Lennoxtown: Industrial Heritage, Forest and Trails

Lennoxtown combines impressive architectural heritage with traces of an important industrial era and a variety of paths through forest and valley. Those who want to discover culture on holiday while also travelling by bicycle, on foot or on longer excursions will find different starting points here for planning their trip.

Architectural Heritage and Industrial Past

A prominent landmark in the town’s history is Campsie High Kirk. David Hamilton designed the church building, which was constructed in 1828 in the Gothic Revival style. Today, it is classified as a Category A Listed Building. A devastating fire made the church unusable in 1984; in 1990, it was added to the Register of Buildings at Risk. It is now community-owned and is once again being brought into use as a cultural and public space. It therefore represents both Lennoxtown’s historical identity and its cultural development.

The industrial history dates from the late 18th to the 19th century. Mining, textile printing and the chemical industry shaped the town’s development at that time. The facility known as the “Secret Works” was a significant employer for most of the 19th century. The calico printing works near Lennox Mill also operated for more than a hundred years and employed almost one thousand people at its peak. Today, a vinyl installation on the windows of Lennoxtown Library commemorates the former textile industry at Lennox Mill. The artificial watercourse Whitefield Lade was created in the early 19th century to supply the Lennox Mills Printworks with clean water.

Lennox Castle is also part of the historic setting. The castle was built between 1837 and 1841 to designs by David Hamilton, in the style of a Norman castle made from sandstone, and was later used as a hospital. The stone bridge at East Lodge lies within the Lennox Castle estate; its crenellated design is connected to the castle. These buildings make the town’s changing history comprehensible through different periods and functions.

Forest, Valley and Trails for Active Days

The Strathkelvin Railway Path offers several options for planning an active day. It forms part of the National Cycle Network, the John Muir Way and the Thomas Muir Heritage Trail. The route follows the John Muir Way and passes the edge of Lennoxtown. A cycle route on the Strathkelvin Railway Path described as a day trip is 16 miles or 25.6 kilometres long, takes an average of two hours and is considered flat and family-friendly. For families with different interests, this can make it easier to choose clearly between cultural interests and a shared cycle ride.

Lennox Forest can also be reached directly from Lennoxtown on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. Among the trees, views open up towards Glasgow and the Campsie Fells; crossbills and deer are found in the forest. In the surroundings of Lennoxtown, Campsie Glen offers a path along the Kirk Burn as well as picnic areas beneath the trees. A larger public car park is available in the village for visitors to Campsie Glen.

Choose the Right Base for Your Trip

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can consider what you want your days to focus on. Lennoxtown is a location worth considering for travellers who want to combine industrial history, distinctive architecture and paths in nature. Those who mainly want to use the cycle route should include its length of 25.6 kilometres and average duration of two hours in their daily planning. For a trip with excursions on foot or by bicycle, Lennox Forest and Campsie Glen offer different landscape impressions, while Campsie High Kirk, Lennox Castle and the memories of Lennox Mill provide the cultural focus.

For further trip planning, you can also discover Balgrochan, Bishopbriggs, Campsie Glen, Milngavie and Bearsden.

For the main travel overview: East Dunbartonshire.