Houston can be explored through tangible traces of its village, architectural and industrial history. The Mercat Cross stands on South Street; Houston House has a door surround dated 1625; and the Kilallan Bell belongs to Houston & Killellan Kirk. Walking routes and the site of the Craigends Yew near the River Gryffe complete the picture. These offer different focuses when planning a trip: architecture, ecclesiastical heritage, past industry and landscape.
Architectural History and Ecclesiastical Heritage
Houston’s Mercat Cross stands on South Street. Houston House brings together two distinct aspects of architectural history: its door surround is dated 1625, and the north-western part of the house was the eastern end of an older mansion. The date refers to a specific architectural feature; the second detail describes the building’s relationship to an older mansion. Visitors interested in architecture can therefore find both a dated detail and an earlier building history here.
Church history also has a tangible point of reference. The Kilallan Bell of Houston & Killellan Kirk was recast in 1618 and again in 1844. The two dates mark successive recastings of the same bell. This differs from the date on the door surround: there, a building feature is dated; here, two recastings are recorded.
Village Development and Past Industry
Construction of a new village began in Houston in 1781; two streets were laid out parallel to the Houston Burn. The burn also served an economic purpose: historically, it was managed to supply at least five new industrial businesses with power and process water. It was therefore part of both the village’s development and the supply system for its early industry.
Textile manufacturing was historically Houston’s most important source of employment. In private homes, 42 looms produced cotton, muslin, lawn and silk gauze. Domestic weaving and the role of the Houston Burn shed light on different aspects of the local economy: craft production in homes and a water resource that supplied industrial businesses with power and process water. The four fabrics named also illustrate the range of textile manufacturing.
Craigends Yew and Designated Routes
The site of the Craigends Yew is in Houston, near the River Gryffe. The site includes ancient yews at least 7 m tall, as well as notable yews. This landscape feature complements the architectural and industrial history with a nature theme.
The 2022 Renfrewshire Core Paths Plan designates various traffic-free recreational paths and rural roads as Core Paths in the area around Bridge of Weir, Brookfield and Houston. The named routes have different points of interest: Core Path BBH 7 Fulton Drive / Ardgryffe provides access to the Craigends Yew; the western section of BBH 14 Gryffe Walkway has a viewing platform at waterfalls; and route BBH 41 from Kilmacolm Road leads to a National Cycle Network (NCN) cycle route. This distinguishes a route to a natural site, a section with a viewing platform and a link to a cycle route. If you plan to use any of these routes, check current route information before setting off; the details refer to the 2022 plan.
Discover more destinations: Newton Mearns, Eaglesham, Lochwinnoch, Elderslie, Howwood, Uplawmoor, Clarkston, Renfrew
For the broader travel overview: Renfrewshire.
