I finally managed to visit Cardross this October, 2008! As I hadn't heard from the people in Cardross who were supposed to have written to me with directions to Rosebank Cottage, I had to find it for myself. This proved a very difficult task as no one I spoke to in several shops had ever heard of A. J. Cronin - can you believe it!? I was astonished. One old lady I met in the street thought she'd heard of Rosebank Cottage and said I was to take a left turning but she wasn't sure which one. Oh well. Geoffrey and I set off optimistically, turning down every left turning I could find. Outside a row of neat bungalows, I spoke to a friendly man - an Englishman who lives in Cardross - who had heard of A. J. Cronin - in fact, we discussed his books for several minutes! Better than that, he knew where Rosebank Cottage was situated and gave us directions. He said we were to cut down the side of a field, which we did, but then found we couldn't get through the undergrowth at the far side as it was too overgrown. I suppose it's possible that we went the wrong way as that man had been confident of a good path through the back of the field, but I couldn't find it. We had to retrace our steps, getting quite muddy into the bargain.
Where the 'cut-through' should have been!
After this I decided to take the car and venture further afield (literally). We took the road slightly out of the village, then a country lane.
A farm was at the end and a cottage - which didn't turn out to be Rosebank unfortunately. There were no other buildings in sight but I decided to set off on foot down the back lane (in the opposite direction to the farm), leaving Geoffrey in the car!
Down a hill and round a corner - and there it was at last: Rosebank Cottage!
The owners didn't seem to be there and I didn't want to trespass on their garden so I just took these photos from outside the gate. An elderly neighbour came to see what I was up to so I explained. I don't think he'd heard of A.J.Cronin and he certainly didn't realise the special history of the cottage!
I sneaked a photo through the hedge at the front though unfortunately the house isn't in focus!
Two photos from the lane outside Rosebank Cottage
Above: looking across the fields to the Clyde, just as young Archibald would have done.After all this excitement, we drove down to the beach!
The view across to Port Glasgow from Cardross Beach. It was so strange to see it from the 'other side'! I wished I'd remembered my binoculars.Below: some photos of the railway station...
...and then it was goodbye to Cardross. Apart from finding Rosebank Cottage I must admit that it was a very disappointing visit. How could it be anything else when no one I met that day had heard of A.J. Cronin (except for the Englishman!) ; there was no plaque outside Rosebank Cottage, no statue or memorial of any kind in the town. If I had the money I would put one up myself! I really do think that the people of Cardross should be ashamed for forgetting about the great man who was born there.
