On Thursday 14th November 1912, a fire took hold of a building at Thornhill Avenue (The Dandy), Blantyre. The unfortunate house was Priory House and when fire was observed around two o’clock that afternoon. Priory House at that time belonged and was tenanted to Mr John P. M’Caffrie, a spirit merchant who owned a pub […]
Continuing my look at rights of way in Blantyre (where people can legally walk through land owned by others). From a 1970’s council booklet, a description exists of the right of Way at Thornhill Avenue. Thornhill Avenue Right of Way, Council reference BL/4. OS ref NS 65 SE “This right of way starts off at […]
Today, I stop to remember Jimmy Cornfield the late Blantyre historian, who sadly passed away back in 2012. I know that this poem was one of his favourites. The Dandy Ask anyone in Blantyre, Where is the Priory Plantation? They’ll hum and haw and hum again For some form of explanation. Ask them, “Where’s […]
Robert Stewart recently commented to me, “Did you know that part of the Dandy (the avenue leading from Glasgow Road), starting from the Glasgow Road, had gas lighting installed, I’m not sure how far it extended, but I remember gas lamp posts as far as Thornhill Cottage.” This made me wonder if it was amongst […]
I’ve previously written about a path leading from Glasgow Road down to Blantyre Works Mills called, “The Dandy”. You can read more about it here. http://blantyreproject.com/2014/03/02/origins-of-the-dandy/ This article relates to one particular part of that path, at the point where it crosses over the Caledonian Railway. (The railway line at that point leads out to […]
In the 1870s “The Dandy” (the path through the woods next to the Parkville) was a direct path leading not only to Boweshill and Thornhill residences, but also across open fields, across the railway, through the woods and down directly out at the North of Blantyre at the managers house at Blantyre Village works (exactly […]