Our History
Glentrool and Bargrennan
Our two communities have changed a lot over the years.
Bargrennan was the original hub of the parish, with church, school, post office, village hall and pub. Glentrool Village is a relative late-comer, dating only from the 1950s when the Forestry Commission began to plant the woodlands of the Forest Park.
In those days the forestry needed lots of manpower. At a time when transport options were limited, there was a huge demand for housing for the families who worked for the forestry. The answer was to build their own villages, hence Glentrool, with a new larger school to meet the demands of the post-war baby boom.
The village is named after the historic Glen itself, with it’s wonderfully rugged scenery and historic links to Robert the Bruce and the Covenanters.
And the changes continue: crops of timber have been harvested and trees replanted, though better harmonised to the contours of the land nowadays and with the emphasis on native species and more broadleaves.
Most of the manpower has been replaced by machines and the families with their young children have moved on.
New uses have been found for Bargrennan church and the old village hall - though the pub is still there!
The relocation of the young families tasked with working for the Forestry Commission subsequently meant that there was a dwindling number of pupils attending Glentrool Primary School.
Despite initial objections, education inspectors and parents came to accept that Glentrool could not be sustained and pupils should move to Penninghame Primary in nearby Newton Stewart.
Glentrool Primary School was closed in June 2010.
Following the closure, the community came together to realise a different and exciting new future for the village and the old school building.
The Glentrool and Bargrennan Community Trust was set up in an effort to find ways of ensuring an active and sustainable future for two tiny communities.
Their efforts became focused on the transformation and modernising of the former school building into a multi-purpose centre for community events and activities, a gallery for local arts and crafts and an accessible self-catering unit.
The task seemed daunting at times, but with support from Dumfries and Galloway Council and grants from The Scottish Land Fund and the Kilgallioch Community Fund, the community consultation began and a business plan was agreed.
The Glentrool Hive project was born.
Multiple organisations helped fund the Hive Project, turning a potentially abandoned building into a functional community hub with target of improving the social and economic growth of a rural area through sustainable revenue.
In the summer of 2022, the Glentrool Hive held it’s grand opening, with the eldest and youngest residents of the village cutting the ribbon.
We have lots of exciting plans going forward into 2023 and are in the process of organising numerous events, workshops, classes and festivals for the area.
Click below to discover upcoming events at the Hive.