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Population 5576. Figures
taken from 2001 Census.
Like its neighbour Bothwell, Uddingston is a
prosperous commuter town at the northern tip of the South Lanarkshire
area.
The town has a vibrant centre and nightlife
and its proximity to Glasgow, Hamilton and the M8 corridor to Edinburgh
make it an attracive place for commuters. There is also a good selection
of high street stores, traditional shops and cosy cafes and pubs.
Uddingston is probably most famous for
Tunnocks bakery, producers of the world-famous Caramel Wafer, Caramel
Log and Teacake. This family-run business, founded in 1890 is still one
of the main employers in the area but thanks to regeneration in the
surrounding industrial estates, things are looking up for Uddingston.
Other big employers include heating manufacturers Scottish Gas, Sunvic
Controls, DFDS Transport and Croftbank Nursing Home.
Housing in Uddingston has something for
everyone, from council properties to traditional sandstone villas and
new build homes. Uddingston's only 'A' listed building is the Uddingston
Viaduct.
There are two primary schools in the area
and Uddingston Grammar will be totally rebuilt as part of South
Lanarkshire Council's multi-million pound schools modernisation
programme.
Uddingston is served by the Bellshill
Speaker, Hamilton Advertiser, the Lanarkshire Extra and the Lanarkshire
World.
You can also watch our SLVTV film about the
motorbike club
M74MCC (this link will open in a new window).
Shopping
Uddingston's shops are concentrated along
the main street with a selection of local stores, ranging from
children's wear and an interior design studio to florists, newsagents
and estate agents.
It also has a range of restaurants, bars and
cafes, including the famous Tunnocks tea room.
How to
get there
Uddingston is easily accessible from the
M74. From Glasgow you can also take the A74. Uddingston is on the main
rail line to Glasgow from Motherwell. It has a good bus service to
outlying towns and Glasgow.
History
The name Uddingston originated with the
Angles who arrived in the area around AD 700. The original spelling of
the name was Odistoun, meaning the homestead of Oda. It gradually
evolved into Evison and later to Udiston.
Uddingston has been a main thoroughfare
since the Roman era when the main road from the south ran through the
town. In 1790 the first stage coach ran from London through Uddingston
to Glasgow. The railway came in 1849 and the motorway in 1968.
The entrance to Bothwell Castle is actually
in Uddingston. Between 1296 and 1337 the castle changed hands between
the Scots and the English several times and was partially demolished
twice. Bothwell Castle was finally abandoned in the 17th century and
Archibald Douglas used stone from the old castle to build a new 'Bothwell
Castle' in the fashionable Palladian style. This mansion was finally
demolished in 1930.
In the first half of the 18th century 60
families were recorded in the village of Uddingston and by 1795 there
was a population of 287, many of whom were involved in handloom weaving.
The manufacture of linen thread from locally grown flax also formed part
of the local economy. By the 19th century, Uddingston had become a
centre for the manufacture of agricultural machinery notably Wilkie's
Plough. This was first made by Mr John Wilkie in 1800 and was used in
all the well-cultivated districts of Scotland and in many parts of
England. By 1840 more than 10,000 ploughs had been produced by the
Wilkie family.
Up to the middle of the 19th century there
were few shops in Uddingston. The Co-operative Society was founded in
1861 and over the following 20 years many more shops opened to serve the
growing community. The Victorian era was a period of growth with most of
the tenements and large houses in Uddingston built around this time.
Although Uddingston was surrounded by
collieries in the early 20th century, there was only ever one pit in the
village itself, Maryville, which was abandoned in 1883.
One of Uddingston's most famous sons, Sir
James Black, is world-renowned for developing drugs that have saved
millions of lives. Born in the town in 1924, Sir James revolutionised
heart treatments after he created beta-blocker drugs and later
ulcer-tackling medicine with his achievements winning him a Nobel Prize
in 1988.
By Bothwell
Banks
Some Chapters on the History, Archaeology, and Literary Associations of
the Uddingston and Bothwell District by George Henderson and J. Jeffrey
Waddell (1904) (pdf) |
