341 and 343 Glasgow Road Campsie View

Constructed: 1903	Other Names: None
Constructor: George Bowie	Original Address: 313 & 315 Glasgow Rd
House Type: Semi detached	Current Address: 341 & 343 Glasgow Rd

Brief Summary: Built in 1903, Campsie View is a semi-detached stone villa, the first to be built in this area by the Bowie family. This was the beginning of a large, market gardening ‘empire’ in Blantyre which would still be prominent into the 3rd quarter of the 20th Century.

George Bowie and son, James Bowie were the constructors, each taking one side of the property as their own family homes. The building was named Campsie View, for obvious reasons looking across to the hills on the horizon to the north. Initially with a garage, it had large tomato houses to the rear.

The Bowie family grew their own flowers, fruit and vegetables to sell in their Blantyre shop at the Masonic Buildings. Initially with address 313 and 315, ‘Campsie View’ later after the 1930 road widening, became 341 and 343 Glasgow Road. George Bowie died in 1906 and his wife Williamson Bowie inherited the eastern home living there until her own death in 1931. Son, John Bowie then inherited that side, letting out to other family members.

James Bowie on the western side, a miner turned florist lived there until the 1930’s, before moving away to Bardykes Road to Greencroft. In 1935 he was letting his side of Campsie View out to James Mitchell, a joiner. A tree in the small front garden has doubled in size in the last 10 years. The original stone wall still exists today. Old postcards show this location originally had high hedges in the front gardens, perhaps to mask from nosy passengers on the 1907 expanded tram network. To the rear is the Loretta Housing in Poplar Place, built in 1989 and 1990.

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,

Blantyre Project I’d love to know more about all the buildings, greenhouses, workshops, toolsheds and packing stores at the back if anybody knows!?

Margo Clayton From what I remember, I was only 8 when we moved, the building that is on the right had fruit stored in it. Bananas and oranges etc. There was also a potato machine in there. Lorries drove into it to get loaded up. Think the one attached to it was a store. The one sitting in the middle was where the potatoes were packed into different sized bags. The small one to the back of it was for making beetroot and the other small one was the boiler house. The buildings on the left were a garage and the offices. The shaded roofs were the start of the greenhouses. I do remember aluminium greenhouses had just been built on the field, not shown on this plan, when the great storm hit and they were all ruined! Hope my memory is correct if not Alex can correct it Jackie Bowie

Blantyre Project the criss cross patten on the buildings is indicative of glass. Looks like the greenhouses were massive.

Blantyre Project this map shows a little better. Wonder what the lines in the field were?Manage

Margo Clayton Can’t remember. There were cold frames somewhere. The criss cross lines show the wooden greenhouses. The aluminium greenhouses were built at the end of the lines.

Rhona McIntyre Awe my old house 343 stayed there for about 16 years. Loved it

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Blantyre Project Rhona – i can add that wee snippet into the book with your permission. What years and was it as a McIntyre.?

Rhona McIntyre Well my brother was born in 1965 so I’m thinking maybe round about 1963. I would have asked my Mum but because of her stroke I don’t think she would remember. I’ll check when I see her tonight. Think we moved out across to 330 Glasgow Road about 83-84.
Yes not a problem to add it in.

Rhona McIntyre Hi Paul, my Mum got married in March 1963 and they had the house before they got married. Mum said some work was carried out so she thinks it was the later part of 1962 when they brought it. Hope that helps. I had such lovely memories living on the Glasgow Road.