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Bishopton
Home > About Renfrewshire > Our history and heritage > Towns and Villages > Bishopton
Bishopton location map
Bishopton is approximately 6 miles north-west of Paisley.
Bishopton in 1902
Bishopton village
Bishopton was once the country retreat for one of the bishops of Glasgow, hence the name "Bishop's toun". Before that, Bishopton was the location of a Roman fort during the Roman occupation of Britain.
Bishopton was a very small community for a long time; there were only 21 houses there at the beginning of the 20th century. The population increased significantly in the 1960s and 70s with a programme of private housebuilding. One of the oldest buildings in the village is the Golf Inn, which is more than two hundred years old.
Bishopton House
Bishopton House dates back to the early 17th century, when it was the home of
the Brisbane family. Over the years it has been extended and modernised, and in 1948 it became a convent for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Today it is known as the Good Shepherd Centre and is a day
and residential school for girls with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
the Brisbane family. Over the years it has been extended and modernised, and in 1948 it became a convent for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Today it is known as the Good Shepherd Centre and is a day
and residential school for girls with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Bishopton House
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Formakin
The Formakin Estate sits on the edge of Bishopton. It was bought in 1903 by
Paisley businessman John A Holms. Holms employed Sir Robert Lorimer, a famous Scottish architect, to design a mansion house and surrounding buildings in a 17th century style. The courtyard entrance boasts a stone tablet inscribed with the date 1694 and the letters "DL".
Paisley businessman John A Holms. Holms employed Sir Robert Lorimer, a famous Scottish architect, to design a mansion house and surrounding buildings in a 17th century style. The courtyard entrance boasts a stone tablet inscribed with the date 1694 and the letters "DL".
The Formakin gatehouses
The letters stand for "Damned Lie"! Formakin became known as "The Monkey House" because of the stone monkeys which sit on top of the roofs of the gatehouses.
The Formakin mansion house
Holms was an expert horticulturist and he created magnificent gardens which were open to the public. He also accumulated a significant art collection. Unfortunately his money ran out before his work on the house was complete, and it lay unfinished and empty for many years. Holms died in 1938. Today the house and estate buildings have been refurbished and converted into luxury apartments.
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Royal Ordnance Factory
The Bishopton area has been involved in the munitions industry for many years. During the First World War a large
munitions factory known as the Georgetown Filling Factory was in
operation near Bishopton, and in 1939
the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) opened
on a nearby site. The ROF employed hundreds of people from Bishopton,
Paisley and the surrounding area.
munitions factory known as the Georgetown Filling Factory was in
operation near Bishopton, and in 1939
the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) opened
on a nearby site. The ROF employed hundreds of people from Bishopton,
Paisley and the surrounding area.
Munitions girls at Georgetown, 1918
In 1987 British Aerospace (now BAE systems) became the owners of the ROF. The factory closed in 2002, and is currently the subject of a large-scale planning application to redevelop the site.
Finding out more
You can find out more about the history of Bishopton by contacting
Paisley Central Local Studies Library
email: locstuds.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
phone: 0141 889 2360
fax: 0141 887 6468
writing to:
Reference and Local Studies Library
Central Library
68 High Street
Paisley
PA1 2BB
email: locstuds.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
phone: 0141 889 2360
fax: 0141 887 6468
writing to:
Reference and Local Studies Library
Central Library
68 High Street
Paisley
PA1 2BB
Bishopton Library
email: libraries.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
phone: 01505 862136
fax: 01505 862265
writing to:
Bishopton Library
11 Greenock Road
Bishopton
PA7 5JW
email: libraries.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
phone: 01505 862136
fax: 01505 862265
writing to:
Bishopton Library
11 Greenock Road
Bishopton
PA7 5JW
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