Netherlee is a suburban residential area in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is situated on the west bank of the White Cart Water about 4 miles (6.5 km) south of Glasgow city centre. Part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation, it is mostly contiguous with the city, and is just beyond the boundary of its local authority area. It is a separate census locality from Glasgow, like other areas such as neighbouring Giffnock and Clarkston. Netherlee is directly contiguous with Stamperland. It is also in a council ward with Clarkston and its neighbour Busby. As of 2012, Netherlee has a population of 4,550. Originally a small rural hamlet dependent upon the mills along the river, Netherlee became extensively urbanised in the 20th century, developing into an affluent commuter suburb. The area is served by a parish church, primary school and library, as well as a number of local shops and parks. Cathcart Cemetery also falls within the boundaries of Netherlee. History In the medieval era, the area of modern Netherlee and Clarkston was known as the Lands of Lee, centred on Lee Castle. The small hill on which the castle stood is now the small park behind Netherlee Post Office. In the 15th century, the Lands of Lee were split up into Netherlee, and Midlee (now Stamperland) and Overlee (both now part of neighbouring Clarkston). From the 1660s onwards, the Maxwell family of Bogton, (which extended into modern Muirend) developed the original Williamwood House and the surrounding Williamwood Estate. The house was built adjacent to the site of Lee Castle, the latter being demolished around this time. The original hamlet of Netherlee developed in connection with a paper mill which was opened on the western bank of the White Cart Water around 1700. Towards the end of the 18th century, the Netherlee House mansion was built by one of the mill's owners, John Muir. By the 1790s, Netherlee had expanded from the riverside to a new village centre on the main road from Glasgow to Kilmarnock (now the location of MacLaren Place). In the 1830s the mill became a calico printworks, which provided the main source of employment in the area until the 1880s. The early years of the 20th century saw the first phase of urbanisation. New housing developments, typically red sandstone terraces, began to eat up former agricultural land. Due to building restrictions as a result of the First World