Kilmacolm

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Kilmacolm
Cille MhaolChaluim (Gaelic)



OS grid reference:	NS365695



Population:	c. 4000



Council area:	Kilmacolm & Quarrier's Village ward Inverclyde
Constituent country:	Scotland
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom

Police force:	Strathclyde Police
Lieutenancy area:	Renfrewshire
Former county:	Renfrewshire

Post town:	KILMACOLM
Postal:	PA13
Telephone:	01505


Scottish Parliament:	Trish Godman (Lab), West Renfrewshire West of Scotland
UK Parliament:	David Cairns (Lab), Inverclyde
European Parliament:	Scotland

Kilmacolm is a village or small town in Inverclyde, Scotland although traditionally (and still commonly) considered as lying within the county of Renfrewshire. It lies on the northern slope of Strathgryffe about 7 miles south-east of Greenock and is a mainly commuter settlement serving the nearby towns of Inverclyde and Renfrewshire and the City of Glasgow

1 History
2 The Village Today
3 Quarrier's Village
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Kilmacolm takes its name (which translates from Scots Gaelic as 'Cell (or Church) of Columba) from the dedication of its ancient church of St. Columba of Iona. The aisle of this 13th century church adjoins the newer parish church of 1833, now known as the Old Kirk. The ruin of Duchal Castle lies on the village's outskirts.

Around the church, houses were built for the agricultural workers and traders of the district, but it was after 1836 that the village's character changed somewhat. Larger, grander houses started to be built.

With the arrival of the Greenock and Ayrshire railway in 1869, which ran from Greenock to the terminus of the Glasgow and South Western Railway at Bridge of Weir, Kilmacolm became a desirable dormitory settlement for Glasgow. As a result many attractive Victorian villas were constructed, and a significant spa hotel (the Hydropathic) was erected. Stopping passenger services from Glasgow St Enoch station ceased beyond Kilmacolm in 1959 and Kilmacolm became the western terminus of the Paisley Canal Railway line in 1966. The line from Glasgow was closed completely in 1983, although it has been reopened from Glasgow Central station to Paisley Canal Station. The track has been converted into a cycle path, and is now part of the Forth to Firth Canal Pathway.

[edit] The Village Today

The Knapps Loch, Kilmacolm. The village is shown in the top right.

Kilmacolm remains a dormitory settlement, although it has expanded less in recent years than many similar small towns and villages. As of the (2001 Census), it has a population of 4,000.

Notable in the area is the moot-hill (ancient crowning place) near River Gryffe and the ruins of the Norman church of St. Fillan. To the north of the Village, towards Port Glasgow, are the remains of a Roman Fortlet, an outpost on the Antonine Wall. Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed a house in the village (Windyhill).

[edit] Village Centre

The village centre is fairly extensive for a town of Kilmacolm's size and is mainly comprised of the streets around St James' Terrace and the cross where Lochwinnoch Road (B786) meets Market Place and the Port Glasgow and Bridge of Weir roads (A761) join.

There are a number of small shops, cafes and restuarants and two community centres: the old schoolhouse and the present library. Outside the front of the schoolhouse is a rather odd-looking time capsule.

For many years the village lacked a pubic house; this was unusual for a village of its size and was due mainly to local regulations preventing the issuing of full alcohol licences, a problem also contributing to the economic problems of the former Hydro hotel. The site of the former station has now been converted into a pub named the Pullman Tavern. |

[edit] Schools

There are two schools in the village: Kilmacolm Primary School (state) and St Columba's (independent), which has both a junior and senior school.

Kilmacolm Primary School is a new building, having been moved from the old schoolhouse in the village centre. St Columba's is housed over two sites - Shallott, on on Birkmyre Park, is the former residence of the Birkmyre family and houses the junior school; land beside it is used to house St Columba's various sporting facilities. The senior school, for which extensive renovation plans are being drafted, sits on Duchal Road to the south of the village centre, near its astroturf sporting ground.

The area falls within the state school catchment area for Port Glasgow High School, however very few if any children from Kilmacolm choose to attend, instead applying for places in Greenock Academy, Greenock High School, Gourock High School or Gryffe High School at Houston, or to be educated privately either within the village or outwith - with the High School of Glasgow or Glasgow Academy being popular locally.

[edit] Parks & Recreation

The village has two main parks, despite being in an open country setting.

Birkmyre Park is located to the north of the village centre and was donated by Adam Birkmyre (1848-1906), a family owner of the Gourock Ropework Company, on the 7th of June 1890 and has been held in trust by the village (and subsequently the local authority) since 1897 "for the use, benefit, enjoyment and recreation of the public in all time coming." ^[1] The Park has a number of tennis courts, rugby pitches and a putting green and is home to the Birkmyre Rugby Club. The main area is used for athletics, association football or cricket depending on the season. The present pavillion is being modified to house a gym and cafe and shall be reopened in summer 2008.

A fair is held in Birkmyre Park over one weekend in May.

The other park is considerably smaller and located on West Glen Road. It formerly had a large pond, but this has recently been filled in as it was unmaintained and considered a hazard.

Aside from these, the local Duchal and Milton Woods, and the Knapps Loch are popular locations for similar pursuits. The Knapps is the location of the local agricultural show as well as the Bonfire Night celebrations held by the Kilmacolm & Quarriers Village Conservative & Unionist Party. There is also a Wildlife Reserve to the south east, administered by the Scottish Wildlife Trust^[2] and Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park has a Visitors' Centre and camp site located in the country a short distance from the village.

There is also a Kilmacolm Golf Club^[3].

Quarrier's Village

[edit] Quarrier's Village

Located around a mile and quarter south of the village is the settlement of Quarrier's Village, built by the Glasgow philanthropist William Quarrier as a children's home in several cottage-style settings. The cottages no longer serve this function and are all now residential. Quarrier's Village falls within the local authority ward and community council area of Kilmacolm and they have in the past shared numerous functions such as school boards. A great deal of residential development has taken place in Quarrier's in the past decade and is ongoing, expanding its size considerably.