Knightswood
Encyclopedia
Knightswood is a suburban district in 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...

, containing 4 areas: Knightswood North or High Knightswood, Knightswood South or Low Knightswood, Knightswood Park and Blairdardie
Blairdardie
Blairdardie is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde. The main A82 "Great Western Road" runs right through the middle creating a South Blairdardie which extends to the Forth and Clyde canal. There are two primary schools in Blairdardie...

. It has a golf course and park, and good transport links with the rest of the city. Garscadden
Garscadden railway station
Garscadden railway station is a railway station in Garscadden in Glasgow, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and lies on the Argyle Line.- Services :...

 and Scotstounhill
Scotstounhill railway station
Scotstounhill railway station is a railway station in Scotstounhill in Glasgow, Scotland. It lies on the Argyle and North Clyde lines, serving the districts of Scotstoun and Knightswood, with trains to and from or Queen Street stations and on into the east end.- Sources :* *...

 railway stations serve Low Knightswood while Westerton station
Westerton railway station
Westerton railway station is a railway station that serves the Westerton district in the town of Bearsden, Scotland.The station is served by First ScotRail as part of the SPT network...

 serves High Knightswood. Knightswood is directly adjoined by the Drumchapel
Drumchapel
Drumchapel , known to locals and residents as 'The Drum', is part of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, having been annexed from Dunbartonshire in 1938. It borders Bearsden to the east and Clydebank to the west . The area is bordered by Knightswood and Yoker in Glasgow. The name derives from the...

, Netherton
Netherton, Glasgow
Netherton is a district of Glasgow, in the north of the city, bounded by Temple to the south, Knightswood to the west while Westerton in Bearsden lies to the North and East. Netherton appears in Joan Blaeu's 1662 Atlas of Scotland and many subsequent old maps...

, Anniesland
Anniesland
Anniesland is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde, and centres around the junction of the Great Western Road and Crow Road; also known as Anniesland Cross....

, Jordanhill
Jordanhill
Jordanhill is an affluent area of the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The area consists largely of terraced housing dating from the early to mid 20th century, with some detached and semi-detached homes and some modern apartments....

, Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...

 and Yoker
Yoker
Yoker is a western district of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK, lying on the northern bank of the Clyde to the east of Clydebank. It is located approximately 5 miles west of the City Centre. From the fourteenth century a ferry has linked Yoker with the burgh of Renfrew on the south bank...

 areas of Glasgow and by Bearsden
Bearsden
Bearsden ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the City Centre, and is effectively a suburb, with housing development coinciding with the introduction of a railway line in 1863, and from where the town gets its name...

 in the North. Knightswood was a rural area of Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...

 in the parish of New Kilpatrick
New Kilpatrick
New Kilpatrick, is an ecclesiastical Parish and former Civil Parish in Dunbartonshire. It was formed in 1649 from the eastern half of the parish of Kilpatrick , the western half forming Old Kilpatrick...

 with small-scale mining until the land was purchased for housing by the city of Glasgow and was annexed by the city in 1926. In subsequent years, housing developments have been built on most of the remaining free plots, but the area remains largely green, in line with garden suburb
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...

 principles, with the only businesses based in small or medium-sized retail units. There are a number of churches and various community events are run throughout the year.

History

Knightswood features on maps by Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...

 cartographer William Roy
William Roy
Major-General William Roy FRS was a Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian. He was an innovator who applied new scientific discoveries and newly emerging technologies to the accurate geodetic mapping of Great Britain....

 dating back to 1748-55, which show it lying within the parish of New Kilpatrick
New Kilpatrick
New Kilpatrick, is an ecclesiastical Parish and former Civil Parish in Dunbartonshire. It was formed in 1649 from the eastern half of the parish of Kilpatrick , the western half forming Old Kilpatrick...

 in Dumbartonshire. The modern area is defined at its northern edge by the Forth and Clyde Canal
Forth and Clyde Canal
The Forth and Clyde Canal crosses Scotland, providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. The canal is 35 miles long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...

 (beyond which is Bearsden
Bearsden
Bearsden ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the City Centre, and is effectively a suburb, with housing development coinciding with the introduction of a railway line in 1863, and from where the town gets its name...

) which began construction in the 1760s and opened as the Great Canal in 1790. Drumchapel
Drumchapel
Drumchapel , known to locals and residents as 'The Drum', is part of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, having been annexed from Dunbartonshire in 1938. It borders Bearsden to the east and Clydebank to the west . The area is bordered by Knightswood and Yoker in Glasgow. The name derives from the...

 and Yoker
Yoker
Yoker is a western district of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK, lying on the northern bank of the Clyde to the east of Clydebank. It is located approximately 5 miles west of the City Centre. From the fourteenth century a ferry has linked Yoker with the burgh of Renfrew on the south bank...

 lie to the West, beyond Duntreath Avenue and Yoker Mill Road. At its southern edge, Knightswood is bounded by Anniesland Road, beyond which lies Jordanhill
Jordanhill
Jordanhill is an affluent area of the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The area consists largely of terraced housing dating from the early to mid 20th century, with some detached and semi-detached homes and some modern apartments....

 and Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...

. Netherton
Netherton, Glasgow
Netherton is a district of Glasgow, in the north of the city, bounded by Temple to the south, Knightswood to the west while Westerton in Bearsden lies to the North and East. Netherton appears in Joan Blaeu's 1662 Atlas of Scotland and many subsequent old maps...

 and Temple
Temple, Glasgow
Temple is a district of Glasgow, in the north of the city, bounded by Anniesland to the south, Knightswood to the west and Kelvindale to the east. Netherton lies to the North...

 lie to the East. Both of these settlements (with Jordanhill and Scotstoun) appear on Joan Blaeu
Joan Blaeu
Joan Blaeu was a Dutch cartographer.He was born in Alkmaar, the son of cartographer Willem Blaeu.In 1620 he became a doctor of law but he joined the work of his father. In 1635 they published the Atlas Novus in two volumes...

's 1662 Atlas of Scotland, but Knightswood is not shown, either omitted or not yet of significance. The earliest recorded settlement (1740) in the Knightswood area was known as the Red Town, a small village supporting ironstone miners and brickmakers.

Just before the First World War, Knightswood consisted of an Infectious Diseases Hospital (founded 1877) with a line of terraced cottages to the north called Knightswood Rows, a few houses on the site of Knightswood Secondary School
Knightswood Secondary School
Knightswood Secondary School or KSS is a secondary school located in Knightswood in the west-end of Glasgow, Scotland.The school is one of the city's largest secondaries with a roll of approximately 1500 pupils. KSS is co-educational, non-selective and non-denominational, and provides education for...

 (all that remained of Red Town), but the area was otherwise unpopulated farmland and disused mineworkings.

Great Western Road was constructed under government patronage between 1924 and 1927 from Anniesland
Anniesland
Anniesland is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde, and centres around the junction of the Great Western Road and Crow Road; also known as Anniesland Cross....

 Cross to Duntocher
Duntocher
Duntocher is a village in Dunbartonshire, Scotland.Although it is a far older settlement and still considered a village in its own right, it is administratively part of nearby Clydebank along with the neighbouring village of Hardgate and is now part of the West Dunbartonshire local authority area...

, north of Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...

. Much of the housing in the area was constructed in three phases during the 1920s and 1930s on garden suburb
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...

 principles. This housing was mainly of cottage flat
Cottage flat
Cottage flats, also known as Four-in-a-block flats, are a style of housing common in Scotland, where there are single floor dwellings at ground level, and similar dwellings on the floor above. All have doors directly to the outside of the building, rather than into a 'close', or common staircase...

 and semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...

 types, and is similar to other parts of the city such as Mosspark
Mosspark
Mosspark is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde, in the south-west of the city.-History:Mosspark and the lands of East and Mid-Henderston were incorporated into Glasgow in 1909...

 in the South Side and Carntyne
Carntyne
Carntyne is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde, and to the east end of the city...

 in the East End and used for the relocation of people from slum tenements cleared near the city centre. Land surrounding the junction of Great Western Road and Knightswood Road was designated for the use of several church denominations, and the nearby Knightswood Park, but there were no designated industrial areas or public houses, which remained in adjacent Temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...

 and Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...

/Yoker
Yoker
Yoker is a western district of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK, lying on the northern bank of the Clyde to the east of Clydebank. It is located approximately 5 miles west of the City Centre. From the fourteenth century a ferry has linked Yoker with the burgh of Renfrew on the south bank...

.

In 1926, the district was brought under the control of the city of Glasgow, which had purchased land outside its boundary from the Summerlee Iron Company for the building of the estate. During the Second World War, Knightswood Hospital treated wounded soldiers.

Knightswood, along with Jordanhill and Temple have been linked to stories of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...

; but according to the late Lord Lyon King of Arms
Malcolm Innes of Edingight
Sir Malcolm Rognvald Innes of Edingight, KCVO, WS, FSA Scot. was Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland from 1981 until 2001.The third son of Sir Thomas Innes of Learney and Lady Lucy Buchan, third daughter of the 18th Earl of Caithness, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy and at the University of...

 there is no evidence for their presence in this area. Nevertheless, the theories continue to persist and are sometimes actively encouraged, as in the use of "heraldic" street names (Archerhill Road, Arrowsmith Avenue, Ivanhoe Road, Minstrel Road, Talisman Road, Templar Avenue, Turret Road) by Glasgow Corporation in Knightswood, even though Knightswood only appears in the records from the 18th century, long after the days of knights.

Immediately following the war, spare land on the estate was used for temporary housing in the form of prefabs. These were replaced in the 1960s with high-rise buildings. In 1958, Glasgow Corporation opened a Fire Station which now houses a specialist water rescue unit.

Knightswood Hospital gradually lost services to other Glasgow Hospitals from the 1960s onwards, ending up as a Geriatric Unit and finally closing in March 2000. The hospital site is now the Academy Park residential development. In 2008, Knightswood gained a new church congregation at Knightswood Cross when the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination which was formed in January 2000...

 moved from temporary premises in Thornwood
Thornwood
Thornwood is the name of several places:*Thornwood, New York, United States of America*Thornwood, Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States of America*Thornwood, South Elgin, a planned community in Illinois*Thornwood, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom...

 to the former Brethren Gospel Hall.

Political representation

Westminster Parliament MP: John Robertson

Scottish Parliament MSP: Formerly Bill Butler; in the 2011 Scottish election, the area falls into the new Scottish Parliament constituency of Glasgow Anniesland.

Ward 13 Garscadden/Scotstounhill covers most of Knightswood
  • The Councillors for this multi member ward are: Bailie Liz Cameron
    Liz Cameron
    Liz Cameron, born in Partick, Glasgow is a former Lord Provost of Glasgow.She graduated from the University of Glasgow and became a college lecturer, teaching at Bell College of Technology in Hamilton...

    , Councillor Graeme Hendry, Bailie Jean McFadden and Councillor Paul Rooney.


Ward 14 Drumchapel/Anniesland covers the remainder of Knightswood and Blairdardie.
  • The Councillors for this multi member ward are: Councillor Paul Carey, Councillor Jonathan Findlay, Councillor Christopher Hughes and Councillor Anne McTaggart.


Local government elections due to be held in 2011 have been deferred until 2012.

Community events

Glasgow City Council have initiated Knightswood Park Gala Day, an event for council and community groups in the area. The event on July 12th 2008 was supported by Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Fire Brigade, local churches (St David's Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....

 and Knightswood Baptist Church) and local clubs.

The 2009 Gala Day took place on 27th June 2009. The event started with the arrival of the Kingsway carnival parade at midday. There were demonstrations of falconry
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...

 and sheepdog trial
Sheepdog trial
A Sheepdog trial is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. Such events are particularly associated with hill farming areas, where sheep range widely on largely unfenced land...

s (herding Indian Runner Duck
Indian Runner Duck
Indian Runners are an unusual breed of domestic duck. They stand erect like penguins and, rather than waddling, they run. The females usually lay about 150 – 200 eggs a year or more, depending whether they are from exhibition or utility strains...

s due to space restrictions), live music, live entertainment, bouncy castles, stalls promoting community groups and clubs, Baptist church and fire brigade (as 2008). On site catering was provided this year, and first-aid cover was provided by St. Andrew's Ambulance Association
St. Andrew's Ambulance Association
St Andrew's First Aid is a first aid charity based in Scotland. Founded in 1882, St Andrew's was Scotland's first ambulance service. Now a voluntary organisation it uses the brand "St Andrew's First Aid" and seeks to preserve the lives of people in Scotland by through the provision of education...

.

In 2010 and 2011, Trinley Brae Allotments took part in the Open Gates event as part of Glasgow's Doors Open Day. This has developed links with the local community and other community events have taken place since the first event in September 2010. Members are currently researching the history of the allotment site and have the worked with the city council on other community events.

Facilities

Knightswood caters for its residents with a community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...

, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...

, secondary and primary schools. Knightswood Swimming Pool, opened in 1971, was permenantly closed in March 2010. Knightswood Secondary School
Knightswood Secondary School
Knightswood Secondary School or KSS is a secondary school located in Knightswood in the west-end of Glasgow, Scotland.The school is one of the city's largest secondaries with a roll of approximately 1500 pupils. KSS is co-educational, non-selective and non-denominational, and provides education for...

 is also home to the Dance School of Scotland. Shopping in Knightswood can be done in many places, mostly in Knightswood Shopping Centre, an area comprising around 10 shops. There are also some shops on Alderman Road, both at Dyke Road and near the community centre. Trinley Brae Allotments (between Knightswood Road and Turret Crescent) provide space for local residents to grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers. Children's & Youth Clubs are operated locally for school age children on Thursdays in the south of the area at the Congregational church (called Fusion and Fusion Xtra) and Fridays in the North at the Baptist Church (called Detonate and Detonate Plus).

Churches and places of worship

Several denominations of churches are situated in the area of Knightswood Cross (junction of Knightswood Road and Great Western Road).
The Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....

 is represented locally by St. David's Parish Church and St. Margaret's Parish Church
Knightswood St. Margaret's Parish Church, Glasgow
Knightswood St. Margaret's Parish Church is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, serving part of the Knightswood area of Glasgow, Scotland.-History:...

.
Knightswood Baptist
Baptist Union of Scotland
The Baptist Union of Scotland is the main denomination of Baptist churches in Scotland.-From the 1650s to 1869:Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies of English republican Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, who established small churches in Leith, Perth, Cupar, Ayr and Aberdeen, but they did...

 Church has been at its current site since 1929.
Episcopalian
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....

, Roman Catholic, United Free Church of Scotland
United Free Church of Scotland
The United Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland...

 and Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination which was formed in January 2000...

 churches are all nearby.
Low Knightswood is served by Knightswood Congregational
Congregational Federation
The Congregational Federation is a Federation of independent Congregational churches in England, Scotland and Wales....

church.

External links

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