Busby, East Renfrewshire
Encyclopedia
Busby is a village in East Renfrewshire
, Scotland
. Busby's close proximity to Glasgow
effectively makes it a suburb of the city, though remains administratively separate. It lies on the White Cart Water 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Glasgow City Centre.
The first big change was in the landscape. Until the 1780s Busby village consisted of a scatter of cottages along a track leading from Carmunnock
to Mearns
. This route forded the River Cart to Newford at Bonnyton
.
This original village or fermtoun was in the area of the present Busby railway station
. For centuries the occupants had worked the surrounding land from this central settlement. However by the 1780s the landowner was in process of sweeping away the old fermtoun. The occupants were moved to the newly-established farmsteads of Easter Busby, Wester Busby, Busbyside and Ryat. Busby as a village name could have disappeared, had it not been for parallel events on the opposite side of the River Cart.
The second big change started in 1780 with the founding of Busby's first Cotton Mill
. This was at Newmill, on Cartsbridge lands on the opposite side of the River Cart. Busby and Newmill each had several earlier mills. Busby itself had Busby Meal Mill at the end of Field Road (founded before 1300), and Busby Waulk Mill in the Glen. Newmill also had two mills, situated together at the waterfall. The first was another early Meal Mill and the second a more recent Lint Mill. The cotton mill built in 1780 was on a completely different scale to the old rural mills. It attracted many families to settle in the area, and the centre of Busby swung from the old declining fermtoun on the Lanarkshire
side of the River Cart
, to Newmill on the Renfrewshire
side.
A second Cotton Mill followed in 1790, then a Bleachfield
and Printworks six years later. These industries provided the employment for the development of the modern village of Busby.
The third major change in Busby in the 1780s was the laying out of a brand new road, from Paisley to East Kilbride. The first Busby Bridge was built on this route c.1785, and replaced an earlier ford above the waterfall. The new road changed the focus, from the old Carmunnock - Mearns road, to the Clarkston - East Kilbride road.
Busby was never the perfect site for building a village, but developed due to the availability of water power on the River Cart. From the 1780s the village became centred on a hilly part of Cartsbridge Farm, originally known as 'The Bank'. Main Street was built on a very steep hill and the road to Clarkston developed along a fragile slope which has collapsed several times since.
Another major wave of change occurred in Busby in the 1860s when the Printworks brought the Railway to Busby. Again the route to Busby was far from perfect, and the massive viaduct necessary to span Busby Glen was the most expensive structure on the line. The railway forced a change to the East Kilbride Road and the road bridge under the station still creates a hazard for heavy traffic on the main road.
The railway brought a second wave of growth to Busby from the 1870s. The subsequent growth of the commuter suburb compensated for the decline of the Mills and Printworks. This ensured the survival of Busby into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
The hardy Busby Pony, a distant cousin of the Shetland Pony
, has been bred in Busby and surrounding areas for over two centuries. None of the traditional stables remains, but the most famous lives on as The Paddock, a respectable residential estate in the east of Busby. The Busby Pony, which shares some of its famous cousin's characteristics - its long hair and short, stocky build - remains a well-loved (and now rare) favourite at horse and pony shows around the British Isles.
East Renfrewshire
East Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975 it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Busby's close proximity to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
effectively makes it a suburb of the city, though remains administratively separate. It lies on the White Cart Water 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Glasgow City Centre.
History
As a settlement, Busby dates back at least 700 years. Its modern origins may be dated to several significant changes on the 1780s.The first big change was in the landscape. Until the 1780s Busby village consisted of a scatter of cottages along a track leading from Carmunnock
Carmunnock
Carmunnock is a conservation village within the City of Glasgow boundary, lying within three miles of East Kilbride and Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, and Busby, East Renfrewshire....
to Mearns
Newton Mearns
Newton Mearns is a suburban town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. It lies southwest of Glasgow City Centre on the main road to Ayrshire, above sea level. It has a population of approximately 22,637.The town is part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
. This route forded the River Cart to Newford at Bonnyton
Bonnyton
Bonnyton may refer to:* Bonnyton, Aberdeenshire* Bonnyton, East Ayrshire* Bonnyton, Angus, a small settlement in the parish of Auchterhouse* Bonnyton House and Estate at Cunninghamhead, Perceton and Annick Lodge...
.
This original village or fermtoun was in the area of the present Busby railway station
Busby railway station
Busby railway station is a railway station in the village of Busby, East Renfrewshire, Greater Glasgow, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Glasgow South Western Line 7¼ rail miles south of Glasgow Central towards East Kilbride.- History :The station was opened by the...
. For centuries the occupants had worked the surrounding land from this central settlement. However by the 1780s the landowner was in process of sweeping away the old fermtoun. The occupants were moved to the newly-established farmsteads of Easter Busby, Wester Busby, Busbyside and Ryat. Busby as a village name could have disappeared, had it not been for parallel events on the opposite side of the River Cart.
The second big change started in 1780 with the founding of Busby's first Cotton Mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
. This was at Newmill, on Cartsbridge lands on the opposite side of the River Cart. Busby and Newmill each had several earlier mills. Busby itself had Busby Meal Mill at the end of Field Road (founded before 1300), and Busby Waulk Mill in the Glen. Newmill also had two mills, situated together at the waterfall. The first was another early Meal Mill and the second a more recent Lint Mill. The cotton mill built in 1780 was on a completely different scale to the old rural mills. It attracted many families to settle in the area, and the centre of Busby swung from the old declining fermtoun on the Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
side of the River Cart
River Cart
The River Cart is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine and Renfrew....
, to Newmill on the Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
side.
A second Cotton Mill followed in 1790, then a Bleachfield
Bleachfield
A bleachfield or croft was an open area of land used for spreading cloth and fabrics on the ground to be bleached by the action of the sun and water...
and Printworks six years later. These industries provided the employment for the development of the modern village of Busby.
The third major change in Busby in the 1780s was the laying out of a brand new road, from Paisley to East Kilbride. The first Busby Bridge was built on this route c.1785, and replaced an earlier ford above the waterfall. The new road changed the focus, from the old Carmunnock - Mearns road, to the Clarkston - East Kilbride road.
Busby was never the perfect site for building a village, but developed due to the availability of water power on the River Cart. From the 1780s the village became centred on a hilly part of Cartsbridge Farm, originally known as 'The Bank'. Main Street was built on a very steep hill and the road to Clarkston developed along a fragile slope which has collapsed several times since.
Another major wave of change occurred in Busby in the 1860s when the Printworks brought the Railway to Busby. Again the route to Busby was far from perfect, and the massive viaduct necessary to span Busby Glen was the most expensive structure on the line. The railway forced a change to the East Kilbride Road and the road bridge under the station still creates a hazard for heavy traffic on the main road.
The railway brought a second wave of growth to Busby from the 1870s. The subsequent growth of the commuter suburb compensated for the decline of the Mills and Printworks. This ensured the survival of Busby into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
The hardy Busby Pony, a distant cousin of the Shetland Pony
Shetland pony
The Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. Shetlands range in size from a minimum height of approximately 28 inches to an official maximum height of 42 inches at the withers. Shetland ponies have heavy coats, short legs and are considered quite intelligent...
, has been bred in Busby and surrounding areas for over two centuries. None of the traditional stables remains, but the most famous lives on as The Paddock, a respectable residential estate in the east of Busby. The Busby Pony, which shares some of its famous cousin's characteristics - its long hair and short, stocky build - remains a well-loved (and now rare) favourite at horse and pony shows around the British Isles.