A SHORT HISTORY OF STONEHOUSE
NUMBER ELEVEN - THE PUBLIC PARK
I thought I would let you see part of the public park where I spent so much time in when I was a boy.
The first thing you will notice is the Chute (slide) which was said to be the biggest in Europe. A mat was supplied to sit on, if you were brave enough to have a go, the locals found it no bother in fact I and others used to go down rubbing a candle on the chute so we could slide faster.! Sadly the chute has been removed, too dangerous for our present day children
Below is the pond where you could hire a paddle boat for the half hour. I recall that the pond was full of Tadpoles.
The bridge is the Linthaugh Bridge (Brig) over the River Avon, a tributary of the Clyde, with the road on the far side going off to the right is a country road to Larkhall.
I was reading the other day that repairs were in progress on the Linthaugh Bridge and the workmen found a bottle built into the Stonework dated 1926 which listed the Councillors and workmen. The Stonehouse Heritage group got a look at the contents adding to it and it was built back into the bridge. I believe the bridge was built 1771.
Lintaugh Bridge over a River Avon in flood - October 2008.
The flat field on the far side was a golf course about 90 years ago, and I understand that in the time of the Druids this is where the stilted village stood. Closer, about 55 years back I remember helping the farmer to lift the potatoes.
