Cardowan, is a small town in North Lanarkshire

North Lanarkshire

North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, now a suburb of Glasgow, situated to the south of Stepps

Stepps

Stepps is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The town consists of Stepps Village, Cardowan, Stepps Hill and Millerston...

, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 which grew around Cardowan Colliery, Garnkirk Fire-clay works, and clay mines in the immediate area.
Cardowan's location proximity to Glasgow has been key to its expansion over the years, which has seen the former colliery site being transformed into a large scale residential development.

Transport

The fastest method of public transport to Glasgow or Cumbernauld is by train from Stepps station. A bus service operates from Cumbernauld Road which also connects the above destinations. By road, there are an excellent choice of routes; to Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 or Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 via the M80 and the M8. The M80 to Cumbernauld

Cumbernauld

Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...

 and Stirling

Stirling

Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...

 also provides access to the M73

M73

M73 or M-73 may refer to:* M73 machine gun, an American belt-fed machine gun* M-73 , a state highway in Michigan* M73 motorway, a motorway in Scotland* BMW M73, a 1993 V12 piston engine...

, leading to the M74

M74

M74 or M-74 may refer to:* M74 motorway, a motorway in Scotland* Messier 74, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces* M74 rocket, an incendiary rocket for a shoulder-fired M202A1 FLASH launcher...

 southbound to Hamilton

Hamilton, South Lanarkshire

Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...

, Carlisle

City of Carlisle

The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...

 and onto the M6 (to England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

)

History

The oldest surviving buildings in the area are St. Joseph's RC Church, the original St. Joseph's School, Craigendmuir House, as well as older structures in adjacent Stepps

Stepps

Stepps is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The town consists of Stepps Village, Cardowan, Stepps Hill and Millerston...

.
Excluding Cardowan Drive and the northern end of Cardowan Road which are often regarded as being part of Stepps

Stepps

Stepps is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The town consists of Stepps Village, Cardowan, Stepps Hill and Millerston...

, the earliest housing in the area which is still existing was built in the late 1930s to early 40s and served to replace housing in the (now extinct) nearby villages of Garnkirk and Heathfield.

The streets of Cardowan Road, Dorlin Road, Clayhouse Road, and Frankfield Road were constructed first, with the easternmost end of the latter being renamed Ardtoe Crescent and Place a short time later.
Thereafter further housing was built in the 1950s creating the streets of Craigendmuir Road, Comedie Road and an extension to Clayhouse Road. Following this in the 1960s, Drimnin Road, and Mossview Road (inc Resipol Road and Gaskin Path) were completed. Due to the shortages of building materials during the second World War the last five blocks on Frankfield Road were built with flat roofs which were only replaced in the 1980s.
The 1980s also brought the construction of Blaneview and further housing on Clayhouse Road, and in the 1990s Nicholson Court was built on the site of the original Stepps railway station and sidings.

Cardowan Colliery

The mine at Cardowan was the site of several accidents including the explosion of 1927 in which on the 1st of August at 3:50pm 3 men were killed. (John Kilpatrick, Maurice M'Bride, George Jackson) A further explosion occurred in 1932 on November 16 in which 11 men were killed. (William Bradley, Michael Flynn, Peter Frati(formerly Jacobelli), William McAlister, John McNab, James McVey, Richard Maroney, George Mullen, James Reynolds, John Watt, John Whiteford) Then again in Jan 1982 there was another explosion at some 1700 feet underground and 2 miles from the pithead, resulting in 41 injuries. The mine finally closed at the end of 1983.

	North: Stepps Stepps Stepps is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The town consists of Stepps Village, Cardowan, Stepps Hill and Millerston... , Lenzie Lenzie Lenzie is a small town by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. It is about six miles north-east of Glasgow city centre and one mile south of Kirkintilloch. It has a population of about 10,000.-Name:...
West: Millerston Millerston Millerston is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde. It is also home to the playing fields of Glasgow's St Aloysius College.... , Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...	Cardowan	East: Chryston Chryston Chryston is a village in the central belt of Scotland in the county of North Lanarkshire. Founded by James Burns Pollock, It is north of the main trunk road between Glasgow and Stirling .... , Cumbernauld Cumbernauld Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
	South: Garthamlock Garthamlock Garthamlock is a suburb in the north-east of the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde and south of the river Kelvin.Garthamlock was developed from 1954 onwards after the city bought the estate of Garthamlock House...