page_title: Fernhill, South Lanarkshire
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Fernhill, South Lanarkshire / History
caption_attribution_description: English: King of the Castle
context_page_description: Fernhill is a residential neighbourhood in the Scottish town of Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire; it is situated south of the River Clyde and borders the Rutherglen neighbourhoods of High Burnside to the north and Cathkin to the east, the Glasgow district of Castlemilk to the west, and the open lands of Fernbrae Meadows to the south. Its location on a steep incline which is part of the Cathkin Braes range of hills offers panoramic views over the south and eastern parts of Greater Glasgow.
  Fernhill is within the Rutherglen South ward of South Lanarkshire Council which is also the extent of the neighbourhood community policing zone; local councillors include the experienced politician Robert Brown.
context_section_description: Until about 1950, the territory of Fernhill was open fields to the south of Rutherglen outwith the boundaries of the town (instead falling under the civil parish of Carmunnock), overlooked by a large mansion, Fernhill House, constructed around 1870.
  In order to alleviate overcrowding and housing shortages in central Rutherglen, the town council identified and purchased the territory for a housing scheme. Construction took place over the late 1950s and 1960s. The neighbourhood consists of terraced and semi-detached houses as well as apartments and maisonettes in traditional tenement style buildings and standalone flat-roofed blocks. A few years later, the construction of a Dual carriageway bypass road through central Rutherglen caused further housing issues there; road access to Fernhill to reach the new housing became easier, but the fact that the bypass intended to connect to the A749 dual carriageway to East Kilbride was not completed led to the traffic having to use minor roads in the south of the town, including Fernhill Road. 
  The edge-of-town development has some similarities with the much larger Castlemilk housing estate in Glasgow which borders Fernhill immediately to the west and was built around the same time for similar reasons. Residents of Fernhill and Castlemilk have suffered as a result of antisocial behaviour and territorial violence between rival youth gangs, although in recent years this has been tackled and the situation appears to be improving.
  The boundary between the two areas, which also separates the Glasgow and South Lanarkshire local authority zones, is known as the 'Hole in the wall', a historic term referring to an opening between fields on a drover's route across the undeveloped countryside. Today this is the site of the area’s main landmark, a whitewashed statue by Kenny Hunter of a boy with binoculars and cape looking downhill towards Glasgow.  A motto below the statue reads "Somewhere in the distance... Is My Future" .
  In common with many urban neighbourhoods in the UK, the area suffered over decades from a lack of employment opportunities and underinvestment, leading to social problems and deterioration in some of its housing stock and amenities. Improvements to Fernhill in the 21st century as part of a regeneration masterplan included the opening of a new Community and Sports Centre in 2011 (replacing the outdated pavilion on the same site), energy efficiency improvements, murals to brighten public areas and the rebuilding of local shops on the main road in 2014.
  In summer 2017, plans were outlined for the creation of an urban park on the lands of Blairbeth Golf Club, in addition to areas of new housing. Named Fernbrae Meadows after a local consultation, the park was formally opened in June 2019.
caption: King Of The Castle / Boy Wonder statue on the boundary between Fernhill and Castlemilk (Kenny Hunter, 2000)
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