Brief History of Cumbernauld

Cumbernauld

History of the City

Cumbernauld is a New Town built in Britain after World War Two as a solution to the country’s chronic housing problem. Situated around a hilltop ridge thirteen miles northeast of Glasgow it was, at that time, Britain’s most concrete example of a "modernist utopian town".

The town centre is the most remarkable feature. Conceived as a giant megastructure to accommodate all the retail, municipal, and leisure needs of a town of 50,000 people, and topped off by penthouse ‘executive’ apartments, the multi-layered centre straddles the main dual carriageway below, dominating its surroundings. With the completion of the first phase in 1967, the town centre’s architect, Geoffrey Copcutt, gave Cumbernauld Britain’s first indoor shopping mall , and "the fullest realisation of megastructure as an avant-garde urbanist conception".

Cumbernauld has a couple of claims to fame - the cult movie Gregory's Girl was filmed here, and the town was immortalised in a TV advert which repeatedly asked, "What's it called?" - Cumbernauld, was apparently the right answer!!!

Cumbernauld has also had a few criticisms in recent years. The Town Centre has been awarded the "Plook on the Plinth Award" twice (2001, 2005) and been featured in the Channel 4 TV programme 'Demolition'.

Further information on the area can be found on the North Lanarkshire Council web site.

Further Information

The following links provide further information about the history of our town.