Elderslie
Elderslie's location locally and nationally
Demographics
Population:	5,180 (1991 Census)
Administration
Local Government Region:	Renfrewshire
Nation:	Scotland
Geography
Traditional County:	Renfrewshire
Former Region:	Strathclyde
Grid reference:
Post Office and Telephone
Post Town:	Johnstone
Postcode:	PA5
Dialling Code:	01505

Elderslie (Ach-na-Feàrna in Scottish Gaelic) is a village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The village is situated midway between Paisley and Johnstone. Historically, it has a large gypsy and homosexual population.

The village of Elderslie is old and has a rich history. The most famous thing about Elderslie is that it is possibly the birth place of Scottish freedom fighter, Sir William Wallace and was recently the home to the world famous Stoddards Carpets.

History

Early Settlement

There is an ancient cup and ring marked stone on the braes south of the village indicating very early settlement of the area.

William Wallace

Outsiders who know of Elderslie will do so because of Scottish freedom fighter, Sir William Wallace. He led the struggle for Scotland's independence from English rule at the end of the 13th century. There is not a lot of information about Wallace as a child but is is said that he was educated by the monks of nearby Paisley Abbey around 1270.

The village hosts a large Wallace Memorial which stands on the site of Elderslie Castle. There are information panels to help residents and tourists learn more about the site's history.

Every year in August there is a parade and rally at the monument held commemorating Wallace's life.

Elderslie Castle

The outline of Elderslie Castle is marked on the ground and the remains of what are known locally as the "Wallace Buildings" are clearly seen. These buildings date from the 16th century and were demolished as recently as 1973.

Wallace Yew

There is a tree on the site that is believed to be a sibling of a tree planted by Wallace in the 12th Century.

St Patrick

Archaeologists have found relics from as far back as Neolithic times, and tradition says that during the early days of Christianity, St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, visited Elderslie and preached there. His name is remembered in the Old Patrick Water (also known as the Brandy Burn), and in the area of Glenpatrick.

Industry

In the past, Elderslie has hosted coal mines, a whisky distillery and a paper mill. The dominant industry, however, was carpet making. In 1862 Arthur Francis Stoddard began a carpet making business in the former paper mill, and by the end of the 1860s he was exporting carpets to Europe and America. Stoddard's carpet firm grew to be a very large concern well known for their high quality carpets.

There is an example of their work in the round room in Culzean Castle the Robert Adam designed castle on the coast south of Ayr overlooking Ailsa Craig.

They produced carpets for the Queen's wedding in Westminster Abbey, Concorde aircraft, Royal Yacht Britannia as well as the rich and famous. Their most famous client was the ill-fated ocean liner Titanic. When the film 'Titanic', starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio was made Stoddards was asked to produce replica carpets for the film set.

Transport

The Glasgow to Johnstone canal (via Elderslie) was completed in 1811 and offered a new means of transportation for people and goods. By 1836 there were 8 boats working the route from Elderslie to Johnstone. In 1840 the Glasgow to Ayr railway line opened, with a station in Elderslie. The railway was faster and more comfortable, and the canal was used less. In 1885 it was drained and another railway line was laid along its course.

Elderslie railway station was demolished in the late 60's following Beeching's cuts and was once a very busy station being on the now mainline between Ayrshire and Glasgow. Pressed Steel/Rootes/Chrysler had a large presence in the area up until around 1980 when the car factory closed.There were extensive sidings used for loading cars onto transporter trains. There was a Tram depot on the road to Paisley which was gutted by fire and demolished in the 70's there has never been any development on the site which is adjacent to the tenements known as Newton Terrace. The dismantled railway line which ran from Paisley Canal Street station (reopened a few years ago as a line end station from Glasgow)now has a cycle track which runs through Elderslie, by Johnstone, up to Kilbarchan and onto Lochwinnoch and Kilbirnie, or to Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm. The cycle run out to Kilmacolm, over to Loch Thom and down into Largs returning by train is particularly worthwhile.

In the early 20th century tramcars were an efficient and popular means of transport in Elderslie, before gradually giving way to buses and cars. Transport improvements enabled people to live in Elderslie and travel to work in Paisley, Johnstone or Glasgow. The large villas on Main Road were originally built to be close to the railway station. Elderslie, Paisley and Johnstone have grown until there is little space left between them, but Elderslie still maintains its separate identity.

Education

The local school is Wallace Primary School and the present building was built in the early 1970's. The original school had sat on the main road close to the village centre and was demolished and a housing development for people with special needs was built on the site.

When Elderslie children are finished at Wallace Primary, they then transfer to Castlehead High School in Paisley.

Roman Catholic education is provided at St. Anthony's Primary School in Spateston, followed by the newly opened St. Benedict's High School.

Leisure

The village has a village hall and a library. Arthur Francis Stoddard of the carpet firm donated the funds to build Elderslie a village hall, which opened in 1881. It was built in Stoddard Square, named for him, in the centre of the village. The hall buildings now also house Elderslie Library.

The village has a swimming pool located at Stoddard Square, on an area which was formerly a park. There is a golf club "Elderslie golf club" and a bowling club named the Elderslie Wallace Bowling Club (EWBC).

Football pitches are located at Old Road and Glenpatrick Road. There is a children's play park beside the grass football pitch on the Old Road, Queens Road and at Dunvegan Avenue.

The village has its own drama club that was properly founded in 1968 and it is open to all who wish to join. The club is called The Elderslie Kirk Players and they perform 2 shows per year, normally comedies around May and November each year. Except for Summer and Christmas holiday periods, they meet every Monday night from 7.30 pm. For further details, see the club website in external links below.

Regeneration

In recent years the village has seen a lot of regeneration.

Currently the village has many house building sites and the population is growing faster than ever. Elderslie has a local shopping area which boasts a picture framer, grocery shop, Mortgage Company, barber, hairdresser, chemist, flower and beauty shops as well as several food takeaway shops. There are also a Chinese and an Indian restaurant.

External links

• Elderslie Kirk Players website