Linwood, Renfrewshire
- For other uses of the word see: Linwood (disambiguation)
| Linwood | |
|---|---|
| File:RenfrewshireLinwood.png Linwood's location locally and nationally | |
| Demographics | |
| Population: | 9,058 (1991 Census) |
| Administration | |
| Local Government Region: | Renfrewshire |
| Nation: | Scotland |
| Geography | |
| Traditional County: | Renfrewshire |
| Former Region: | Strathclyde |
| Post Office and Telephone | |
| Post Town: | Paisley |
| Postcode: | PA3 |
| Dialling Code: | 01505 |
Linwood, a small town in Renfrewshire, Scotland, 14 miles south-west of Glasgow, which saw an explosion in its population during the middle of the 20th century due to the mass exodus of people from the Glasgow slums. At that time the town's economy relied on the Rootes Car plant and the Pressed Steel Company, both of which ceased production in 1981, leaving mass numbers of Linwood's 13,000 industry dependent workers unemployed.
In the period of 1980-1995 Linwood had one of the highest unemployment rates in Scotland, but thanks to the recently built Phoenix Retail Park, established on the former site of the Rootes Chrysler/Talbot Car Plant and together with the expansion of neighbouring Glasgow Airport, Linwood has become a favoured place to live, because of its easy traveling connections to nearby Glasgow via the M8 motorway and its easy and short traveling distance to Scotland's biggest town Paisley. Local bus links exist between nearby Johnstone, Paisley and Glasgow. They are frequent on a daily basis, and served by chartered bus companies.
Shopping and entertainment are easily accessed pleasures near Linwood. The town boasts a main shopping centre in nearby Paisley as well as easily commutable Glasgow
Education needs are met by three primary schools, two non-denominational; Woodlands Primary School and East Fulton Primary School and one Roman Catholic; Our Lady of Peace, and by four nearby high schools; one Roman Catholic High School, one Grammar school; Paisley Grammar School, one none-denominational; Linwood High School and a Private school; St. Columbas. The University of Paisley and University of Glasgow are also within travelling distance, as well as many colleges.
Several professional footbalers hail from Linwood;
Paul Lambert, a European Cup winning footballer, and former captain for both Glasgow Celtic and Scotland, went to Linwood High School. He is one of only 29 players to have scored over 100 goals for Celtic.
Billy Thomson, a former Rangers, Dundee United, St. Mirren and Scotland Goalkeeper and the current Rangers Goalkeeping coach also went to Linwood High School.
Darryl Duffy, a former Rangers, Falkirk and current Hull and Scotland U21 Striker also went to Linwood High school.
Place-name meaning
Linwood comes from the Anglo-Saxon worǒ 'enclosure' (not wood) with an uncertain first element. Other source suggests the following; The village name is a hybrid meaning ‘wood by the pool’ Llyn (Cumbric) ‘pool’; wudu (Anglo-Saxon) ‘wood’. Linwood is located 4.5km (3 miles) west of Paisley just off the A737.
Originally known as ‘The Linwood’, the settlement dates back to the fourteenth century when Linwood consisted of a small collection of farms and dwellings concentrated on the banks of the Black Cart. It was given the collective name The Linwood, with early mails showing it as 'Ye Lynwode'.