Bridgeton, Glasgow

Bridgeton
Scottish Gaelic: Baile na Drochaid
Scots: Brigtoun
Bridgeton  Bridgeton shown within Glasgow
OS grid reference	NS610641
Council area	Glasgow City Council
Lieutenancy area	Glasgow
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GLASGOW
Postcode district	G40
Dialling code	0141
Police	Strathclyde
Fire	Strathclyde
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Glasgow Central
Scottish Parliament	Glasgow Shettleston
	Glasgow
List of places: UK • Scotland • Glasgow

The Brigton Umbrella

Bridgeton (often pronounced Brigton) Scottish Gaelic: Baile na Drochaid is a district to the east side of Glasgow city centre. It is bounded by Glasgow Green to the west, Dalmarnock to the east and south and Calton to the north-west at Abercromby Street/ London Road. It used to be bounded by a village named Mile-End to the north, however this district seems to have vanished over the years, resulting in Bridgeton's boundary moving north to Crownpoint Road. It started as a small weaving village in 1705, when the third John Walkinshaw marked out a portion of his Goosefauld estate for rent. However not much interest was shown until 1775 when Rutherglen Bridge was constructed across the River Clyde and the area became known as Bridge Town. A major employer was carpet manufacturer James Templeton & Co.

Bridgeton's most notable feature is the "Brigton Umbrella", a Victorian cast iron structure covering the centre of Bridgeton Cross. Bridgeton also has one of Glasgow's original Carnegie libraries, deftly designed by the Invernessian architect, James Robert Rhind.

For many years Bridgeton has been the centre of the Orange Order in Scotland. Their marches are a common sight in Glasgow during the summer months but reach a peak around the 12th of July when the celebrations commemorating the Battle of the Boyne are in full flow.