Ruchill


Glasgow City

A northern district of Glasgow, Ruchill lies 2 miles (3 km) north northwest of the city centre to the west of Possilpark. Ruchill House was built around 1700 for the Peadie family, and greatly extended in the 19th C. Much of the estate was sold off in the mid-18th C. and was later to be feued for development as the district of North Kelvinside. Meanwhile, industry developed alongside the Forth & Clyde Canal, including a sawmill (built c. 1885 for D. McFarlane and Son), the McLellan Rubber Works, the Kelvin Chemical Works, Alexander, Fergusson & Company's Glasgow Lead and Colour Works, and a foundry. These industries were later served by Ruchill Goods Station, which opened as the terminus of a short branch line in 1879 and operated until 1965. Ruchill House and the remainder of the estate was bought by Glasgow Corporation in the later 19th C. and developed as Ruchill Park, which opened in 1892. Glasgow's second fever hospital, was also built here, opening in 1900 but now closed and partially demolished. An artificial hill in the park was created from 24,000 cartloads of material excavated during the building of the hospital and given the name 'Ben Whitton' after the Director of Parks at that time. Ruchill House was demolished in the 1910s. The Benview Campus was completed within Ruchill Park in 2012 at a cost of £19 million. This brings together denominational and non-denominational primary schools (St. Cuthbert's and Highpark), a pre-five early years centre and a special needs unit for autistic children.

In 1921, Bryant & May opened a factory here making the iconic Scottish Bluebell matches. This made use of the old sawmill to process timber for the match sticks and the distinctive smell of the chemicals involved in match production permeated the area. This factory closed in the 1970s, but some of the buildings remain on Shuna Street, now put to other industrial uses. The district has been redeveloped to become predominantly residential, with the Murano Street Student Village opened by the University of Glasgow in 1992 on the site of the former Glasgow Glass Works, the Caledonian Glass Bottle Works, Firhill Glass Bottle Works and Ruchill Oil Works. This complex accommodates more than 1100 students, the largest of the university's residences. Extending to Firhill in the southeast, Murano Street takes its name from the Murano Glass Works in Venice (Italy).


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