Darnley
Encyclopedia
Darnley is an area in south-west Glasgow
, Scotland
located on the A727
just west of Arden
. During the second half of the 20th Century Darnley has experienced total transformation from being a modest semi-rural community to becoming a significant part of Glasgow's response to a post-war housing shortage.
Following the construction of large housing schemes at South Nitshill (1957) and Kennishead (1966), in 1968 the City of Glasgow approved the building of 2,048 homes in Darnley. This scheme was to occupy an area to the north of Nitshill Road covered by Leggatston Farm, part of the original Darnley estate taken within the City of Glasgow boundaries in 1938. Over three phases a total of 1,336 deck-access, two to seven storey apartment blocks were built. This fell short of the initial number planned owing to a combination of economic, political and management setbacks. It was intended that Darnley would be a largely self-supporting estate and for this reason two primary schools and a community centre formed part of the Council's plans. A social club and bowling green, a church, a small shopping centre and a library were all added throughout the 1970s.
The broadening of the A726 to dual carriageway status in 1983 heralded the development of the Nitshill corridor as a light industrial and retail location. Darnley Trading Estate and large retail outlets clustered around the southward extension of the M77 (completed in 1997). The closure of Darnley Hospital in 1990 and the opening on the site of a £3million 120-bed nursing home in 1993 has also altered the employment opportunities for the local population and has become symptomatic of the regeneration of modern Darnley.
Darnley Trading Estate and large retail outlets clustered around junction 3 of the southward extension of the M77 motorway
(completed in 1997). The closure of Darnley Hospital in 1992 and the opening on the site of a £3million 120-bed nursing home in 1993 has also altered the employment opportunities for the local population and has become symptomatic of the regeneration of modern Darnley. However, there is a huge retail area with large chain stores, including a Sainsbury's supermarket & petrol station, B&Q
, Carphone Warehouse, McDonald's
, Domino's Pizza
, KFC
, snack vans and smaller stores such as a Houlihans pharmacy and Shimla Village Indian takeaway. Also, on Kennishead Road there is a large car retail park owned by Sheilds who sell Land Rover
and Mazda
and Macklin Motors who sell Ford and Toyota cars
. Darnley had reportedly contracted small-pox and the Queen intended to bring him back to Holyrood on a litter as he was too weak to ride a horse. Darnley returned with his wife, only to be murdered a few days later on the 10th of February.
The new petrol station opened on the 20th of August 2010, and is the first in the company to have green energy solutions like solar energy pannels and rain water recycling for its car wash. The store will open at 9AM on the 29th September 2010, and will be opened by all 17 of the long term employees who have been there since its initial opening in 1991. The store will become the Sainsbury's flagship store in Scotland again.
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...
, 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...
located on the A727
A roads in Zone 7 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
List of A roads in the zone 7 in Great Britain starting north of the Solway Firth/Eden Estuary, west of the A7 and south of the A8 .-Single- and double-digit roads:-Triple- and four-digit roads:...
just west of Arden
Arden, Glasgow
Arden is the location of a medium-sized housing estate on the very edge of Glasgow, southwest of the city centre.-History:The S.S.H.A built the estate between 1953 and 1957, to rehouse families from the old overcrowded inner city tenements. Historically, Arden was a farm and formed part of Sir...
. During the second half of the 20th Century Darnley has experienced total transformation from being a modest semi-rural community to becoming a significant part of Glasgow's response to a post-war housing shortage.
Following the construction of large housing schemes at South Nitshill (1957) and Kennishead (1966), in 1968 the City of Glasgow approved the building of 2,048 homes in Darnley. This scheme was to occupy an area to the north of Nitshill Road covered by Leggatston Farm, part of the original Darnley estate taken within the City of Glasgow boundaries in 1938. Over three phases a total of 1,336 deck-access, two to seven storey apartment blocks were built. This fell short of the initial number planned owing to a combination of economic, political and management setbacks. It was intended that Darnley would be a largely self-supporting estate and for this reason two primary schools and a community centre formed part of the Council's plans. A social club and bowling green, a church, a small shopping centre and a library were all added throughout the 1970s.
The broadening of the A726 to dual carriageway status in 1983 heralded the development of the Nitshill corridor as a light industrial and retail location. Darnley Trading Estate and large retail outlets clustered around the southward extension of the M77 (completed in 1997). The closure of Darnley Hospital in 1990 and the opening on the site of a £3million 120-bed nursing home in 1993 has also altered the employment opportunities for the local population and has become symptomatic of the regeneration of modern Darnley.
M77 motorway
The M77 motorway is a motorway in Scotland. It originally began in southern Glasgow at the M8 motorway at Kinning park, and terminates near Kilmarnock at the village of Fenwick. However, changes were made in autumn 2005 segregating a lane on the M8 motorway almost as far as the Kingston Bridge,...
(completed in 1997). The closure of Darnley Hospital in 1992 and the opening on the site of a £3million 120-bed nursing home in 1993 has also altered the employment opportunities for the local population and has become symptomatic of the regeneration of modern Darnley. However, there is a huge retail area with large chain stores, including a Sainsbury's supermarket & petrol station, B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
, Carphone Warehouse, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
, KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
, snack vans and smaller stores such as a Houlihans pharmacy and Shimla Village Indian takeaway. Also, on Kennishead Road there is a large car retail park owned by Sheilds who sell Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
and Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
and Macklin Motors who sell Ford and Toyota cars
The Darnley plane tree
Queen Mary came to Glasgow early in 1567, having left Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh on 24th January to collect her husband, Lord DarnleyLord Darnley
Lord Darnley is a title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament first created in 1356 and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. Outside the Peerage of Scotland, another Earldom of Darnley was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1729.The first baron was Sir John...
. Darnley had reportedly contracted small-pox and the Queen intended to bring him back to Holyrood on a litter as he was too weak to ride a horse. Darnley returned with his wife, only to be murdered a few days later on the 10th of February.
Future development
A new development next to the B&Q is planned with the Du Vere Hotel and 300 more Homes however this is still a long way off.Sainsburys
Sainsburys on the 7th February 2010, will have work on a £20million refit and extension programme started raising the store from 44,000sqft to 89,000sqft with a mezzanine floor being constructed at the Nitshill Road side of the store new petrol station and double deck car parking area.The new petrol station opened on the 20th of August 2010, and is the first in the company to have green energy solutions like solar energy pannels and rain water recycling for its car wash. The store will open at 9AM on the 29th September 2010, and will be opened by all 17 of the long term employees who have been there since its initial opening in 1991. The store will become the Sainsbury's flagship store in Scotland again.