Looking back at the abbots and earls of historic Zetland

It was the culmination of a huge community effort inspired by the Friends of Zetland Park and brought to completion by Falkirk Council and funded by the generosity of many individuals and organisations including the Heritage Lottery Fund which provided over £1 million pounds.

Some years ago I wrote an article for one of the Herald’s supplements about our public parks.

At the time I was concerned about the impact of funding cuts on these important gifts from the past which play a crucial role in the lives of people of all ages.

Fortunately the public were of similar mind and across the district we saw the rise of formal groups of ‘friends’ like those of Kinneil, Dollar Park and, of course Zetland Park which have helped reverse the decline.

Zetland Park is probably our oldest public space having been gifted to the people of the burgh in 1882.

Ten years earlier the Dundas family, Earls of Zetland, had handed over the small town of Grangemouth to a first elected council.

Up to then all decisions about the management of land, buildings and people had been in their hands even though they were by then resident in Richmond.

Once the new municipal masters were firmly established the Earl gifted a piece of land to be used as a public park for the community.

He would, he said, be delighted if they decided to name it Zetland Park, and the council were pleased to oblige!

On 3rd June 1882 the Earl officially handed over the park including the fine fountain which was the personal gift of Hugh McPherson, the Chief Magistrate of the town.

I was recently given a medallion which records the great day and includes a lovely engraving of the fountain.

Over the years a handsome bandstand (now sadly in the United States), an open air swimming pool, a paddling pool, a bowling club and tennis courts were installed and the park became the focal point of community activities and celebrations.

The area around the beautiful main gates is a real historical hot spot, surrounded by the former Kerse Church of 1899 (now Abbotsgrange), the Sacred Heart Catholic Church (1927), and the controversial but striking War Memorial designed by J. J. Burnet in 1919.

Within the park itself are the rocky remains of the Abbot’s Grange dating back to the medieval Abbots of Holy Rood Edinburgh, who were the feudal overlords of the barony of Kerse within which the modern town of Grangemouth lies.

The name ‘grange’ refers to farm buildings and lands connected to a religious organisation which then passed on to the nearby burn and hence to the name of the village of Grangeburnmouth.

The regeneration features a beautifully restored fountain, a padding pool which was in a poor condition and will now be a large water feature and a refurbished Rose Garden which is my favourite corner of the park.

Elsewhere there are reminders of the history of the town and the park, as well as many new opportunities for children to play safely in beautiful surroundings.

All those involved deserve our sincere thanks.