Monklands Memories - Airdrie & Coatbridge areas

The Early History"

THE MONKS

In the 12th century King Malcolm gave all the land in what later became known as the Monklands to the Monks of Newbattle. They had a courthouse or chapel and a tithing centre at Kipps, on the banks of Cullen's Burn, not far from the Cromlet, off Yetts Hole Road (on present Kipps Farm). Most of the area around the north east of Coatbridge was known as Kip or Kyp or Kipps. It is believed that Kipps land extended to Coatdyke in the south and to Whinhall in Airdrie.

The chapel was used more for civil than religious matters and was last used in 1740. In it they held, annually, three principal Baron Courts, at which they collected the rents or tithes of such farms as were let by them to tenants. The chapel was destroyed in the late 1700's and the ruins were completely removed by an enterprising farmer in the latter part of the nineteenth century to make way for a cornfield.

The Monks Road ran along Aitchison Street, turned north at what is now Manor Drive (parallel to the aptly named MonksCourt Avenue), past a small pond on the Airdrie estate, across "The Moss", past Kippsbyre and on to the Cromlet. The monks would have used this route on their way to/from other mills in Carnbruth (Carnbroe) and Rosehall.

BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE

Bonnie Prince Charlie visited "The Moss" in 1746. After the battle of Prestonpans the Prince's army marched via Falkirk to Glasgow. However the Prince and his entourage, decided to travel light, and take the higher but shorter route via Bathgate and rested for the night in Airdrie. The sight of the fine chargers and the fine uniforms instilled some fear and awe among the locals.

After a memorable night, when the town was drunk dry, the cavalcade took it's leave (without paying the bill) and departed down Burnie Brae, over "The Moss", via Kipps and the Cromlet to rejoin the main force on the road to Glasgow.

LOCAL FARMS

In the eighteenth century the area around "The Moss" was almost totally devoted to farming.

Kippbrigg is shown in General Roy’s map (1750) as being located on the east bank of the North Burn beside the old Kipps Bridge (at the bottom of Burnbank Street - beside Cameron Street - on the B803).

Kipps is further east on the B803 and contains the original site of the Monks tithing centre. It was once part of the estate of Colonel Buchanan of Drumpelier and was later owned by the Baird family. The farm is no longer active but the fields are leased for grazing. The old entrance to Kipps is close to the huge Wendy type treehouse.

Kipps House c1960

Kippspark, located to the north of "The Moss" seemed to disappear at the end of the 19th century.

Greenside was located at the top of Burnbank Street near the Red Bridge and was taken over by the gas works in the latter half of the 19th Century.

East Raw or Easter Raw was located around lower Burnbank Street and Chisholm Street.  It was at one time owned by the Bairds. In the 1800’s the land contained two small coal mines. Most of this farm disappeared under Gasworks and housing. The last of the farming activities ceased in the 1960’s when Greenside Street estate was added.

Leaend (Simpson’s Farm) was in the north-east corner of "The Moss". Local people remember sheep grazing and fields of hay and corn and climbing the haystacks. This farm, which included the land around Mosside Mine, was over 200 years old when it was demolished in the 1960’s.

Leaend Farm c1930 by the late Andrew Muir
Andrew was the son of a railwayman and was born and brought up in Garden Square within sight of Leaend Farm.   He painted for pleasure but  sometimes sold his artwork to  a good home.  

Kippsbyre farm still exists but most of the land has been sold off and farming has ceased. Some fields are leased for grazing.

Burnfoot - (Hamilton’s Farm at the foot of the Virtuewell Burn) is still active and also uses some fields on the edge of the park for cattle grazing.  "Hammy's Farm" was the site of the "Virtuewell" - a famous SPA up until the late 19th century.  It is also the site of the "Gallows Hill"  - not much is known about this area but the title deserves investigation??

Whinhall was situated in the area where Whinhall Road, Wilson St and Whinhall Avenue are today. The house was at the junction of Wilson Street and Whinhall Avenue. Little is known about it but the owner, David Fleming, died in 1797 from injuries received from highwaymen when riding in from Whin Hall to Glasgow.

The 350-year-old Mosside Farm, lies to the west, almost in the centre of the bowl shaped valley. In the 1800’s the farm was very much smaller. The central part belonged to the Airdrie House Estate and the eastern end was part of Leaend Farm. In 1993, the farm was proving to be too small to be profitable and sadly the Shanks family sold their interests in it to a an embryo property development company.

Kippsbyre, Burnfoot, Thrashbush and Mosside Farms formed part of the estate of the Nisbetts of Cairnhill in the 1800's.