Place:Stepps, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Watchers
NameStepps
TypeLocality
Coordinates55.8908°N 4.1522°W
Located inGlasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland     ( - 1975)
See alsoBarony, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotlandparish in which Stepps located prior to being absorbed into Glasgow
City of Glasgow, Scotlandunitary council area since 1975


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Stepps is a settlement in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, near the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. Its recently upgraded amenities include a new primary school, library and sports facilities. The town retains a historic heart around its church in Whitehill Avenue, whilst examples of Victorian and Edwardian housing can still be found. The travel connections by road and rail mean residents work in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Stirling and beyond. The town is located in close proximity to the new Seven Lochs Wetland Park, from which views to the Campsies and Loch Lomond can be enjoyed. Stepps has a population of around 6,730.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

The etymology of the name is uncertain, but may relate to stepping stones over boggy ground. Early maps give the name as Coshnocksteps. Steps is included on several old documents including maps by John Ainslie, Thomas Richardson and William Forrest.

Originally part of the Garnkirk estate, the name for the settlement appears to post-date that of the main road through its centre, Steps Road, which was named in the 19th century. The railway came to Steps around 1831. The name and spelling Stepps only became accepted when the name of the railway station formally changed to Stepps in 1924.

Stepps is home to one of Scotland's oldest Hockey Clubs. Formed in 1913, Stepps Hockey Club is building towards its centenary celebrations and currently competes in the Second Division of the Scottish National Hockey League. The tennis club was founded in 1905 and new facilities, including all-weather courts, were recently completed. The local cultural centre is home to the library, meeting rooms for local clubs and all-weather facilities for football and hockey. It is located on the same campus as Stepps Primary School, all of which was built in 2007.

Research Tips

  • Refer to Glasgow and Barony for references for parish records, vital records since 1855, and censuses. No date has been found for the changeover. Old records may not refer to Stepps but to some other local community.
  • The maps website of the National Library of Scotland allows comparisons of modern-day and old maps of the same place. From the home page click on "Find by place" and then follow the instructions on the next page. Once you are viewing the place you want, use the slider <----> at the top of the map to compare the layout of roads and the place names of smaller areas, perhaps even farms, with the landscape today. The website takes some getting used to.
  • The Statistical Accounts for Scotland In the 1790s and again in the 1830s, the ministers of the all the parishes of the Church of Scotland were asked to provide a description of their parish to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The original account request included 160 questions to be answered. These accounts are available in print in 20 volumes and are also online where it is freely available to browse. The browsing portal is below the viewing area of most computer screens. Scroll down to "For non-subscribers" and click on "Browse scanned pages". This brings you to another page on which one can enter the name of the parish in which you are interested.
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Stepps. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.