Greenock

In the west coast of Scotland lies Greenock, a historic industrial town by the Firth of Clyde, 25 miles west of Glasgow. Greenock holds prominent maritime history as one of the busiest shipping ports in Scotland.

Greenock has a population of around 45,000 which has declined over the past 50 years from around 80,000, Greenock was once a bustling industrial area. Even though I am originally from its neighbouring town Gourock, Greenock has always been the heart of my urban environment.

Whilst Greenock has ‘re-branded’ as Riverside Inverclyde. The purpose of this re-generation is to create new modern homes, and leisure facilities across Greenock whilst opening and developing green spaces for communities to use.The Greenock Cut is an aqueduct which is one of the top 50 walks in Scotland, offering panoramic views of the Clyde. The walk has a visitor centre which includes an interactive exhibition and coffee shop. Other viewpoints over the Clyde can be found at the town’s Esplanade, where visitors can overlook Gourock and the Tail of the Bank, and at Lyle Hill where a beacon sits which celebrates the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth and is still lit on special occasions. Every year, my secondary school Clydeview Academy would take part in a sponsored walk of Greenock Cut to raise funds for our school, such as the school football team, PE equipment, a defibrillator, etc.

Public transport in Greenock is well varied. With two ferries running several times a day, and three train stations which provide a frequent daily service to Glasgow Central. Local transport is solely based around a local bus service, whilst taxi services are more busy and easy to use during the weekend. Greenock is also located directly at the end of the M8 motorway and takes around 30-50 minutes to travel the Glasgow City Centre depending on traffic. An interesting fact of our Town is its the birthplace of Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer James Watt who improved on Thomas Newcomen’s 1712 steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1781, which was fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world. The people of Greenock are very proud of having such a historical figure from its town we have many buildings, streets, bars, etc named after Watt.

 

Greenock can also struggle a great deal in snowy weather due to around 60% of Greenock being built on hillsides.

There are several entertainment facilities located in Greenock, including a theater and several leisure centers. Located just two miles from Greenock in Gourock is one of two remaining outdoor swimming pools in Scotland. There are also several libraries and community centers located in different burghs of Greenock, there are also twelve primary schools located within Greenock.

Greenock’s employment is primarily made up of the public-sector field. Local supermarkets make up the clear majority of private-sector workers. Generally, most of the other employment within Greenock is made up of small local businesses.

Greenock has two areas which are protected from peri-urbanisation. These two areas located within the Clyde Estuary are specifically intended to protect an influx of redshanks during winter months. There are also 52 Local Nature Conservation Sites in Greenock.

According to the website ‘Air Quality in Scotland’, Greenock has a ‘Low’ air pollution rating of only 3. This is perhaps due to the lack of industrial buildings which produce high emissions

Investigating Urban Environment with a primary 5 class

Having researched my urban environment for myself, I am keen to relate it to primary teaching and showing pupils more about where they live.

I can investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events or the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society. SOC 2-03a

I feel Greenock is a perfect example for this outcome as they is so much history about its industry and economy, in particular shipbuilding, sugar and wool manufacturing which they could do research of their own and find out if any family members were once involved in these industries. Another idea is finding out how historical figures such as James Watt shaped Greenock.

Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing their impact on the environment. SOC 2-09a

A fairly simple but effective investigation to find out the advantages and disadvantages is taking the children out of the class environment and letting them see for themselves the effects that transport would have an effect on the environment. They could do this by smelling their surroundings to notice the pollution, or ask them once they leave school to smell the pollution of the cars picking up pupils.

References

Air Quality in Scotland (2017). Latest Pollution Map. [Online]. Available: www.scottishairquality.co.uk [Accessed: 21 September 2017].

Visit Scotland (2017). Greenock. [Online}. Available: https://www.visitscotland.com/info/towns-villages/greenock-p237421 [Accessed 21 September]