australia.

The village of Glenboig prospered in the mid 19th century with the development of the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company  (read the story) There was an increasing demand for its quality fireclay product from home and abroad. The works were, at one time, believed to be the largest in the world.

If Glenboig's main industry was Fireclay, another important spoke in the industrial revolution was the railways. The Monkland and Kirkintilloch was started in 1824, and opened in 1826, running from, Palacecraig, up through Coatbridge and Gartsherrie, and immediately to the East of the Glenboig village. It has a claim to be Scotland's first actual "railway", putting it among the first few in the world.  
A few years later, in 1831, the Glasgow and Garnkirk line opened, running on the other side of Glenboig, joining the Monkland and Kirkintilloch at Gartsherrie. Interestingly, these were the earlier Scottish lines to use locomotives. Both were built almost exclusively to carry coal but each, however, developed an increasing volume of other freight and of passenger traffic.

The village of Glenboig was not all belching chimneys, fire brick and screeching trains. Its first church was built around the middle of the 1800s. The village's first school was built in 1875-6, with two rooms and places for 177 children. This building had to be abandoned earlier in 1900s due to subsidence, and it has now been replaced.

In 1999 residents got together to discuss the problems affecting their local environment. As a result the Glenboig and North Central Environmental Group was established with the aim of addressing local environmental issues. Glenboig Village Park was created.

Annathill

Annathill

The name Annathill is thought to mean the site of a patron saint's church and early settlement in the area is proved by prehistoric ritual and burial sites. The
later history is of a mining village near the pithead of the former Bedlay Colliery and the population of the village in 1981 was 149.

Bedlay Colliery

Bedlay was opened in 1905 by William Baird & Co. It was established to produce high quality coking coal for the Gartsherrie Iron Works. In 1969 there were almost 1000 men employed at Bedlay and they produced some 250,000 tons annually.  The mine closed in 1981 and the mineshafts were filled the following year.

Davie Reid rememberd working in the snow at Bedlay! The walls of the Electrical Workshop did not reach the roof, and when there was a north easterly wind blowing, the snow used to come in and cover the motors they were working on! He remembers it as a very cold place and can still feel the shivers.

William Baird & Co built three rows of houses (pictured above) for workers in Bedlay Colliery.  Collectively named Annathill Terrace the miners named them as Front, Middle & Back Row. There were eight large houses in Back Row.   They had 3 apartments, indoor toilets, and front & back doors.  The remainder of the houses had two rooms - a living room and a bedroom.  A cupboard with a sink and running water acted as the scullery and was in the living room.

This is a view of Annathill looking North towards Mollinsburn (c1910?).  The houses of Annathill Terrace and the Mission Hall have long gone but recently new private houses have been built on the site.  In 1985 a travellers site was built at, what was, the eastern end of the terrace.  Until recently Annathill had less than 20 permanent residents - the population has now increased to over 150.

 
Summerlee Heritage Park - Brick Collection  - Just a small part of the Summerlee Collection managed by Matthew Hulme

Clay & Bricks - The story of Glenboig Union Fireclay Co

The International Brick Collectors Association California  If you're a brick collector, you may be interested in this organization: The International Brick Collectors Association (IBCA),

Glenboig Village Park