Eaglesham history
25 August
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Cheapside Street
Eaglesham, the ancient seat of the Montgomeries - population of 3,127 in 2001 - is located 8½ miles south of Glasgow in East Renfrewshire. In the heart of the village is the 18th century planned village. Many of its buildings are grade 'B' or 'C' listed but, as a whole, the village is 'A' listed. In 1769 Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton, began the work of developing the old kirktoun of Eaglesham into an elegant planned village with two ranges of houses (Polnoon Street and Montgomery Street) built around the Orry, an area of common land planted with trees and lawns and with a rivulet running down the middle, intended for the common good. In the 19th century, the main industries were cotton weaving and farming. There were two cotton mills; one situated in the Orry employing at a peak over 400 people and the other on the nearby Millhall Estate at Polnoon. The Orry cotton mill which had one of the largest water wheels in the country burned down, was rebuilt and modified several times before destruction by fire in 1876 and was never re-built. With the main industry gone, workers drifted away and the population declined to around 1,000; a number similar to that at the time of the foundation of the new village in 1769. In the early 20th century, the village was a resort for summer visitors from Glasgow. Most of the 18th century buildings including beautiful houses; churches; Polnoon Lodge, a former hunting lodge of the Earls of Eglinton and former 19th century coaching house, the Eglinton Arms Hotel survive to this day.
Discover more about the story of the Eaglesham and its people by viewing Eaglesham - the story of an 18th century planned village
Kenneth Mallard
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