One of Blantyre’s worst eye-sores was set to go before the end of the year 1977. In February 1977, it was announced that Stonefield Bing was to be turned into a park and leisure area, by that autumn.
The bing, which was the site of Dixons Pit 4 pithead had been disused for 40 years and by the mid 70s had become a dumping ground for rubbish tip. Not a particularly good look for the fairly new SSHA houses nearby.
So it was most welcome news that Stonefield Road was to be given a ‘new look’ and Hamilton District Council took great delight in revealing that the Scottish Development Agency had put up all the cash to carry out a transformative ‘rehabilitation scheme.’
The plan was a joint effort produced by the District Council’s Planning, Architects and Leisure and Recreation Departments and included:
- A running track and obstacle course.
- A ‘kickabout’ area.
- A netball pitch
- Three Tennis courts,
- A Children’s play area and toddlers play area.
A spokesman for the Planning Department said in February 1977: “The aims of the rehabilitation scheme are to remove the present eyesore of derelict ground and to provide recreational and passive open spaces.”
“To achieve these aims the bing material will be redistributed over the site to form natural-looking bankings. These areas will then be planted with trees and shrubs.”
On the part of the bing formed by the corner of Broompark Road and Stonefield Road was hoped to build a Community Building, a sort of ‘mini-community centre, where local groups could meet. This did come about in later years with the arrival of Larkfield Hall.
The community building and sports equipment was to be paid for by the District Council and work was planned to start when the Scottish Development Department gave them the go-ahead.
A plan illustrating the park proposals was on display at the Calder Street Library and the Elizabeth Scott Community Centre, Logan Street, for the last 2 weeks of February 1977.
Works started at end of May 1977, the work undertaken fairly fast and making use of the good, prolonged dry summer weather. Pictured in June 1977, the contractors continue with work to level the pithead bing at Larkfield.
Of course, this whole area is a former pit. Its is highly unsuitable for allotments of growing of any kind, but lends itself well to recreation. During the 80’s 90s and even post Millennium, the Council have seriously neglected this bing, letting it slide into decline, once more becoming an eyesore. It is little used and unkept. Additionally, as budget cuts of the 80s and 90s commenced, the council never kept the promise of some of the things it planned to bring, further failing residents of the area.
In February 2024, some 47 years planning application has been made by BSA to create an excellent recreation area on the site, with state of the art pitches, suitable parking and the takeover of the Larkfield hall as a community asset. The plans have been hugely welcomes according to feedback online, with promises of letting the hall as a community centre, at a difficult time when South Lanarkshire Council are actually closing down so many halls. The BSA plan saves the hall, the bing and recreation in this area and this being the area I grew up in, I hope sincerely the asset transfer goes ahead and these assets, unlike so many others, at least have a plan to be saved and improved upon.
On Social Media, the following comments were received on Facebook:
Elizabeth Grieve Good luck to the BSA
PPatricia DDelaney My class from St Blanes walked up and planted the trees that are still standing beside Carrigans Bar.
Barry Gordon We used to ‘borrow’ the bread / roll boards from Collin’s the Bakers shop and slide down the side of the bing. We enjoyed making our own entertainment in those days
Lee Fleming Barry Gordon remember doing the same when I was in P2. As an aside, the pies from Collins wee white shop were brilliant.
Wilma Rodwell My brother and I both played in the bing, great memories growing up. Then played in the new Ash Park as well. Lots of memories
Hugh Sneddon Both my parents came from Blantyre originally and remember many school holidays spent through there going between Elm St over to Springwell taken a shortcut over the bing to visit my Fathers Family from my grannies house in Elm St.
Aldo Dunsmore Still got marks from playing football on the ash parks
Carol King And it is now a community asset – well done Blantyre football academy
Kerry Tremble Kevan Strange seeing the bing like that before it was how we remember it as a kid
WOW – great use of derelict land. One question from this New Yorker, what exactly is a “bing”? I see it used many times in this site, but would love to know. My grandpa Tom Dolan of Waterloo Row was a coal miner. Thank you.
I worked as a labourer on the SSHA site around 1970 and remember Doonin Plant extracting ash from this bing and reducing its size. The ash was used as blinding for the new SSHA houses. It was quite a sight. You could see the lorries being loaded at the bing, driving onto Stonefield Road into the site, dumping their load, driving onto Bardykes Road, back onto the bing. A great example of reusing waste material and reducing the carbon impact, before climate change had been invented.