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22-683: Pollok Country Park is a 146-hectare (361-acre) country park located between Shawlands , Crossmyloof , and Pollok in Glasgow , Scotland. In 2007, Pollok Country Park was named Britain's Best Park, and in 2008 it was named the Best Park in Europe, beating competition from parks in Italy , France , Germany , Poland and Sweden . Despite this, by 2019 it was considered that the park was 'underused' with plans drawn up to encourage more visitors. The park, through which

44-425: A 7-mile (11 km) stretch of the park. Protesters, including local schoolchildren, attempted to prevent this using tactics such as building and occupying treehouses and tunnels. There was also a "Carhenge" of burnt-out and half-buried cars, from as far afield as Brighton , placed in the path of the road. Eviction of the camp by Wimpey bailiffs and police began on 23 March 1995, arresting 15 and injuring one. Though

66-687: A pickaxe at demonstrators who were protesting at the construction of the M77 motorway . He was subsequently fined £200 by the Paisley Sheriff Court for breach of the peace and was forced to give up his position in the Scottish Office. In March 1997, Stewart was hospitalised, in Dykebar Hospital , Paisley, after suffering a nervous breakdown and due to accusations about his personal life. He stood down, not seeking re-election to Parliament in

88-454: Is not necessarily any public right of access to country parks, and visitors are usually subject to byelaws when they enter the park. Some charge for car parking, some are free. These parks vary tremendously from one to another, and really have only their purpose in common: to provide easy access to the countryside for those living in the towns and suburbs . They do not necessarily have any great nature conservation interest, although often this

110-480: Is one of several sporting facilities which ring the core of the park, including public playing fields at Nether Pollok near Shawlands (once containing the home ground of Pollok F.C. until 1926) and Norwood near Pollokshields , the private fields of Police Scotland and Hutchesons' Grammar School , (previously, Craigholme School ), the rugby ground of Cartha Queens Park RFC , Dumbreck Riding School and two golf clubs: Haggs Castle (founded 1910) located next to

132-443: Is the case. In Hong Kong a large part of the territory's countryside is officially designated as country parks. Most of these are reservoir watersheds, serving the dual purpose of providing recreational facilities and contributing to Hong Kong's water supply. Allan Stewart (politician) John Allan Stewart (1 June 1942 – 7 December 2016) was a Scottish Conservative politician and Scottish Office minister. Stewart

154-627: The Burrell Collection , a purpose-built building designed to hold the large, eclectic antique and art collection of shipping magnate William Burrell , who donated the collection to the City of Glasgow on his death. Another feature of interest is the award-winning fold of Highland cattle , which is the most accessible of this species for the majority of Scots. In 2004, three mountain biking routes were opened by Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy . Strathclyde Police 's mounted and dog-handling divisions are based in

176-422: The M77 motorway and Pollok (1892) to the north of Barrhead Road, a dual carriageway which is the only direct route between the east and west sides of the park approximately 1.4 miles (2.3 km) in length. On the other side of the road is a further golf club, Cowglen (1906). In 1954 the park also became home to Pollokshaws Bowling Club, the land donated by Sir John Maxwell Stirling-Maxwell of Pollok House;

198-657: The White Cart Water flows towards Paisley , is the largest within the city of Glasgow. It was originally part of the Old Pollok Estate, which was home to the Maxwell family for over 700 years. In 1966 Mrs Anne Maxwell Macdonald gifted the estate, including Pollok House , to Glasgow Corporation with the condition that it remained a public park. In 1878 the Poloc Cricket Club was established. Their Shawholm ground

220-477: The general election held on 1 May that year , and subsequently retired altogether from politics. Stewart died in December 2016 at the age of 74. Stewart was married to a woman named Susie and they had one son, Jack, and one daughter, Rosa. It was reported that he had an affair with a woman named Catherine Knight, however he remained married to his wife until his death. It was reported late in his career that he had

242-515: The East Refrewshire area in its successor Eastwood from 1983 until 1997. He served two periods as Under-Secretary of State for Scotland at the Scottish Office from 1981 to 1986, and from 1990 to 1995. He was responsible initially for health, home affairs and environment at the Scottish Office. After 1983, he was responsible for industry and education at the Scottish Office until he left

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264-406: The camp failed to prevent the road being built, it was a formative experience for many Glasgow activists who had no previous experience of direct action. It also led to the resignation of M.P. Allan Stewart . As campaigners feared, the motorway has disconnected the park from communities to its north and west ( Pollok , Corkerhill and Mosspark ) with almost no direct access - there is one walkway on

286-524: The club moved across Pollokshaws Road to celebrate its centenary. It is located near to Pollokshaws West railway station on the Glasgow South Western Line which is the nearest to the centre of the park and near-adjacent to its main entrance; Shawlands railway station on a different route (the Cathcart Circle ) is approximately a 0.5 km walk from the main entrance. The park also contains

308-474: The core facilities and services they should provide it did not empower the designation of sites as country parks, as it was left to local authorities to decide whether to endorse a site calling itself a country park. In England, country parks can be accredited by Natural England , and some also have Green Flag status. The purpose of a country park is to provide a place that has a natural, rural atmosphere for visitors who do not necessarily want to go out into

330-641: The mid-1970s. In the 1970s, he also acted as the Secretary of the Confederation of British Industry . He was elected MP for East Renfrewshire in 1979 . His maiden speech as an MP was in support of a motion to repeal the Scotland Act 1978 , which would have established a new devolved Scottish Assembly. He served on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee for 2 years. He continued as MP for

352-499: The north bank of the White Cart from near Corkerhill); by contrast, the eastern side of the park has three vehicular routes and two more access points for pedestrians and cyclists. In early 2008 a campaign to "Save Pollok Park" was formed, protesting against outdoor adventure company Go Ape ; the company was invited by Glasgow City Council to enhance outdoor recreational activities within the park. Over five thousand residents objected to

374-401: The park. There are two allotment gardens , one near Haggs Castle Golf Club and one at Pollokshaws . In the early 1990s the park was the site of a road protest camp, the "Pollok Free State", which attempted to prevent the M77 motorway from cutting through the south-west side of the park and separating it from the nearby housing schemes. The road cost £53 million and destroyed 5,000 trees in

396-569: The position in 1986. One of his final acts, while responsible for education in Scotland, was to order the phased closure of Leith Nautical College in 1986. From 1990, he assumed responsibility for the community charge at the Scottish Office. He was described politically as an advocate of Free market ideas and a supporter of Thatcherism ideology. Stewart was forced to resign his ministerial post after an incident in February 1995, when he brandished

418-570: The proposals to site a high wire forest adventure in the ancient North Wood. Country park In the United Kingdom, the term country park has a specific meaning. There are around 250 designated country parks in England and Wales attracting some 57 million visitors a year, and another 40 or so in Scotland. Most country parks were designated in the 1970s, under the Countryside Act 1968 , with

440-561: The support of the former Countryside Commission . In more recent times there has been no specific financial support for country parks directly and fewer have been designated. Most parks are managed by local authorities, although other organisations and private individuals can also run them. The 1968 Countryside Act empowered the Countryside Commission to recognize country parks. Although the Act established country parks and gave guidance on

462-754: The wider countryside. Visitors can enjoy a public open space with an informal atmosphere, as opposed to a formal park as might be found in an urban area. For this reason country parks are usually found close to or on the edge of built-up areas, and rarely in the wider countryside. A country park usually has some more formal facilities, such as a car park, toilets, maybe a cafe or kiosk, paths and trails, and some information for visitors. Some have much more, with museums, visitor centres, educational facilities, historic buildings, farms, boating, fishing, and other attractions. Many larger country parks organise entertainment for visitors, and are venues for firework displays, shows and fairs and other large, outdoor events. There

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484-673: Was born on 1 June 1942 in North Fife . He attended Bell Baxter High School in Cupar . He then studied at St. Andrews University and Harvard University , where he obtained a first class degree. He was a lecturer in Political Economy at St. Andrews before standing unsuccessfully for the Dundee East constituency in 1970. He was briefly a councillor in the London Borough of Bromley in

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