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.
From the book, “Blantyre Glasgow Road South – The Real Story” by Paul Veverka (c) 2017
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,
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
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Yes not a problem to add it in.
Ian Armstrong..
James Bowie was my Great grandfather. My Grandmother Williamson ( Winnie) Bowie was born in the house.
When my Grandmother married Jim Moody, they had a house in Castlechimmens Ave, in Cambuslang.
My Grandfather Jim Moody , was a cobbler/ shoe maker who had a business in Cambuslang, until giving it up due to ill health.
They moved to live in Greencroft on Bardykes Road in Blantyre around 1947 , when my mother Grace was 15 yrs old.
Both my Grandparents were involved in the market garden business at Greencroft. ( Greencroft was a mansion of a house and one of a few commissioned in the Blantyre area by the Jackson family).
The other families who were involved in the Market Garden were Robertson’s , Staiton’s and my Great uncle George Bowie.
I have vivid memories of Greencroft, from my early childhood.
I still remember the interior , which was converted in to three residences
My families section to the rear , our relatives the Robertson’s to the front and part of the upper floor , by the Staiton’s. My great uncle George didn’t live at Greencroft when I remember, he had a house on Broompark Road, with his wife Annie,( Née: Ingram)
The smells of the moss they used to make funeral wreath frames and the wood burning fires used to heat the greenhouses at Greencroft, still remain in my memory.
I have so many fond memories of Greencroft , which was such a grand building to a wee boy.
I remember trying to pump the water from the outside well at the kitchen window of my Aunt Cissy Robertson’s section of the house…. I never managed to draw water as it was long since obsolete.
Close bye neighbours were the West family and in the near bye old Cottage hospital, the Glen family.