
Doocot rear view.
'Partick' (''Partaig'' in
Gaelic) (formerly 'Perdyc' or 'Perthick') is an area of
Glasgow on the north bank of the
River Clyde, just across from
Govan. To the west lies
Whiteinch. Partick was a
Police burgh from
1852 until
1912 when it was incorporated into the city.
Although Partick remained a village until the middle of the
18th century, it is an ancient place. The Kings of
Strathclyde had a residence there, and in
1136 David I (1124-53) granted the lands of ''Perdyc'' to the see of Glasgow. The Bishops of Glasgow had a country seat in Partick. It was later the site of Partick Castle, a country home of George Hutcheson (demolished 1836). It is thought the name comes from the
Brythonic "'Peartoc'" (cf.
Welsh ''perth'', 'bush or thicket'), adopted into
Scottish Gaelic as "'Peart(h)aig'", giving modern Gaelic "'Pearraig'" or "'Partaig'" (the latter form in use on signage at
Partick station).
Partick is the area of the city most connected with the
Highlands, and several Gaelic agencies, such as the Gaelic Books Council are based here. Even the
ATMs display some Gaelic in the area.
It is historically divided into three social areas; south of Dumbarton Road (working-class), north of Dumbarton Road (aspiring classes) and the
Partick Hill grand villas (location of shipyard owners). Being within the sphere of influence of the
University of Glasgow and neighbouring Glasgow's salubrious
'West-End' it has a high student population. Traditional industries for the area were shipbuilding and the huge Meadowside Granary (recently demolished to make way for the new Glasgow Harbour residential development) employed many residents also. The main street in Partick, Dumbarton Road, has a number of services for residents to use.
A recent up turn in the Glaswegian housing market has seen Partick increasingly become a desirable location and refurbishment and new housing programmes within the area have helped further this process.
Partick is home to the
West of Scotland Cricket Club's
Hamilton Crescent ground, which was the site of the first ever international
football match (between
Scotland and
England) on November 30, 1872. It finished 0-0.
Partick Thistle Football Club were formed in the area in
1876, but left to play in the
Maryhill area of Glasgow in
1909.
The well known comedian
Billy Connolly was a Partick resident as a child. William Douglas Whittaker was also a resident as a child.
Partick railway station is a trunk station serving as an interchange between the local rail,
Glasgow Subway and local
bus systems. As well as being the fifth busiest train station in
Scotland, it is the only transport hub to connect three different types of
public transport. It replaced the former
Partickhill railway station in
1979.
There were previously three other stations in the area,
Partick Central railway station (renamed Kelvin Hall station in
1959),
Merkland Street and
Partick West railway station.
Kelvinhall subway station is also located in Partick at the eastern end of the district near the intersection of
Dumbarton Road and
Byres Road.
The Partick interchange is currently being redeveloped due to its immense potential as a top-class interchange not only between Rail, Bus and Subway but also as the main interchange station between the
Argyle and
North Clyde rail lines.
External link
★
PARTICK (formerly Perdyc or Perthick) Volume V20, Page 871 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.