IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Victoria Gardens, DUMBARTON, G82 4NU

It was built in 1887, and it served as Renton Public Library before becoming Renton Mosque (or West Dunbartonshire Muslim Education Society). See Image for another contributor's earlier picture. Part of a house can be seen to its right (north); that was the site of Renton Public Hall, later known as the Roxy Cinema; it eventually burned down (in the 1970s, I think).

Victoria Institute Renton was a local Library now closed without public consultation by W Dunbartonshire Council

The statue is located outside Image, and was unveiled on the 27th of August, 2011. It commemorates volunteers from Renton who joined the International Brigades to defend the Spanish Republican government against Franco's forces.

This path leads from the main road (at this end) to a point near the junction of John Street and Alexander Street. The path may now seem insignificant, but it is the relic of a road that followed precisely this line, and which considerably pre-dates the other streets in the area (of the adjacent present-day streets, only the main road itself is older). Back when it was a road, the path shown here used to continue further in this direction; it led to Dalquhurn House, Dalquhurn Cottage, and the River Leven. When the first-edition OS map was surveyed in 1860, this road was then present, but the nearest buildings to the north were in the vicinity of the present-day leisure centre: Image The continuous, built-up part of Renton did not yet extend this far to the south. The small white building shown right of centre in the present picture, with bins on its near side, is now a private house, but I remember it being a doctor's clinic several decades ago.

This detail is carved upon the sandstone buildings on the western side of Image, opposite the Masonic Hall (Image). The name commemorates Annie Mylrea, the wife of Alex Wylie of Cordale; for more about her, see Image

The building, which was later(*) renamed the John Connolly Centre, is on Main Street. The statue of a bull, visible at the right, was unveiled in August of 2011: Image [(*) See the back page of the "Lennox Herald" of 15 Nov 2013.] When the first-edition OS map was surveyed in 1860, Renton had a Gaelic Free Church. The centre of that church was at about the south-eastern corner of the modern building shown here. For the rear, see Image

The view is from where Image crosses above the railway line. McNaught Place is ahead; the clubhouse of Renton Bowling Club is on the right. Back Street heads off to the left; the road was then being resurfaced: Image Image is in the left background.