Halfway, South Lanarkshire

Halfway is a largely suburban area in the town of Cambuslang, Scotland, located within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. It borders the smaller areas of Lightburn, Cairns, Flemington, Drumsagard and Hallside.

Not to be confused with Halfway, Glasgow.

Halfway

Main row of shops on Hamilton Road
Halfway
Location within South Lanarkshire
Council area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGLASGOW
Postcode districtG72 7/8
Dialling code0141
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Halfway is the largest component of the Cambuslang East ward of South Lanarkshire Council[1][2][3] which has an overall population of around 16,000.[4]

History and amenities

The district was named in the days of the Glasgow to Hamilton stagecoach when passengers would stop halfway between the destinations to change the horses, have a rest etc. There is a long history of coal mining in the area[5][6] (especially around Flemington),[7] but no colliery is still in operation. It also has the older name of Gilbertfield, referring to the nearby ruined 'castle' of that name (as it is known locally - it is in fact a stately home) which still stands to the south. It was owned by Hamilton of Gilbertfield. He was a friend of Robert Burns and wrote a poem about William Wallace called Blind Harry's Wallace, a rendering into contemporary English of a medieval Scots poem, which was eventually used as the basis for the screenplay that became the Mel Gibson blockbuster Braveheart.

The area sits to the south of Dechmont Hill, an extinct volcanic rock 300 feet (91 m) above sea level. There is evidence, written by the Welsh chroniclers, that King Arthur's 12th battle, the battle of Calaan, took place there against the two sons of his rival Caw, (or Cawn), king of Strathclyde.See

Flemington-Hallside Parish Church
Logan Tower (since refurbished)

Halfway is home to two places of worship, Flemington-Hallside Parish Church[8] (adjacent to the area's single residential tower block, Logan Tower)[9][10][11] and St. Cadoc's Roman Catholic Chapel[12] south-west of the main road in the Cairns housing estate. There is also a lawn bowling club, a fuel filling station, a local park with play area, a public library,[13] a small medical centre and a typical selection of local shops, takeaways and public houses. All these amenities are located either on the main thoroughfare, Hamilton Road, or just off it.

There is no train station in the immediate area, although northern parts of Halfway are within walking distance of Newton station. The main road is on a busy bus route between Glasgow and Lanarkshire (the same route taken by the historic stagecoaches mentioned above).[14]

Primary schools in the local area include Cairns,[15] St. Cadocs RC,[16] Park View and Hallside, all rebuilt in the 2010s except Park View which only opened in 2014 to alleviate overcrowding at nearby Hallside.[17] Older children normally go on to Trinity High School (Rutherglen), Cathkin High School or Stonelaw High School, depending on which primary school they attended.[18][19]

Gilbertfield

In March 2017, an application by Persimmon Homes to build almost 400 houses in land immediately to the north of Gilbertfield Castle was approved by South Lanarkshire Council's planning committee; this was somewhat controversial as the land had previously been designated Green belt. Various concerns were raised by local residents, community councillors (representing Halfway/Cambuslang East ward), the Lowland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association who have a rifle range adjacent to the site,[20] and Clare Haughey and James Kelly, MSPs for the area, which were presented to the committee along with a 1300-signature petition opposing the development, without success.[21][22][23][24] Revisions had already been made to the plans after the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency objected to the builder's initial submission in 2016.[25][26]

A proposal for a further development directly incorporating the castle was publicised in May 2020.[27]

Notable residents

References
  1. "Map ward 14 - Cambuslang East" (PDF). South Lanarkshire Council. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. "Cambuslang East". Police Service of Scotland. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  3. Election special: Cambuslang East residents want action from councillors, Daily Record, 20 April 2017
  4. "South Lanarkshire". City Population. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  5. Buildings of Scotland: Glasgow (page 504), Elizabeth Williamson, Anne Riches, Malcolm Higgs, 1990, ISBN 9780140710694
  6. Housing Conditions of Miners 1910: Cambuslang Parish, Scottish Mining website
  7. Flemington, Gazetteer for Scotland
  8. "Flemington-Hallside Parish Church".
  9. "Tower Block UK: Lightburn". University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  10. "Buildings in Glasgow: Logan Tower". Emporis. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  11. The Story of Rosebank Tower, Tower Blocks UK, 16 September 2019
  12. "St. Cadocs RC Chapel".
  13. "SLC – Halfway Library".
  14. "Glasgow Network Map" (PDF). First Glasgow. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  15. Cairns Primary School, Urban Realm, 2012
  16. St Cadoc’s Primary welcomes first pupils, Urban Realm, 4 October 2013
  17. "Two new primary schools to be built in Halfway and Newton". STV Group (Scotland). 8 March 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  18. "Parents react angrily to new school plans". STV Group (Scotland). 25 November 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  19. "Newton primary to open a year later due to legal hold up". Daily Record/Rutherglen Reformer. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  20. Cambuslang, Dechmont Rifle Ranges, Canmore
  21. "Cambuslang residents up-in-arms over new plans to build 437 houses in fields across from their homes". Daily Record/Rutherglen Reformer. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  22. "CR/15/0239 - Application for site to south of Gilbertfield Road Cambuslang - Related Documents". South Lanarkshire Council Planning Department. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  23. "Campaign against controversial Cambuslang housing development ramps up". Daily Record/Rutherglen Reformer. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  24. "1,300 Cambuslang voices of protest silenced by council as 386 houses get go-ahead". Daily Record/Rutherglen Reformer. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  25. "Cambuslang housing development plans to be redrawn after flood warning". Daily Record/Rutherglen Reformer. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  26. "Cambuslang development: Gilbertfield homes back on the table". Daily Record/Rutherglen Reformer. 10 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  27. A ruined castle with a bloody history could be at the centre of a housing development, The Scotsman, 18 May 2020
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