[The] Curlers [Rest], Byres Road

[ibtg]

From 'The History of Partick', by William Greenhorne, 1928 :-

'The minutes of the Club (PCC) do not record where the Club Games and Matches were played during the early years of its existence, but in 1848 the Club leased from Mr. James Gibson, of Hilhead,about an acre of ground situated near the branch of the Western Road leading to Partick, and known by the name "Clayholes". This ground was evidently near the foot of what is now Great George Street and the west side of Byres Road. The "Curlers Tavern" in Byres Road doubtless derived it's name from the Club's occupancy of this pond. After some years the Club removed to a pond on the west side of Peel Street, Partick, where Hamilton Terrace West, now stands. At a later date the Club occupied a pond known as "Craft Crown" at the west end of the present Queensborough Gardens, where it remained until they obtained their present quarters in Balshagray Avenue.'

[cell]

The reference to them giving up the lease for their pond for a quarry expansion is interesting there are two old quarries immediately to the south of the church st pond so there was clearly workable stone in this area. It is feasible that there was a proposal to further develop this resource and the pond was included in this. I would agree there is no evidence that this quarry ever went ahead, I suspect land values were rising rapidly in this area at this time and it made more sense to build on it rather than quarry it.

You mention the rink was called Clayholes, presumably after a hole or holes where clay was extracted which would have conveniently left a pond requiring little work to make it into a rink.

There is a Clayslap Mills to the south east of church st pond and south of Gilmour Hill on the south side of the Kelvin, you can see it on this map http://maps.nls.uk/os/25inch/view/?sid=74953123which is the one adjacent to the link I provided above. This map also shows the land immediately to the east of the Curlers pub, again there is no evidence of a rink or quarry adjacent to the pub. Gr George st is also shown but it is very much shorter and doesn’t extend down to the byres rd at this time.
My money is still on the Church St rink!