Lenzie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lenzie is an affluent village situated by the Glasgow - Edinburgh railway in the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland, approximately six miles north-east of Glasgow city centre and one mile south of Kirkintilloch. It has a population of approximately 10,000 due to increase by several thousand when the Woodilee Housing Estate is built.
It was built in the 19th century as a commuter town for those travelling to Glasgow and Edinburgh as Lenzie railway station is a stop between the two cities. The train station was originally named Campsie Junction, connecting the lines to Glasgow and Kirkintilloch (which no longer exists) and caused much confusion with people thinking they were at Milton of Campsie. Lenzie means 'swamp land'[citation needed], and was formerly used for farming. Now it has several shops, schools, churches, parks and various sport clubs like any other suburb. Woodilee Hospital, once the largest psychiatric hospital in Scotland, opened in 1874 and was gradually closed down from the mid-1990s. Lenzie Hospital, on the road to Auchinloch, for the elderly, also closed around this time.
Until the Second World War, housing was chiefly north of the railway station and south of the railway on the west side of Auchinloch Road. This consisted on Victorian and Edwardian villas and a few terraces and some 1920s and 1930s bungalows at Middlemuir and Kirkintilloch Road in north Lenzie. From the 1950s some Council housing was built at Gallowhill Avenue and High Gallowhill as well as private housing. In the south, housing was built at Millersneuk and Claddens, changing the image and the face of the village into a town.
Every year, Lenzie, like many other towns in East Dunbartonshire, holds a Gala on the first Saturday in June at the local rugby club. Each year, a Queen in Primary Seven is chosen from one of the local primary schools, and three attendants from the other schools.
The secondary school is Lenzie Academy, whose former pupils include Scotland rugby international, Andrew Henderson, Travis guitarist Andy Dunlop, the former Secretary of State for Scotland, Tom Johnston, and the former Chairman of the Labour Party, Ian McCartney. There are four primary schools in Lenzie: Lenzie Moss, Lenzie Primary, Millersneuk and Holy Family.
There are three churches in Lenzie: Lenzie Union Parish Church and Lenzie Old Parish Church (both Church of Scotland) and St Cyprian's (Scottish Episcopal Church).
There is a pub in the village named "Carriages" formerly known as "The Gallery" at Millersneuk.
There is one Scout Group the 1st Lenzie, 12th Glasgow. In addition there are two Boys' Brigade companies: 1st Lenzie (attached to Lenzie Union Parish Church) and 2nd Lenzie (attached to Lenzie Old Parish Church) along with Lenzie Crusaders.
There is a golf course in the village. Established in 1889, Lenzie Golf Club is situated at the East end of Gadloch, Lenzie.
