From Glasgow to South Lanarkshire

WHEN I was young Rutherglen was the subject of a tongue-twister: ‘Ru’glen’s wee roond red lums reek briskly’ (Rutherglen’s little round red chimneys smoke briskly), but otherwise it was a place through which one passed, rather than a destination.

So it remains, but it deserves better.

For before Glasgow emerged in the 12th century as a place of consequence Rutherglen was the more significant settlement, the head of navigation on the river Clyde, and was created a Royal Burgh by David I. It had a castle (north of the west end of Main Street, largely destroyed in 1568) and a parish church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The revenues of the parish were assigned to Paisley Abbey.

The broad, level main street of the burgh was the mediaeval market-place, one of the largest of its kind in the west of Scotland. Livestock fairs were held there until the early 20th century. Today it is a dignified thoroughfare, with at its centre the subject of this article (with its historic graveyard); the former Town Hall (the first part of which was designed by Charles Wilson of Glasgow and built in 1861-62); and the Roman Catholic Church of St Columbkille, designed by the Glasgow architects Gillespie, Kidd and Coia and completed just after the outbreak of the Second World War. This is a building of exceptional architectural quality.

Rutherglen retained its Royal Burgh status until the local government reorganisation of 1975, when it became part of Glasgow District Council. In the further local government changes of 1996 it became part of South Lanarkshire Council’s area. The loss of the identity of many burghs in these changes has been, to my mind, very important.

As was common after the Reformation the mediaeval church was adapted for Protestant worship, with the nave used as the place of worship. The chancel had gone by the 1790s, only the east gable surviving, together with the east tower, which had been built in the late 15th or early 16th century. This was retained as a bell-tower, and contains a bell dated 1623. The present slated timber spire was added in 1710. The mediaeval nave continued to serve as as the parish church until 1794, when it was replaced by one designed by James Jeff rey, on the original east-west alignment. A remarkable feature of the church complex is the Renaissance gateway from Main Street, built in 1662-63 to designs by John Scott. Immediately inside the gateway are ‘elders’ boxes’ (like sentry boxes) added in 1761, to protect elders collecting money for the relief of the poor of the parish.

By the late 19th century the 1794 church was inadequate for the growing population of the burgh, and the present building was constructed in 1900-02, on a north-south plan; It was designed by JJ Burnet, and is plain but dignified, both externally and internally. A few years ago the transept on the west side of the building was partitioned off to form meeting rooms.

Soon after the Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843 a large and striking Free Church was built to the west of Main Street, in Gothic Revival style. It was, like the first phase of the Town Hall, designed by Charles Wilson.

Its congregation joined the United Free Church in 1900, and the Church of Scotland in 1929, as Rutherglen West Parish Church. A few years ago its congregation united with that of Rutherglen: Wardlawhill, and recently in turn with the Old Church, worshipping in the latter.

Central Rutherglen is easily reached by public transport from Glasgow and other parts of Lanarkshire, and is well worth a visit. The two churches in the Main Street, the Town Hall and associated municipal buildings are particularly worth seeing.

This article appears in the December 2018 Issue of Life and Work

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