Renfrew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Renfrew
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 Renfrew Town Hall and centre |
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 Arms of Renfrew Community Council |
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 Renfrew
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| Population | 24,270 (2020) |
| OS grid reference | NS519186 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Renfrew |
| Postcode district | PA4 |
| Dialling code | 0141 |
| Police | Strathclyde |
| Fire | Strathclyde |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Renfrew (pronounced REN-froo) is a town in the west of Scotland. It's about 6 miles west of Glasgow. Renfrew is known as the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" because of its strong connection to Scotland's old royal family. It became a royal burgh in 1397, which meant it had special rights from the king.
For a long time, Renfrew was the main town for the area called Renfrewshire. Even though the area is still called Renfrewshire, the main local government offices later moved to the bigger town of Paisley.
Today, Renfrewshire is divided into three modern areas for local government. Renfrew is part of the Renfrewshire council area.
The House of Stewart family used to live at Renfrew Castle. In 1164, a big battle happened here, called the Battle of Renfrew. The Scottish army won against Somerled, who was a powerful ruler from the islands. Because of Renfrew's link to the royal family and this important victory, the person next in line to the British throne holds the special titles of Baron Renfrew and Lord of the Isles. Currently, this is Prince William.
Historically, Renfrew was important for building ships and engineering. This was because it's located on the River Clyde and River Cart. Now, many businesses in Renfrew are in the service sector. This includes the large Braehead shopping and fun centre, which opened in 1999. This has helped the town grow along the river.
Contents
History of Renfrew
The name Renfrew comes from an old British language. It means "point at the current," which makes sense because the River Cart flows into the River Clyde right by the town.
Early Days and Royal Links
Renfrew's recorded history began in the 1100s. King David I gave land in the area to Walter fitz Alan. Walter was the High Steward of Scotland, a very important job. A castle was built here to protect western Scotland from invaders and to stop the expansion of a powerful ruler named Somerled.
Renfrew Castle was located on an island called King's Inch. This area is now part of the Braehead shopping complex.
Later, in 1164, King Malcolm IV demanded that Somerled show loyalty to him. Somerled sailed to Renfrew and attacked the Scottish army. This battle was a big defeat for Somerled, and he died. The Lords of the Isles eventually lost their lands in 1493. This was because they had planned with an English king to try and overthrow the Scottish king. Since then, "Lord of the Isles" and "Baron of Renfrew" have been special titles for the person who will become king or queen. Today, Prince William holds these titles.
The Stewart family became more and more important. In 1315, Walter Stewart married Marjorie, who was the daughter of King Robert the Bruce. Their son later became King Robert II of Scotland. This shows how the Stewarts of Renfrew became the royal family of Scotland.
World War II Heroism
During the night of March 13, 1941, three brave Polish airmen saved Renfrew's Roman Catholic church of Saint James. Lance Corporal Pawel Radke, Aircraftman Antoni Ptaszkowski, and Aircraftman Zygmunt Sokolowski were at the church. They risked their lives to put out bombs that had caused fires in the church. Sadly, two of the airmen were killed by a bomb, and the third died the next day. They were all in their twenties.
Later, a Polish air squadron gave the church a portrait of Our Lady to thank the people of Renfrew. In 1982, a special silver plaque was placed in the church to remember the airmen's sacrifice.
Local Churches and Groups
In 2013, the Rev Lorna Hood, who was a minister at Renfrew North Parish Church, became the leader of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. She was also a Chaplain to The Queen. Renfrew Old Parish Church in the town centre closed in 2013 because it was too expensive to maintain.
Renfrew also has two Masonic Lodges. These are local groups that meet for social and charitable activities.
Governance
Renfrew has been part of different areas for voting in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 2005, it has been part of the Paisley and Renfrewshire North area. Currently, Gavin Newlands is the Member of Parliament (MP) for this area.
In the Scottish Parliament, Renfrew is part of the Renfrewshire North & West area. Derek Mackay has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for this area since 2011.
Getting Around Renfrew
The M8 motorway runs through Renfrew, with two exits that provide access to the town. The old Renfrew Airport used to be south of the town. Now, a large supermarket stands where the airport terminal was.
The Renfrew Ferry takes people across the River Clyde to Yoker. The trip only takes a few minutes. Renfrew also used to have train stations, but they closed to passengers in 1967. The closest train station today is Hillington West.
The McGills bus company runs regular services in Renfrew. You can catch a bus to the Braehead Shopping Centre, Glasgow city centre, Paisley, and other nearby towns.
In recent years, a new bridge has been planned to connect Renfrew/Braehead to Yoker/Clydebank. This bridge will allow cars to cross the Clyde. Construction on this new bridge started in early 2024.
Sports
Renfrew has a football team called Renfrew Football Club. They play at New Western Park in the West of Scotland Football League First Division.
Notable People from Renfrew
Many interesting people come from Renfrew, including:
- Fred Colledge, a cricketer
- Winifred Drinkwater, an aviator (someone who flies airplanes)
- Bob Harley, a footballer
- Alex Hunter, a footballer
- Jackie Husband, a footballer
- James McDonald, a flying ace from World War I
- Neil Oliver, a well-known television presenter, archaeologist, historian, and author
Economy and Industry
In the past, the main industry in Renfrew was shipbuilding. Companies like Simons and Lobnitz built many ships here, especially sand dredgers. The Renfrew shipyard closed in the early 1960s.
In 1938, the Hillington industrial estate opened, which helped Renfrew's economy grow. This area is now called Hillington Park.
Today, Renfrew is home to the engineering company Doosan Babcock. It also has the King George V Dock and the large Braehead shopping and entertainment centre.
Geography of Renfrew
Renfrew is located where the River Clyde and the River Cart meet. A passenger ferry crosses the Clyde to Yoker. A special bridge that opens, called a bascule bridge, crosses the Cart to Inchinnan and Glasgow Airport.
Two islands, King's Inch and Sand Inch, used to be in the River Clyde near Renfrew. Over time, they joined with the mainland and are now part of the town.
Images for kids
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Renfrew Town Hall and centre
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Arms of Renfrew Community Council
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Renfrew's mercat cross and war memorial.
See also
In Spanish: Renfrew para niños
