Gartcosh

Blaeu's map[5] based on Pont's original[6] "Glasgow and the county of Lanark" map c.1596 depicting Gartcaiſh amongst others.

The name Gartcosh might be derived perhaps from the Gaelic 'Gart' meaning 'field' and 'Cos' meaning 'hollow'. Alternatively "enclosure of the foot" has been suggested.[7] Several old documents show Gartcosh (spelled Gartcash), including maps by Pont, Forrest,[8] and William Roy.[9]

Though originally an agricultural village, Gartcosh is better known for its role in Scottish industry.[10] In the early 19th century there were a number of mines in the local area, and the first railway to service Gartcosh was used to transport coal to Glasgow. By 1837 there was a railway station, or to be more accurate a stopping place as there were no platforms or waiting rooms.

The Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway 1846

From the mid-19th century onwards, Gartcosh became prominent in industry with the opening of iron works[11] and fireclay works.

Gartcosh Fireclay Works was established by James Binnie in 1863. Although mostly concerned with firebrick manufacture, during the early years its output was much more varied, extending to garden vases and pedestals, garden edges, fountains, chimney cans, roof tiles, cattle troughs, sewage pipes and other products.[12] It was one of a group of such businesses in the area, with others at Cardowan, Garnkirk, Cumbernauld, Heathfield and Glenboig.[13] The fire clay works at Garcosh at the end of the 19th century was owned by the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company Limited.[14] Gartcosh Fireclay Works eventually closed down in the 1950s, when local supplies of fireclay were exhausted.

In 1865, Gartcosh became the home of Woodneuk Iron Works owned by William Gray & Co. It was bought by Smith & McLeans in 1872 and subsequently Colville's steel mills. British Steel Corporation took ownership of the Colville's steel mill in Gartcosh in 1967 and operated until its closure in February 1986. The main steel mill building was demolished around 1994–95. The galvanising plant - latterly a storage shed for oversized products produced in the mill building - was used by a paper recycling company, Stirling Fibre, between October 1990 and October 2001. After this company relocated, the building was demolished in 2002.

Smith & McLeans had considerable trouble purchasing the land for the extension of the steelworks from the original land owners. Most of Gartcosh at the time was owned by two strict presbyterian spinster sisters who were unswayed by the considerable financial offerings of the company. They eventually relented, on the condition that no public house, betting shop or Catholic church would ever be housed within the Gartcosh boundaries. This agreement still holds to this day.

For this reason, Chapman's public house is built immediately outside of the natural boundary of Gartcosh (a small burn running to Glenboig). In the 1960s, there was a successful application for licensed premises, under the label of Gartcosh Works Social Club. There has never been a licensed bookmakers in Gartcosh. The resident Roman Catholic population travel to the neighbouring towns of Muirhead, Glenboig or Coatbridge to practise their faith.[15][16]

The Co-operative store was established in the late 19th century, situated at the junction between Old Gartloch Road and Lochend Road. The store closed down, date unknown, and has had a variety of uses since then. The building, known locally as the old Co-op Building, has three flats above the shop which are now privately owned and occupied.

Gartloch Hospital was opened as in 1896. It was built on the Gartloch Estate which had been bought by the Glasgow City Council for nearly £8,600. It was then handed over to the Glasgow District Lunacy Board as a site for an asylum for the poor people of Glasgow.[17]

Scottish Crime Campus Gartcosh from the air

Gartcosh Nature Reserve

Gartcosh Parish Church

Gartcosh is now primarily a residential area. In recent years, new housing by Redrow Homes, Thomas Mitchell Homes[18] and other smaller developers has been built in and around the old village. There are plans for further developments in the surrounding areas of farm land.

Gartcosh Business Interchange is currently being developed on the site of the old strip mill and steel works. As of 2006, Scottish Enterprise and North Lanarkshire council had invested £18m on land reclamation and upgrading transport access.[19] This project will provide over 170,000 square metres (1,800,000 sq ft) of business space serviced by the transport links detailed below.

The new Scottish Crime Campus is currently being developed within Gartcosh Business Interchange. The development of this facility was originally administered by the Scottish Police Services Authority but following police reform in 2013 all of their undertakings, including the Crime Campus, were transferred to the Scottish Police Authority. The facility was originally scheduled for completion in 2010 with cost of the development put at approximately £65 million.[20] However at date of current entry (April 2013) the budget for the project was estimated at £82 million and the facility is still under construction and to be internally fitted and the revised estimated date of full occupation is some time in early 2014.[21] The crime campus will house elements of several of Police Scotland's partner agencies in the Criminal Justice system at Serious and Organised Crime level. These are parts of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the National Crime Agency (including the Serious Organised Crime Agency), HM Revenue and Customs and the SPA Forensic Laboratory for the Glasgow area.[22]

Next to the campus is the Gartcosh Local Nature Reserve. Although relatively small, it contains a variety of wildlife, including protected species such as a great crested newt colony (the largest in Scotland).[23]

There is a Church of Scotland parish in Gartcosh which has Bible Study, Sunday services and a Sunday Club for children. The church hall is used for various community projects, including 1st Gartcosh Boys' Brigade and both slimming and exercise groups.[24]

The defunct Anglican church at the top of the hill on Lochend Road was demolished in 1997 for property development.

The original Gartcosh Police Station closed in the 1990s. However, most of Gartcosh continues to be served by the Cumbernauld Sub-division of Police Scotland. Gartcosh Railway Station and its access roads, Chapman's Public House and a small number of houses in the village to the south of the railway line are served by Monklands Sub-division, operating from Coatbridge Police Office. Gartcosh has some of the lowest crime rates in the Lanarkshire Division.

Gartcosh is home to the Caledonian Amateur Football league team Gartcosh United. Founded in 1962 by George Dingwall, the team has developed many professional players over the decades including Pat Nevin, Dave McPherson, Derek Ferguson and more. The club's current Board include Chairman, David Quate, Ex-professional footballer Brian Smith, Scottish entrepreneur Gavin Muir and Adidas executive Andrew Barr.[25]

In 2008, the old Co-Op building on Old Gartloch Road was acquired from the previous owner by Harlequin Leisure Group and work commenced on fitting these premises into a number of separate units. These premises are now home to the Reach Pharmacy, Hair Salon, "Chin Chin" (formerly "Asia") restaurant, and a grocer's shop.

Current local services in Gartcosh include:

• Licensed Village Shop
• Reach Pharmacy
• Hair salon
• Grocers shop
• "Chin Chin" Chinese/Asian restaurant and takeaway
• Gartcosh Works Social Club
• Gartcosh Primary School
• Lochview Children's Nursery
• Plant Nursery
• Tea House On The Loch
• Architectural Services "Scotdraw Architectural Services"

The M73 with Gartcosh in the foreground and Glenboig in the background.

North Lanarkshire Council have identified open space areas around Gartcosh and Glenboig as potential sites for a "Community Growth Area". This, in effect, means there is potential for up to 3000 homes to be built in Gartcosh and Glenboig, of which approximately 1800 are to be built in the Gartcosh area. At least 25% of this must be "affordable housing". Provisions will be made for infrastructure and amenities to support such a large development. Such a development will have significant impact on the local landscape with much of the green belt and farmland being developed into housing and retail areas.[26]

Plans for a new road between Gartcosh and Glenboig were approved in 2016.[27] This road opened June 2018.

New homes are being built at Gartcosh with the first of the 78 due in 2018.[28]

1. The Big Mill (1963) colour, sound 25 mins - dir. Laurence Henson shows steel being produced at Ravenscraig and Gartcosh[29]
2. Make Way For Steel (1966) colour, sound 29 mins by Templar Film Studios shows the building of the steel works at Ravenscraig and Gartcosh[30]
3. Gartcosh is often mentioned as the location of a fictional police station in the Inspector Rebus novels by Ian Rankin.[31]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gartcosh.

• Gartcosh at Gazetteer for Scotland