Gowkthrapple (Wishaw)
| Gowkthrapple | |
  Gowkthrapple Gowkthrapple shown within North Lanarkshire | |
| OS grid reference | NS790536 |
|---|---|
| Council area | North Lanarkshire |
| Lieutenancy area | Lanarkshire |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WISHAW |
| Postcode district | ML2 |
| Dialling code | 01698 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Motherwell and Wishaw |
| Scottish Parliament | Motherwell and Wishaw |
Gowkthrapple is a small suburb of Wishaw, Scotland, situated around ¾ miles (1.2 km) from the town centre. Gowkthrapple can be entered off of the Castlehill Road which runs the length of the estate. Formerly an industrial area, associated with the Pather Iron and Steel Works and then Smith's clock factory, which opened in 1951. This closed in the 1970s, although the premises remain standing on Smith Avenue and have been reused as Garrion Business Park.
Structures
Gowkthrapple's housing predominately consisted of tower blocks. The largest of these towers were built in the 1970s and were up to 13 floors high, whereas several smaller blocks had 4 floors. Recently, the majority of the larger buildings have been demolished as part of a re-development of the area. Now, there are only two tower blocks in the suburb, Allershaw and Birkshaw Towers. Both of the towers are 12 floors high. Allershaw Tower is the home to the housing association. Both buildings were built in the 70's, but were renewed.
Reputation & Controversy
The area of Gowkthrapple is regarded by some as one of the most deprived areas in Wishaw. However the area is set to improve in the coming years with the private homes built to give the area a more mixed feel. Residents of Lanarkshire colloquially refer to the area as 'Gowkie'.
The safety of residents in Gowkthrapple has enhanced considerably, as in April 2012, a total of 190 CCTV cameras were installed by North Lanarkshire Council. Because of this, the area is now colloquially referred to by local residents as 'the CCTV capital of Britain'.
Shops Services & Facilities
Within the estate there is a small convenience store. and there is also a community centre.
There are also several children's play areas within the scheme, however in keeping with the rest of the area, they are usually extremely run-down.
Education
Castlehill Primary School is located in Birkshaw Brae. The area is serviced by the non-denominational secondary school Clyde Valley High School, based in Overtown a quarter-mile (0.5 km) to the southeast, and Saint Aidan's High School based in the main part of Wishaw.
References
- 's+regeneration+takes+a+giant+step+forward.html Gowkthrapple's regeneration takes a giant step forward
- Economic Bulletin 7 – Masterplan for a new Gowkthrapple