In 1907, a new street was formed in Greenfield/Burnbank, just off Glasgow Road, near the bend before crossing into Blantyre. It was to be a dead end, but constructed wide, the Park Burn at the end of end with earthworks formed to protect against flooding. Birdsfield Street was created and was to officially belong in Hamilton Parish, despite its name connections to the Brick & Tile works and Farm a short distance away in High Blantyre.
The street was adjacent to an old detached house named ‘Limetree’, built of stone in one and a half storeys with a large, arched doorway, facing out on to Glasgow Road. Limetree is still there today.

Limetree, in Burnbank, as it is today, dating from 1890’s
On Birdsfield Street, two small semi detached villas were built that year on the south side. However, it is the large red sandstone building directly opposite them that is of interest and worthy of inclusion in this book. Many people in Blantyre will remember the former Trades Hotel, or as it was also commonly known, the Model Hostel or to give its official title, the Blantyre Lodging House.
The building was so well known, often associated with Blantyre despite sitting on the opposing bank of the official boundary. In a book hat explores all of Glasgow Roads’ buildings, it would be amiss of me not to mention it here. After all, it did sit just off Glasgow Road and even had a convenient tram stop. The Lodging House is shown in the highlighted area of this 1910 map below.

Blantyre Lodging House north side of Birdsfield Street built 1907
From the book, “Blantyre Glasgow Road – The Real Story” by Paul Veverka (c) 2017
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