Happy TravellerWelcome to Newton Mearns, also known as The Mearns, a suburban town located in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. With a population of approximately 26,993, Newton Mearns is the largest settlement in the area and is situated 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Glasgow City Centre on the main road to Ayrshire, 410 feet (125 m) above sea level. The town stretches from Whitecraigs and Kirkhill in the northeast to Maidenhill in the southeast, to Westacres and Greenlaw in the west and Capelrig/Patterton in the northwest. Newton Mearns is part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation and is a popular commuter suburb of Glasgow.
History:
Until the 20th century, the land around Newton Mearns was primarily agricultural. Ownership passed from the Pollocks (whose name is perpetuated in the nearby Glasgow housing estate of Pollok) to the Maxwells of Caerlaverock around 1300. It then passed to the Maxwells of Nether Pollok in 1648 and then the Stewarts of Blackhall in 1660. A new turnpike road from Eastwood Toll, now the main Ayr Road, was constructed in 1832. By the end of the 18th century, quarrying had developed and more importantly, numerous textile mills and finishing works became established, availing themselves of the numerous rivers and lochs for water supply. The 1893 Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland describes it as pleasantly situated on a rising ground 410 feet above sea-level. It also reveals that it was a burgh of barony which bestowed the right to hold a weekly market and two annual fairs. However, the Gazetteer also describes the village as being only a single street on the Glasgow and Kilmarnock highroad. From the early 20th century, with the introduction of improved roads and railways to the area, it gradually became a growing commuter suburb of Glasgow. In the 1930s, between speculative and local authority housing ventures, a further 6,000 houses were added to the area and after a lull during the war years, in the 1950s, house building began again in earnest. Unfortunately, the old core village suffered neglect during and after World War II and was all but derelict by the 1960s. It was purchased and turned into a shopping centre which was later to become The Avenue at Mearns in 1990. Historical buildings in the area include the 15th century Mearns Castle, Greenbank House owned by the National Trust for Scotland (just inside neighbouring Clarkston) and the 1813 Mearns Kirk.
Governance:
At national level, Newton Mearns forms part of the Eastwood constituency (since renamed to its original name of East Renfrewshire), and historically, it was one of Scotland’s safest Conservative seats in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Newton Mearns forms part of the Eastwood constituency in the Scottish Parliament. Following the breakup of Strathclyde Regional Council in 1996, Newton Mearns became part of the new East Renfrewshire Council area.
Economy:
Newton Mearns is primarily a residential area, with most of its inhabitants travelling by car or public transport to Glasgow for employment and shopping. However, there are a number of small businesses in the area, as well as an indoor shopping centre. The Avenue Shopping Centre is the main large retail centre in Newton Mearns. It comprises a total of 44 stores, currently including two supermarkets, three banks, nine clothing stores, food shops, restaurants and a library. There are also shopping units and restaurants at Broom on the Ayr Road, shopping units and restaurants at Broomburn on the Mearns Road, and shopping units and restaurants at Crookfur on Harvie Avenue. The newly constructed Greenlaw Village close to the M77 at Crookfur Road also has two supermarkets, a hotel, smaller shops and a number of restaurants. Some significant businesses operating within Newton Mearns are Vets 4 Pets, Claro Print, Specsavers, Edinburgh Woolen Mill, Nicol Estate Agents, Pets N Vets. Farming continues to be important to the south of Mearns Cross and stretching to Fenwick and Eaglesham Moors.
Transport:
Traffic through the town’s A77 or Ayr Road was reduced significantly after the M77 motorway extension opened in 1997. Transport links improved further in May 2006 with the opening of the Glasgow Southern Orbital dual carriageway, and its connection to the M77. As well as minor and major roads, the town has bus links with the centre of Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr. The town is served by two local railway stations, Patterton and Whitecraigs which run trains to Glasgow Central station amongst others.
Education:
Mearns has nine primary schools and four high schools, including one independent school. The neighbouring town of Giffnock has the local Roman Catholic high school of St Ninians High School.
Religion:
Newton Mearns has four Church of Scotland churches, a Baptist church, a Catholic church, two synagogues, and a mosque. The town is home to around 25% of Scotland’s entire Jewish community.
Leisure:
Newton Mearns contains a number of parks, including Broom/Broomburn Park, Mearns/Shawwood Park, Crookfur Park & Parklands Country Club, and the town is adjacent to Rouken Glen Park with its boating pond, gardens and leisure facilities. There are numerous golf clubs, a golf academy, a tennis club, bowling club and rugby club. A public swimming pool and leisure centre is located at Eastwood Park in nearby Giffnock, and the swimming pool and sports centre at Eastwood High School is open to the public. Between Mearns and Barrhead lie the former reservoirs and water runs of the Gorbals Water Works, pioneered in the 19th century, before the building of the Loch Katrine Water Works. The reservoirs and surrounding parklands now form the Dams to Darnley Country Park. The biggest football club near Newton Mearns is the Junior club, Pollok F.C. The club’s home stadium is situated in Auldhouse, Glasgow. Newton Mearns also has an amateur football club, Newton Mearns Rovers AFC; Established in 1962, the club competes in the Caledonian Amateur Football League. Newton Mearns has a Freemasons lodge, Lodge Newton Mearns No 1706, that meets in the Fairweather Hall on Barrhead Road.
Literature:
Newton Mearns was briefly mentioned in John McGrath’s play Little Red Hen (1975, first publ. London: Pluto 1977, p
