Grahamstown, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Notes:
https://www.glasgowliving.today/history/grahamston-glasgows-forgotten-village/



Most Glaswegians at some point have heard the rumours of what lies beneath Glasgow Central Station. A brief glimpse of the subterranean labyrinth of tunnels and mysterious pathways can be seen from Hope Street which has led from tongue in cheek horror stories to outlandish claims of fully intact Victorian streets, complete with shops, street-lamps and cobbles.



Image: http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/grahamston.html

These rumours stem from the village of Grahamston, a near-forgotten relic of Glasgow history which, more than 100 years ago, disappeared under the foundations of Scotland?s busiest train station, fuelling urban legends of a Victorian village stuck in time. There are even rumours of substantial amounts of silver left behind in the abandoned shops.



A peculiarity of Grahamston is its lack of authoritative documentation, often only mentioned fleetingly in history books. This is made even stranger given its central location, its accessible routes to other main towns in central Scotland and the wide variety of transport it accommodated. The crossroads, or the infamous Four Corners as it?s known today, was one of the busiest in Europe. Glaswegians are a proud bunch and most take pride in where they or their families are from. However, Grahamston is virtually unknown to most, apart from the rumours of a forgotten village, which is strange for a place that vanished relatively recently. For example, the main street, Alston Street was in place until at least 1873 and some of the buildings, including St Columba?s Gaelic Church, which stood in Hope Street, survived until the early 1900s. However, it?s certain you haven?t met anyone saying they or their families hail from Grahamston.



Another strange aspect is its architecture. Glasgow, the city which produced Charles Rennie Mackintosh, has a rich and illustrious tradition of proud architecture. However, unlike the rest of the city, Grahamston has almost no substantial relics to visit unlike other historic villages, which perhaps fuels the rumours of intact buildings underneath Central Station. Two buildings connected to the village still stand today, although with no acknowledgement to their past.



One more aspect which adds to the Grahamston enigma is its complete lack of visual documentation. There are few, if any, pictures which show Grahamston, and those which exist are often its demolition. Famous streets such as Union Street, Argyle Street and Hope Street are well photographed, with Grahamston always tantalisingly just out of frame. In addition, illustrations and sketches of the village always seem to depict it frustratingly in the distance or obscured by the hillside.



Grahamston Beginnings



Grahamston was born of modest beginnings, a peripheral village emerging in 1680, however, the impending industrial revolution and Scottish Enlightenment ensured both its growth and value to Glasgow. As noted Grahamston was a small village and not always a hive of activity. Glasgow also as a whole struggled to compete, disadvantaged by trade deals forbidden by English law and rudimentary industrial skills. However, following the Union of Parliaments in 1707, the Act of Union opened lucrative avenues for trade with the Americas, with Glasgow particularly benefiting with access to open waters. By the mid 18th century, Glasgow was flourishing, the industrial revolution coupled with the Enlightenment providing the catalyst for an eruption of Scottish influence worldwide. Grahamston?s status as a peripheral village destined to boom in growth lies with the influence of shipping at Broomielaw. Taking advantage of the unrestricted trade laws, Glasgow?s merchants not only famously dealt in the influential tobacco trade but also rum, sugar, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco, animal hides, grain and rice. Benefiting from its advantageous position beside the Clyde, many warehouses related to these commodities set up in Grahamston. Grahamston?s development served as a microcosm of Glasgow, growing from a provincial backwater to an integral member of world trade. Grahamston Theatre: ?Let the devil?s hoose burn!?

Birth

Matches 1 to 1 of 1

	Last Name, Given Name(s)	Birth		Person ID
1	Stevenson, Elizabeth	27 Jan 1745/46	Grahamstown, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland	I33389