Continuing this weeks look at Blantyre Rights of Way. Taken from an ex council book from the late 1970s, another right of way is described in Low Blantyre.
Railway Line Right Of Way, Council reference BL/3.
“This right of way begins in the carpark at Blantyre Station, just off Station Road and goes alongside the railway line to John Street to connect with other rights of way. It varies in width from 3 foot to 15 foot, bounded by a wire fence, broken fencing, a garden wall and sleeper fence, approximately 0.25miles long. Views are restricted throughout the length of the right of way until the end point is reached in the landscaped area at the bottom of John Street. Here an excellent viewpoint gives sightings of Bell College, Hamilton County Buildings and the old viaduct between Bothwell and Burnbank.
This path was used in the past by workmen going to the Engineering Works and Abbatoir off John Street but was closed once when the LMS Railway was nationalised. Since then, it has reopened and is used continuously. It was also an access to and from the Railway Station by people living in John Street and the Eastern end of Blantyre.”
John Street was once named New Station Road, prior to being called John Street, which may have been due to the L shaped path connecting it to the new station road. I suspect the name was dropped when Station Road itself became better known.
On social media:
Maggie O’Brien Peter Obrien here I used this path going for eggs on a saturday morning to mc phees at the bottom of john street if I remember correctly there was a signalling box about halfway along