Castlemilk House facts for kids
Castlemilk House was a large country home in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the family home of the Stirling-Stuart family for many years. The house grew from an old tower built in the 1400s, with more parts added in the 1700s and 1800s. In 1938, Glasgow Corporation bought the house and its land. It later became a children's home. The house closed in 1969 and was taken down in 1972.
History of Castlemilk House
The land where Castlemilk House stood was first known as Cassiltoun. It was located on high ground south of Glasgow. This area was between the Cathkin Braes hills and the town of Rutherglen, close to the River Clyde.
In the 1200s, the Stuarts of Castlemilk from Dumfriesshire bought these lands. They later renamed the Cassiltoun estate to Castlemilk in the 1500s. For many years, the Stuart family were important landowners.
In 1937, Glasgow Corporation bought the large Castlemilk Estate. They wanted to build new homes there. The owner, William Stirling-Stuart, was not happy about this. He worried about building so many homes far from workplaces.
Building work on the Castlemilk housing area was delayed by the Second World War. It finally began in the 1950s. Soon, modern apartment buildings surrounded the old house.
Glasgow Corporation bought Castlemilk House itself in 1939. During the war, it was used to house people who had to leave the city for safety. From 1948, it became a children's home. However, it was very expensive to keep up the house. It closed in January 1969. Castlemilk House was taken down in 1972. Today, a children's play area is on the site.
In recent years, the green spaces around the housing areas are managed as Castlemilk Park and Woodlands. This project helps the community and keeps parts of the old estate beautiful.
Castlemilk Stables: A Surviving Piece of History
Not much of the grand Castlemilk estate remains today. However, there are a few important parts. There is a small urban park with a lovely fish pond. You can also find a stone bridge from 1833. This bridge was once part of the driveway to the mansion. The old entrance gates are also still there, near Rutherglen.
The most important surviving building is the stables block. It was built in 1794 and designed by David Hamilton. The stables were damaged by a fire in 1994 and left empty. But they were beautifully restored in 2007. This restoration even won awards! Today, the stables house local housing offices, community rooms, and a nursery.
See also
- Calderglen Country Park (East Kilbride): built around Torrance House estate, owned by the same family
