Bearsden
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Bearsden (pronounced "Bears' den") is a town in the northwestern outskirts of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is approximately five miles (eight kilometres) from central Glasgow and is located at Template:Coor dm on the site of the Roman Antonine Wall. Though once an independent Burgh, Bearsden is now one of the main towns under the jurisdiction of East Dunbartonshire Council, along with Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Lennoxtown and Milngavie.
Bearsden was formerly known as New Kilpatrick; indeed, the town's official Gaelic name is still Cille Phàdraig Ùr.
The town is primarily accessible by the A739, A809 and A81 roads, as well as by rail to Bearsden or Hillfoot stations. Key landmarks include Bearsden Cross, Brookwood Library, the Burgh Hall and Bearsden Ski Club.
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Population
Bearsden is primarily an upper middle-class commuter suburb. The majority of its population live in detached houses, travelling into Glasgow each day to work or study. According to the 2001 census of Scotland, the area comprises 10,417 households, with a total population of 27,967. This is an increase of 0.6% (or 161 people) since 1991, when the population stood at 27,806. (There are an average of 2.64 people per household.) Of these, 8,306 are over 55 years old, 17,700 are in social class ABC1, and 6,052 are in social class C2DE. 73% of residents surveyed travel to work by car, 16% by train or bus, 5% by other methods, and 6% work mainly at home. Bearsden is generally thought of as being a rather wealthy area. Certainly, many of Glasgow's most expensive houses are in the Old Bearsden Outstanding Conservation Area.
Notable residents of Bearsden include and have included Rangers F.C. manager Alex McLeish, Pop Idol contestant Darius Danesh, Wet Wet Wet drummer Tommy Cunningham, and snooker player Alan McManus.
History
Roman
The first known settlement on the site of present-day Bearsden was a 2.5 acre (10,000 m²) Roman fort that existed for 20 years in the second century AD. This fort was built on the course of the Antonine Wall and The Military Way, a road that ran parallel to the south of the wall. Indeed, the Castlehill area of Bearsden is so-called due to its proximity to the fort. Little of the fort remains to be seen today. However, close to the fort was a Roman bath-house, built in approximately 142–143 AD. The bath-house's remains were discovered by builders digging foundations for a housing development, in 1973 and today lie well-preserved 150 metres from the town centre.
17th century to 19th century
Modern Bearsden began in an agricultural area as a small hamlet called New Kirk, adjacent to Canniesburn Toll, a water mill at Garscube, and the New Kilpatrick Church, which was first built in 1649. The present-day church was built in 1808. The settlement grew in the middle of the nineteenth century when Glaswegian businessmen built houses at a short distance from the city. As a result, the town centre is mainly Victorian and also lies in the Old Bearsden Conservation Area. In 1863, the Glasgow and Milngavie Junction Railway opened, with a station at New Kirk called Bearsden. This soon became the name of the community.
20th century
Bearsden continued to expand in the twentieth century as residents built large independently-designed villas, estates of bungalows, and other types of houses. Most buildings are of stone. Few sites are now left unoccupied. In 1958, Bearsden became a Burgh, though this was then succeeded by Bearsden & Milngavie District Council in 1975, and East Dunbartonshire Council in 1996.
External link
- Bearsden Cross website (http://www.bearsdencross.co.uk/)