Memories of
Kingshill and
Gartcosh
John Duncan
My love affair
with the village of
Gartcosh started at
the Crossmyloof Ice
Skating Rink in
1949, when a pretty
young girl called
Mattie McKendrick
Miller skated up to
me and renewed a
brief acquaintance
that we had made the
previous week at the
Kelvin Hall Ice Rink
in Glasgow.
Six weeks later we
were engaged to be
married, and in
1951, after tying
the matrimonial
knot, we were on the
Liner ASTURIAS,
sailing to
Melbourne,
Australia, as
"ten-pound
tourists".
Between 1949 and
1951, and in later
years also, I was to
learn more about
Gartcosh and
district, and having
been brought-up in
the big-smoke of
Glasgow, I came to
love the village
life. Mattie's
parents, John &
Janet Miller, owned
a house on 3 acres
of land at 2
Kingshill Cottages,
which were located
on the Gartsherrie &
Coatbridge side of
Smith & McLean's
huge Strip-mill,
separated from the
cottages by the
Glasgow to
Coatbridge railway
line.
It is said that the
Mill was built upon
the former Woodneuk
Estate, and as it is
known that the
Kingshill Cottage[s]
was once a hunting
lodge, and are shown
on an 1864 map of
Gartcosh, I believe
that it would be
reasonable to assume
that this hunting
lodge would have
formed part of the
Woodneuk Estate.
Also shown in this
old map are three
small coal-mines,
located "over the
fence" on the
eastern side of 2
Kingshill, and
designated:
Harhill [Haghill?]
Pit, Old Pit and Old
Coal Pit.
The first time I
visited Kingshill, I
took the Gartcosh
bus from Glasgow,
which terminated at
the Co-operative,
and I walked down
the main street of
the village, and I
was rather struck by
the friendly
greeting of the
villagers to me - a
stranger!
At the bottom of the
hill I walked past
the fish & chip
shop, under the
railway bridge, and
still following the
road, passed the
Gartcosh Pub, and a
bit further on
turned left down a
lane, and crossing a
bridge over a Burn,
I could see the
double-storey
edifices of the two
Kingshill Cottages,
sitting rather
majestically on
their elevated site.
No. 1 Kingshill was
owned by a Mr & Mrs
Butler, who lived in
the top floor of
their property and
had converted the
lower rooms into two
self contained flats
which they let out.
As I entered the
front garden of
Mattie's home I was
confronted by three
large dogs who came
tearing round from
the back garden,
barking like mad,
and the largest of
them almost toppled
me over as it barged
straight into me.
What a welcome! I
was scared stiff and
did not know whether
to turn tail and run
for my life.
But the dogs were
only giving me a
friendly welcome and
I later found out
that the one who run
into me was totally
blind.
Mr. Miller used his
front lawn as a
bowling-green and
maintained it in
splendid condition,
and insisted that
all his children
pitched in and
shared the work.
Most of his back
garden was
beautifully
cultivated, growing
many varieties of
vegetables and
fruits which,
together with the
tomatoes grown in
his heated
greenhouse, served
to grace the Miller
table, with enough
left over for their
friends.
To be continued -
part 2
John
Duncan, Gisborne,
Victoria, Australia.
