Eaglesham
In the heart of Eaglesham lies the beautiful 18th century planned village. Many of the buildings are B and C Listed but as a whole the village is A-listed. In 1769, Alexander, 10th Earl of Eglinton, began the work of developing the old kirktoun of Eaglesham into an elegant village planned in the shape of the letter ‘A’, formed by Montgomery Street reaching an apex with Polnoon Street and joined in the middle by Mid Road.
By the first half of the 19th century, Eaglesham was a busy village with a cotton mill in The Orry (common ground in between Montgomery Street and Polnoon Street) and another smaller mill at Millhall on the Dunwan Burn. The village was surrounded by farms many of which are still worked today.
There is plenty of historic interest to the visitor. Most of the original 18th century buildings survive including many beautiful village houses and also the Eglinton Arms Hotel which was originally an 18th century coaching inn. Polnoon Lodge in Gilmour Street was built in 1733 as a hunting lodge by the Earls of Eglinton and was rebuilt in the 19th century.
The village also boasts 2 beautiful church buildings. Eaglesham Parish Church which stands at the foot of Montgomery Street is B-listed and was built in 1789-90 by the Earl of Eglinton and altered in 1890. The very pretty St. Bridget’s Roman Catholic Church can be found on Polnoon Street and dates from 1858.
Eaglesham also has some hidden treasures. In the 19th century William Gemmell, a local joiner and self taught sculptor, created a collection of stunning life size statues. These can be found at Statue House in Eaglesham and can be viewed by arrangement with East Renfrewshire Council Library and Information Services. In addition, Statue House has an open day every year on Doors Open Day and every two years at the Eaglesham Fair.
View the portal to the past page on William Gemmell
» go back
