Gartcosh Fireclay Works

Extensive deposits of fire clay existed in the local area at no great depth.

In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Gartcosh like this:

"Gartcosh, a village and station in Cadder parish, Lanarkshire, on the Caledonian railway, 2¾ miles NW of Coatbridge and 7 ENE of Glasgow. Near it are Gartcosh Fireclay Works. Pop. (1881) 356."

Gartcosh Fireclay Works was established by James Binnie in 1863

They produced a variety of products for both building and ornamental products as well as utilitarian products such as cattle and horse troughs.

Wastewater pipe

The Glenboig Union Fire Clay Company bought the firm in 1890 after the death of the owner.

In its 1930 catalogue, The Glenboig Union Fire Clay Company still offered GARTCOSH brand firebricks as “a good fire-brick at a cheap price.”

A system of mining is called stoop-and-room was used to extract the fireclay, which was blasted out with gunpowder.

(Stoop and room - A system of working a seam by a network of galleries, separated by broad pillars or stoops)

The clay is sent out in pieces about the size of ordinary coal. It is raised to a high pithead platform from where it is run either to the crushing mill direct or to the bing, where it is exposed to the action of the weather.

They ceased operations in the 1950s when supplies of fireclay were exhausted. Production continued until the 1950’s when fireclay supplies in the area were exhausted.

This YouTube video, filmed in Falkirk, allows us to see what conditions underground are like, the stoop and room system and the tiled vents similar to what we would have seen at Gartcosh.

This aerial view shows the location of the works. Johnston Loch and Lochview Terrace can be seen. Old Gartloch Road extends across the railway unlike today.

1933 photograph of the factory and workers' houses.

The site was developed and today Heathfield Park Estate is built on the land of the former Fireclay Works.