What is in a name? Glassford Guided Walk and The Glesart Book Launch

Come along for a walk and the Launch of 'the Glesart' Book by John Young

Come along for a walk and the Launch of 'the Glesart' Book by John Young

The walk will start from 4.30pm from Glassford Hall 

The walk will be suitable for all the family but please get intouch if you have any concerns and details of the route will be posted before the day. 

The book launch will start from 7pm on the 29th October in Glassford Hall 

If you wish to attend both book your tickets Here. 

Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership, Arts and Heritage project is pairing up with local author John Young to take you on a walk around Glassford, pointing out why things are called what they are but also to find out your memories of a place. Did you used to ride your bikes down this hill, did you have picnics under that tree? Is this a good spot to have a game of football?

While thinking about the names that places are given but also the names that we give places we start to unpick some of the history of that place. 

icecream architecture will then take some of those stories and create temporary installations that will be installed in November that will tell those stories to others as the visit the place. 

This walk will help to inform the routes, waymarking and digital mapping that will be the final outcome of the project across Glassford, Stonehouse, Lanark, Larkhall and Carluke. 

Thanks to funding from the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places grant and Heritage Lottery Fund supported Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership we will be working with communities in Larkhall, Lanark, Carluke, Stonehouse and Glassford to promote walking and cycling. This will be done through a diverse and engaging set of mechanisms to include creative workshops, route identification, digital mapping and an on the ground campaign.

If you cannot attend but would like information about future events please signup here or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

'The Glesart' By John Young 

Aloft the Avon river rests the sleepy hamlet of 'the Glesart', but travelling along the A71 to Strathaven how many venture over the Glesart brig to explore the environment and historical sites that lie in abundance within this former barony and parish? Glassford, to give it its Sunday name, is full of surprises and it was whilst uncovering its story I felt compelled to recognise the villages past by writing a new publication of those who have contributed to its development over the years and the historical events which have shaped the village.

The village of Glassford was formerly known as 'West Quarter', with further villages of 'Heads' and 'Chapelton' forming the old 'Parish of Glassford'. However for the purposes of this account the publication focuses on the village we now know simply as 'The Glesart'.

Some may know of the pre-historic standing stones that overlook the Avon waters but how many have taken the time to see them for themselves in understanding why our ancestors chose to settle in such places or appreciate the peoples beliefs and skills that encouraged them to settle in the beautiful surroundings of the Avon Valley? A parish rich in history, Glassford was where the Quakers first established themselves in Scotland in 1653, holding to their faith under persecution of other faiths, as the covenanters themselves experienced soon after. How many know that Glassford was also the site of a Napoleonic prison at Glassford castle at the beginning of the 19th century? Few I expect, but these events have shaped a community over hundreds of years in a story that deserves to be told.

From statistical accounts, national archives, local documents and personal research I have sought to recall Glassford's story in providing residents and readers with a reference and greater understanding of the area and the characters who have played their part in the villages history.

The book will be available after the official launch on 29 October. The 80 page limited edition publication will be priced £10.00 and available locally for purchase.