Barrhead Co-operative Society, Main Street, Neilston
The Neilston branch of the Barrhead Co-operative Society opened in July 1872 after community demand, operating from a leased shop at £12 per year. It faced challenges, including low profits and repeated proposals to separate it from the Barrhead Society, which were consistently rejected by members.
Despite early struggles, the branch remained active, adapting to community needs and reflecting the Co-op’s broader shift from ideals of production to providing goods and earning dividends. While it had its difficulties, the branch symbolised resilience and the cooperative spirit.
Credits: Public Domain (Older) & CC0 1.0 (Recent)
High Street, Neilston
The two images of High Street highlight its evolution over time. The church hall, its bell tower and the stone building on the right remain practically unchanged, the latter with what looks like the same fencing, but all of the cottages within view have been replaced by modern buildings.
Credits: Public Domain (Older) & CC0 1.0 (Recent)
Neilston Mill Weans
This corner of Neilston once bustled with life. Families lived in the cottages around Crofthead Mill and Neilston Low station. Children played in the lanes and roads, as the mill stood as the cornerstone of the community.
Now, it’s a quiet, overgrown patch of ground where only fragments remain. The cottages are gone and many people alive today won’t remember them at all. The station, a second in Neilston, closed in 1966 and left nothing but the tracks behind. It’s hard to find many remains of the station today.
The stone walls still standing are a reminder of what once was—a place where people built their lives around the mill, now swallowed by time and change.
Credits: Public Domain (Older) & CC0 1.0 (Recent)
