Situated south of the River Clyde, Polmadie is close to residential neighbourhoods including Govanhill (to the west) and Toryglen (south-east), with Oatlands and another large industrial zone at Shawfield to the north on the opposite side of major railway lines and the M74 motorway, Junction 1A of which serves the area.

For over 50 years, the most prominent landmarks within Polmadie were the 66-metre-high (217 ft) twin chimneys of a now disused waste incinerator plant operated by Glasgow City Council.

[6][7] The Glasgow firm of Alley & MacLellan was a significant producer of smaller commercial vessels as well as the world's leading manufacturer of steam lorries (later Sentinel Waggon Works of Shrewsbury).

The company specialised in supporting the far reaches of the British Empire[10][page needed] by constructing vessels that were dismantled into kit form once they had been completed.

The resulting set of parts was frequently enormous and a logistical nightmare to transport; re-assembly also depended heavily upon the availability of skilled hands at the customer's premises.