High Blantyre Bethany Hall

When we talk of the Bethany Hall in Blantyre nowadays, we tend to think of the existing hall at Glasgow Road, now used as a children’s nursery. However, it may come as a surprise (as it did to me!), that there was another Bethany Hall in Blantyre in the 20th Century, at the opposite side in High Blantyre.

It is also know there was a Bethany Hall in High Blantyre as early as 1898, which was still there in the 1930s. This Bethany Hall was a green hut at the corner of Cemetery Road and Main Street, High Blantyre, and was a great centre for evangelistic meetings with many visiting speakers.

Meetings were advertised in the local press, with invited speakers of faith.

The building occupied part of the land originally known as Dales and looks to have replaced a former building on the long, narrow, north-south plot. There are differences when comparing to 1896 map and the 1910 map, which by then is clearly marked hall. It is still shown as existing on the 1936 map as single storey, although by then it is tightly situated next to the tenements known as “Dales” which still exist today.

The High Blantyre Bethany Hall, looks to have been demolished between 1936 and the World War Two years, for aerial photos of December 1945, show the site cleared and vacant. In post WW2 years, the land was used as a small Masonry, Gravestone and Memorial business called “Kirkland Memorials” and is today modern 2 storey modern brick flats.

Thanks to Gordon Cook for pointing me in the right direction about this subject and for the adverts.

From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2016