Toryglen

Toryglen tower block, the day after filming by Sony

Toryglen is a small district in southern Glasgow, Scotland. It is approximately 2 miles south of the city centre to the west of Rutherglen. It is bounded to the west by Mount Florida, the north-west by Polmadie, to the north-east by the West Coast Main Line railway and the M74 motorway) and the south by King's Park. The name 'Torryglen' first appeared on maps in the late 18th century and was a small farmhouse in the north of the present day area.

Toryglen is a residential area built mainly south of Prospecthill Road between 1947 and 1959 by the Scottish Special Housing Association. However, the north of the district was constructed by the city authorities between 1963 and 1968. Prospecthill Circus was a colourful collection of two 23 storey tower blocks (one since demolished), a 20 storey slab block and numerous deck access maisonettes. 'The Circus' is undergoing comprehensive redevelopment by the G.H.A. (Glasgow Housing Association). There is very little left of the old 'Circus' and the area is virtually unrecognisable from the way it was 10 years ago. Toryglen is also home to some of the city's early experiments in multi-storey housing built around 1955. The population is approximately 5,000.

Flats on Prospecthill Crescent with St. Brigid's chapel in the background

The Toryglen pitches (on the south side of Prospecthill Road) have been built into a sports centre, as part of Glasgow City Council's plans to boost the city's sporting facilities in the run up to hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games. On the opposite site of the road there is a large supermarket.

A derelict multi-storey block awaiting demolition in Prospecthill Circus was used in 2006 by SONY to create an advertisement for their BRAVIA range of televisions. The commercial involved the blasting of paint onto disused buildings.^[1] The main tower block in the advert was demolished in a controlled explosion on 21 January 2007.^[2]

The area is broadly defined as between the major railway lines to the north, Curtis Avenue to the south and Aikenhead Road to the west. The eastern boundary of Toryglen where Glasgow meets South Lanarkshire (the Rutherglen districts of Newfield and Burnhill) is more difficult to see from ground level as it involves houses backing onto one another right up to the border in most places. However as this is a major administrative divide, it is marked and thus easily seen on maps.

Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill of Simple Minds grew up in this area. Toryglen is now under major development by Cruden Homes, the construction is due to be completed in 2015-16.^[3]

References

Coordinates: 55°49′37″N 4°14′20″W / 55.82694°N 4.23889°W / 55.82694; -4.23889