About

The DCB Kessington charitable trust was formed in 2019 under the auspices of the long-established Dunbartonshire Concert Band.

• SCIO registered name: DCB Kessington SCIO
• Charity number: SC049506
• SCIO was registered on: 31 July 2019
• SCIO ‘known as’ name: DCB Kessington
• Address: 58 Milngavie Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 2DP

OSCR Charity Details (click here)

Bank details:

• Account name: DCB Kessington SCIO
• Bank of Scotland, sort code: 80-22-60
• Account number: 19486860

Current trustees:

• Robert Baxter – Founder & Artistic Director
• David Broad
• Alan Cooper

How to get here

• Location: Google map
• Buses: 60A/10A/B10/C10 – timetable
• Train: Hillfoot (Bearsden) Station – 0.4mile/10mins
• Tram: no longer in service
• Car: on-street parking

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Historical notes

Kessington Burgh Hall was originally an electricity sub-station, built in 1924 to provide power for the Bearsden-Milngavie trams. It became a public hall when the tram service ended in 1956.

Tramway Substation, built 1924. A 1-storey and basement, 3-by-7-bay, red-sandstone rubble building, with turrets on 3 of the 4 corners. Originally housed two 500kw rotary converters to supply the Milngavie tram route, now a public hall.

J R Hume (1976) Industrial Archaeology of Scotland, Vol. 1: The Lowlands and Borders.

Rotary converters were the devices used to convert the high-voltage AC to the 600 volt DC electrical supply that powered the trams via overhead wires.

Further details can be seen at the Historic Environment Scotland/Canmore website.

An earlier image (ca. 1950-ish?, Hidden Glasgow Forum) shows the original building frontage prior to change of use, followed by addition of a front staircase, subsequently modified for ramp access…

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Some views from above

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The Kessington Tree

In recent years, prior to refurbishment, a small tree growing on top of the hall had become something of a local landmark – albeit at the expense of the building’s fabric. We had hoped that during re-roofing it might be removed intact for replanting in a more suitable location, but the roots were too entangled with the brickwork.