Stobswell

Stobswell is an area of Dundee, Scotland. The area has a population of around 10,000. It was originally a small hamlet outside the city until the industrial revolution caused the growth of Dundee and the need for housing.

History

The area grew up around a well which serviced the nearby farmhouses of Janefield and Maryfield. The 'Stob' comes from the old name for a post or beam which refers to a post which indicated to travellers that it was one mile from Dundee. Housing was developed in the area by the city's 'jute barons' in the 19th century to accommodate workers in the textile mills in the area and throughout the city. In 1856, the East Dundee Poorhouse was built on a two acre (8,000 m²) site in the area. After the inception of the National Health Service the poorhouse was renamed 'The Rowans' and later became a hospital and care-home for the elderly. The building now known as Morgan Academy opened in 1868 as the Morgan Hospital, a charitable institution providing accommodation and education for "sons of tradesmen and persons of the working class generally whose parents stand in the need of assistance".

Education

The local schools in the area are Morgan Academy secondary school, Glebelands Primary School and Clepington Primary School. The Melrose Campus of Dundee College is also located in the area.

Sports and recreation

• The area is home to the Dundee International Sports Centre (D.I.S.C.), which staged the European Hockey Championships in 1998.
• Stobswell R.F.C., the local Rugby club, play at the McTaggart Sports Centre, Old Glamis Road.
• The area has two private bowling clubs, The Baxter Park Bowling Club and the Maryfield Bowling Club.
• The Skyaxe Black Belt Academy is located on Albert Street.
• The Dundee Model Boat Club can be found at Stobsmuir Ponds.

Famous residents

• In the summer of 1812 Mary Shelley lived in the area with William Baxter, an acquaintance of her family. She soon developed a friendship with Baxter's two daughters Christina and Isabel. The dunes, the beach, and the barren hills near Dundee inspired Mary, and she would later describe this scenery in her novella Mathilda (written in 1819–1820).

• Former Leeds United and Scotland football player, Peter Lorimer scored 176 goals in one season for Stobswell School.

• Glebe Street, home of the fictional comic family, The Broons used to run parallel Baffin Street beside Glebelands Primary School. It is now demolished and the school playground is now found on the site.