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Pollokshaws is an area on the South side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is bordered by the residential neighbourhoods of Auldhouse to the east, Eastwood and Hillpark to the south and Shawlands to the north, with the Glasgow South Western Line railway and the open lands of Pollok Country Park to the west. The White Cart Water flows through the area. The housing stock consists of some sandstone tenement housing, modern brick tenement-style buildings, low-rise social housing and high rise/multi-storey tower blocks. Previously eight tower blocks stood in an area known as the Shawbridge Corridor; the last of these blocks was demolished in March 2016. Four other tower blocks remain, near Pollokshaws East railway station. According to the 2001 Census, Pollokshaws had a population of 4,295. Its residents are a mixture of working class and middle class social groups, and the area also had a large South Asian community. [edit] History
Pollokshaws was originally a village predominantly dedicated to weaving in the 17th century. A group of Flemish weavers were brought to the area in the 19th century by the landowners, the Maxwells of Pollok, on account of their exceptional weaving skills. Pollokshaws was a burgh of Renfrewshire until 1912 when it was annexed to the City of Glasgow. Though it had been an industrial area, this changed in 1957 when it was proposed as the second Comprehensive Development Area in Glasgow (the first was Hutchesontown). The area was demolished and rebuilt anew.
Several residential tower blocks were built as part of the CDA plan in the 1960s. Most of these were later demolished between 2008 and 2016 in the Shawbridge Corridor regeneration.[1] The blowdowns of the first two towers in July 2008 was filmed in detail by an American company and can be seen as part of the documentary series "The Detonators". Low-rise, mainly private housing has replaced the blocks. A group of our towers at Shawhill remain standing going into the 2020s,[2] along with a single block at Cartcraigs on the southern periphery of the district. [edit] Research Tips
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