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Coatbridge

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Coatbridge
Coatbridge Coat of Arms.
Area6.818 sq mi (17.66 km2)
PopulationExpression error: "41,170 (2001 Census)" must be numeric
OS grid referenceNS730651
• Edinburgh33 mi (53 km) ENE
• London341 mi (549 km) SSE
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMOTHERWELL
Postcode districtML5
Dialling code01236
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland

Coatbridge is a Lanarkshire town set in the central Lowlands of Scotland. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era. Foundations of the town can be traced back to the 12th century when the area was gifted by Royal Charter to the Monks of Newbattle Abbey by Malcolm IV. It was during the last years of the 18th century that the area developed from a loose collection of hamlets into a cohesive unitary location. Coatbridge's development and growth has been intimately connected with the technological advances of the industrial revolution, and in particular with the hot blast process. Coatbridge was a major Scottish centre for iron works and coal mining in the 19th century. During this period Coatbridge was described as “the industrial heartland of Scotland” [1] and became known as the "Iron Burgh". Coatbridge also had a notorious reputation for air pollution and the worst excesses of industry. By the time of the 1920s however the workable coal seams were exhausted and the iron industry in Coatbridge was in terminal decline. After the Great Depression the Gartsherrie ironwork was the last remaining iron works in the town. One publication has commented that in modern day Coatbridge “coal, iron and steel have all been consigned to the heritage scrap heap”.[2]

Coatbridge today is best described as a working class town anchored to Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The town has also been described as “uniquely populated largely by people of Irish descent”. [3]

History

Main article: History of Coatbridge

Etymology

There are various explanations for the origin of the town's name. The place name Coatbridge first appears on a number of 19th century maps, although Roy's 1750 map notes "Cottbrig" as a hamlet in the Old Monkland area. One source states “Coatbridge” is either derived from the Middle English "cote" (cottage) or from the Old Welsh "coed" meaning "wood".[4] An alternate explanation is that from around the 13th century the local area was owned by the Colt family, sometimes known as Coats, and their estate generated place-names such as Coatbridge, Coatdyke, Coathill and Coatbank.[5] Drummond and Smith suggest the name derives from the granting of land to Ranulphus le Colt around the time of the 12th century. [6]

Early history: from Bronze Age to Middle Ages

Settlement of the Coatbridge area dates back 3000 years to the Mesolithic Age.[7] A circle of Bronze Age stone coffins was found on the Drumpellier estate in 1852.[8] A number of other Bronze Age urns and relics have been found in Coatbridge. [9]

An Iron age wood and thatch crannog dwelling was sited in the Loch at the present day Drumpellier Country Park. Dependant upon the water level in the loch, the remains can still be seen today. [10]

Roman coins have been unearthed in Coatbridge, [11] and there are the remains of a Roman road on the fringes of the town near the M8 motorway. [12]

Middle Ages to Late 18th century

Pont's "Nether Warde of Clyds-dail" map c.1654 which depicts the hamlets of Kirkwood,
Map of the Coatbridge area dated 1858
Dunpelder, Wheatflet, Dunbath, Gartshary in the modern day Coatbridge area

The “Monklands” area inherited its name after the area was granted to the Cistercian monks of Newbattle Abbey [13] by Malcolm IV in 1162. 1n 1323 the Monklands name appeared for the first time on Stewards’ charter. [14] The Monks mined coal and farmed the land until the time of the reformation when the land was taken from them and given to private landowners. In 1641 the parish of Monklands was divided between New Monkland (present day Airdrie) and Old Monkland (present day Coatbridge).[15] In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite army seized Coatbridge from government troops on their march to Edinburgh in an action described as the "Canter of Coatbridge".[16] Coatbridge was described in the 1799 Statistical Account as an "immense garden" with "extensive orchards", "luxurious crops" where "rivers abound with salmon". [17]

19th Century

The Monkland Canal was constructed at the end of the 18th century initially to transport coal to Glasgow from the deposits in Coatbridge. The invention of the hot blast furnace process in 1828 meant that Coatbridge's rich ironstone deposits could be fully exploited by the canal link and hot blast process.[18] The new advances meant that iron could be produced with two thirds less fuel.[19] By the mid 19th century there were numerous hot blast furnaces in operation in Coatbridge.

The prosperous industry which had sprung up around the new iron industry required vast numbers of largely unskilled workers to mine ironstone and work in the blast furnace plants. Coatbridge became a popular destination for vast numbers of Irish arriving in Scotland. The iron bars and plates produced in Coatbridge iron works were the raw materials needed throughout the British Empire for railways, construction, bridge building and shipbuilding. One example of uses Coatbridge’ iron was put to included armour plating for British ships fighting in the Crimean war.[20]

Over the course of the following forty years the population of Coatbridge grew by 600%.[21] The character of the Coatbridge area changed from a rural landscape of small hamlets and farmhouses into a crowded industrial town. In 1840 Rev. William Park wrote that:

The population of this parish is at present advancing at an amazing rate, and this propensity is entirely owing to the local coal and iron trade, stimulated by the discovery of the black band of ironstone and the method of fusing iron by hot blast. New villages are springing up almost every month, and it is impossible to keep place with the march of prosperity and the increase of the population.

[22] One contemporary observer at this time noted that Coatbridge is “not famous for it’s sylvan beauties of its charming scenery and "offers the visitor no inducements to loiter long”. However “a visit to the large Gartsherrie works is one of the sights of a lifetime”. [23]

File:Gartsherrie2.jpg
"Gartsherrie by night" by C R Stanley c.1853.

Most of the town's population lived in tight rows of terraced houses built under the shadow of the iron works. These homes were often owned by their employers. Living conditions for most were appalling, tuberculosis was rife.[24]

For a fortunate few however fortunes could be won “with a rapidity only equalled by the princely gains of some of the adventurers who accompanied Pizarro to Peru.” noted one observer. [25] Amongst the most notable success stories were the six sons of Coatbridge farmer Alexander Baird. The Baird family had been involved in coal mining but opened an iron foundry to exploit the new hot blast process of iron smelting invented by James Beaumont Neilson. The Baird’s constructed numerous iron foundries in Coatbridge including the famous Gartsherrie iron works. [26] James Baird alone was responsible for erecting sixteen blast-furnaces in Coatbridge between 1830 and 1842.[27] Each of the six Baird sons was reputed to have become a millionaire.[28]

The town was vividly described by Robert Baird in 1845:[29]

There is no worse place out of hell than that neighbourhood. At night the groups of blast furnaces on all sides might be imagined to be blazing volcanoes at most of which smelting is continued on Sundays and weekdays, day and night, without intermission. From the town comes a continual row of heavy machinery: this and the pounding of many steam hammers seemed to make even the very ground vibrate under ones feet. Fire, smoke and soot with the roar and rattle of machinery are its leading characteristics; the flames of its furnaces cast on the midnight sky a glow as if of some vast conflagration. Dense clouds of black smoke roll over it incessantly and impart to all buildings a peculiarly dingy aspect. A coat of black dust overlies everything

[30]

Summerlee blast furnaces at turn of century, Coatbridge. The present day Summerlee Heritage Park is sited here.

The Baird family wielded a pervasive influence over Coatbridge. The waste heap or "bing" from the Baird's Gartsherrie works was said to be as large as the great pyramid in Egypt. They were responsible for the design of the lay out of present day Coatbridge town centre. the land for the town hall and the land which later came to form Dunbeth Park was gifted to the town by the Bairds. Gartsherrie church was built by the Baird family. The Bairds donated the site on Main Street for the erection of St. Patrick's Catholic church. However they also used patronage of the Orange Order to try and undermine the local trade union movement. [31]

20th & 21st century

However, the local ironstone supplies of Monklands had been largely exhausted by 1885.[32] It became increasing expensive to produce iron in Coatbridge as raw materials had to be imported from as far afield as Spain. The growth of the steel industry (in nearby Motherwell) also led to a start of a decline in demand for the pig iron Coatbridge produced.

In the 1920s Lloyd George's 'Coal and Power' report still described the living conditions in the Rosehall area of Coatbridge:

''"...on the outskirts of Coatbridge, I found nearly the worst of all. In each of these single rooms lives a miners’ family. There is no pantry. The coal is kept under the bed. Water has to be obtained from a standpipe outside, used by a number of houses. Conspicuously huddled together in the yards are filthy huts for sanitary purposes."

[33] George Orwell's book "The Road to Wigan Pier" was illustrated by a photograph of homes in the Rosehall area of Coatbridge. [34] A legacy of "devastating"[35] unemployment, appalling housing conditions and some of the worst over crowding in Scotland was left it's stamp on the Coatbridge of the early 1930s. [36] As late as 1936 Coatbridge was the most overcrowded place in Scotland.

The Whitelaw Fountain in Coatbridge during the 1930s

In the 1930s and 1950s massive programmes of state-sponsored house building saw thousands of new homes built in Coatbridge. Some of the worst examples of slum housing were demolished in the process. By the early 1980s 85% of homes in Coatbridge were part of local authority housing stock. [37]

In 1934 there was an exodus to Corby in England when the local Union Plant relocated. This had the effect of a hammer blow impact on the town’s iron industry and ushered in the end of serious iron production. The decline of Clydeside shipbuilding industry in the 1950s meant the demand for iron finally collapsed.[38] The last of the blast furnaces, William Baird’s famous Gartsherrie works, closed in 1967. [39]

Since the 1970s there have been various initiatives to attempt to regenerate Coatbridge. Urban Aid grants, European Union grants and, more recently, Social Inclusion Partnership's have attempted to breathe new life into Coatbridge. Despite these efforts the town's population has continued to fall and in recent years the town has been dubbed the "most dismal in Scotland".[40]

Geography

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.

At 55°51′44″N 4°1′46″W / 55.86222°N 4.02944°W / 55.86222; -4.02944Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (55.861°, -4.047°), Coatbridge is situated in Scotland's Central Lowlands. The town lies 288 feet (88 m) above sea level, 9 miles (14.5 km) east of Glasgow, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Cumbernauld and 2 miles (3 km) west of Airdrie. Although Coatbridge has no major river running through it, the North Calder Water runs east-west to the south and the now defunct Monkland Canal used to run straight through the centre of the town toward Glasgow. The canal route through Coatbridge can still be seen today. There are also several smaller burns which run through Coatbridge, most of which drain to the North Calder Water. Coatbridge has four significant public parks. Dunbeth park, West End park, Whifflet park and Drumpellier Country park. Woodend and Witchwood Loch are situated on the north-west edge of Coatbridge.

Topography

The topography of Coatbridge was an important feature in the towns development during the industrial revolution. Coatbridge sits 60 metres below the ‘Slammanan plateau’ which neighbouring Airdrie rests on the edge of. The low lying flat ground of Coatbridge was a vital factor in the siting of the towns’ blast furnaces and the Monklands Canal route. Although Airdrie was an already established town and had local supplies of ironstone the Monkland Canal link did not extend into Airdrie because of its higher elevation.[41] The Clyde Valley plan of 1949 described Coatbridge as "situated over a flooded coalfield”. [42]

Geology

Dunbeth hill where the present local authority municipal buildings stand is a wedge of rock which was probably squeezed upwards by the force of two (now-extinct) fault lines. There are the remains of spreads of glacial sands along the crest of Drumpellier, the west bank of Gartsherrie Burn and along modern day Bank Street. Kirkwood, Kirkshaws and Shawhead sit on a sandstone capped ridge looking south over the Clyde Valley. The vital Coatbridge black band coal field extended from Langloan to beyond the eastern edge of the town. [43] Tenement buildings in Coatbridge were not built to same level as Glasgow tenements due to danger of local subsidence from centuries of local mining. [44]

View of Coatbridge from the east. Landmarks from left to right are: Gartsherrie Academy, Gartsherrie Church, Coatbridge Library, Canal Bridge, High Coats & Dunbeth Court flats. Whitelaw Fountain can just be glimpsed under the Canal Bridge. It was noted in the early 20th century that “The cross at Coatbridge ranks among the most unique…one may pass through it in any form of locomotion. One can not only walk, ride or drive past it, but may train over it or sail under it by means of the canal” [45]

Climate

Like much of the British Isles Coatbridge experiences a temperate maritime climate with relatively cool summers and mild winters. The prevailing wind is from the west. Regular but generally light precipitation occurs throughout the year.

Culture

Coatbridge is the home of "Scotland's Noisiest Museum", Summerlee Heritage Park, which contains an insight into the life in industrial Coatbridge. A row of 1900-1960's cottages, a working tram line and a real coal mine can all be experienced on site. The park is situated on the remains of one of Coatbridge's historic blast furnaces. In recent years there has been something of a cultural renaissance in the town rooted in the St. Patrick's Day festival Coatbridge.

Literature, theatre and film

Janet Hamilton, the nineteenth century poet and essayist, died in Langloan in 1873. Present-day writers Anne Donovan (Orange prize winner), Alan Kelly and award-winning author Des Dillon[46] are all from Coatbridge. Coatbridge has regularly featured in Des Dillon's work. Two of his books about Coatbridge have been turned into plays.[47]

Mark Millar is a Coatbridge comic book writer whose Wanted comic book series has been translated into a feature film starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. Coatbridge born Dame Laurentia McLachlan was the Benedictine abbess of the Stanbrook Community whose correspondence with George Bernard Shaw and Sydney Cockerell was the subject of the film "The Best of Friends".[48] Coatbridge is also home to the annual Deep Fried Film Festival. Local filmmakers Duncan and Wilma Finnigan have been described by The List as "the John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands of Coatbridge". [49]

Music

Thomas McAleese (alias Dean Ford) was the lead singer of The Marmalade who had a UK number one single in 1969 with a cover of The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". Coatbridge brothers Greg Kane and Pat Kane were the 1990s band Hue and Cry. Coatbridge born Alan Frew is the ex-pat lead singer of Canadian group Glass Tiger. Cha Burns (deceased), Jimme O'Neill and JJ Gilmour of The Silencers are from Coatbridge. Coatbridge sisters Fran and Anna were a famous duo on the Scottish traditional music scene.

Coatbridge and Ireland

See also: Coatbridge Irish
St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Coatbrdge 2009

Coatbridge has been noted for its historical Irish links due to large scale immigration from Ulster in the 19th century and has been called "little Ireland".[50][51][52] Within the town there are a number of Irish dance schools, Irish language classes, a Gaelic football team (Sands McSwiney), Gaelic Football Summer School, a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (Music and Musicians of Ireland) and an Irish genealogy project.[53] The most obvious manifestation of these links can be seen in the annual St. Patrick's Day festival Coatbridge. The festival is sponsored by the Irish government and Guinness. The festival currently runs for over two weeks and includes lectures, film shows, dance/Gaelic football competitions and music performances. The festival is the largest Irish celebration in Scotland.[54][55][56]

Coatbridge accent

The Coatbridge accent has been categorised as making less use of the Scots tongue and exhibiting a tendency to stress the "a" vowel differently from general Scots usage. Examples of this are seen the pronunciation of the words stair (sterr), hair (herr) and fair (ferr). This different enunciation has been attributed to the impact of successive influxes of Irish immigrants into Coatbridge. [57] [58] Another notable language trait in Coatbridge commonly practised in Ireland is the use of the "reaffirmative" after a sentence; for example stating "I need to go up the street tomorrow so I do".

Sports

See also: List of football clubs in Scotland
Cliftonhill, home of Albion Rovers.

Coatbridge's local football team are Albion Rovers. Albion Rovers play in the Scottish third division. The "wee rovers" were founded in 1882 when two local Coatbridge clubs, Rovers and Albion, amalgamated to form the club bearing the current name. [59] The clubs greatest success came in 1920 when they reached the final of the Scottish cup at Hampden Park. Noted Albion Rovers players from the past have included Jock Stein and Bernie Slaven. Local residents generally support Celtic FC. However Rangers FC also have a very large local following with a number of supporters clubs in the town.

Former Celtic players John Hughes, John McNamee,Gerry Creaney and Peter Grant are all from Coatbridge. Current Scottish internationalist Chris Iwelumo was born in Coatbridge.

Drumpellier Cricket Club has been in continuous existence for around 150 years and the club have a ground in the Drumpellier area.

Coatbridge is home to the commonwealth super feather-weight champion Ricky Burns. Walter Donaldson, former World Snooker champion, was also from Coatbridge. [60]

In terms of golf there are two courses; the municipal course bordering Drumpellier Country Park and the nearby private member's club Drumpellier Golf Course. Clare Queen, Scotlands' number one female golfer on the women's European tour is from Coatbridge.[61]

Governance

Further information: [[:History of local government in Scotland]]
Coatbridge Municipal Building

Heraldry

File:Coatbridgecoatarms2.jpg
The coat of arms of Coatbridge adopted by the town in 1892.

Coatbridge was given burgh status in 1885. The arms have a black field and on it a flaming tower to represent a blast furnace and Coatbridge's industrial tradition. The crest of the demi-monk holds a stone in his left hand. The stone relates to the parish of Monklands being split into its two parts (Old and New Monkland) and to legend of the "aul' Kirk stane".[62] The legend of the "aul' Kirk stane" is that a pilgrim undertaking a penance from Glasgow carried a stone in the direction of Monklands. When he could carry the stone no further (or in another version of the legend, when an angel spoke to him) he laid the stone down. It was where the stone came to rest that he was to build a church. The church is the present day Old Monkland Kirk. To this day the stone can still be seen.[63]

The latin motto "Laborare est orare" translates as "to work is to pray". This phrase is from the writings of St. Benedict. This saying is associated with the Cistercian Order. The Monks who came to Monklands in the 12th century were Cistercians.[64]

Local government

Coatbridge is represented by threel tiers of elected government. North Lanarkshire Council, the unitary local authority for Coatbridge, is based at Motherwell, and is the executive, deliberative and legislative body responsible for local governance. The Scottish Parliament is responsible for devolved matters such as education, health and justice,[65] while reserved matters are dealt with by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Up until 1975, Coatbridge had its own Burgh Council. Between 1975 and 1996, Coatbridge was part of Monklands District Council which operated as part of Strathclyde Regional Council. During the by-election campaign in Monklands East of 1994, there were accusations[66] of sectarianism and nepotism in favour of Coatbridge over neighbouring Airdrie by Monklands District Council. See Monklandsgate and Monklands East by-election, 1994. Allegations stemmed from the fact that all 17 Labour councillors were Roman Catholic with Coatbridge being seen as a 'Catholic town'. Although subsequent inquiries showed no evidence of sectarianism allegations of nepotism were shown to be true.[67]

Coatbridge is presently part of the burgh constituency of Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, electing one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Before the constituency's creation in 2005, Coatbridge lay in the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency. Tom Clarke[68] of the Scottish Labour Party has been the MP since 1982 and currently holds the record for the largest UK parliamentary majority with 19,519[69]. For the purposes of the Scottish Parliament, Coatbridge forms part of the Coatbridge and Cryston constituency, which is represented by Elaine Smith MSP[70], also Labour. Coatbridge is further represented by seven regional MSPs from the Central Scotland electoral region.[71]. A small part of the eastern fringes of the town forms part of the Airdrie and Shotts constituency.

Notable modern politicians from Coatbridge are The Rt. Hon. Helen Liddell MP who is the former Secretary of State for Scotland and currently Britain's High Commissioner in Australia and The Rt. Hon. Dr. John Reid MP who is the former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Home Secretary. Reid is currently the Chairman of Celtic FC.

Demography

See also: Demography of Scotland
Coatbridge compared according to UK Census 2001[72][73][74][75]
Coatbridge North Lanarkshire Scotland
Total population 41,170 321,067 5,062,011
Foreign born 1.3% 1.7% 3.8%
Over 75 years old 6.1% 5.6% 7.1%
Unemployed 5.3% 4.5% 4.0%

According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the census locality of Coatbridge had a total resident population of 41,170, or 13% of the total of North Lanarkshire. This figure, combined with an area of 6.818 square miles (17.7 km2),[76] provides Coatbridge with a population density figure of 6,038 inhabitants per square mile (2,331/km2). This is lower than the population density of nearby Glasgow (at 8,526/sq mi (3,292/km2)*).

Historic population of Coatbridge[77][78]
Year Population figure
1755 1,813
1831 9,580
1851 27,333
1901 36,991
1911 43,286
1921 43,909
1931 43,056
1951 47,685
1961 54,262
1971 51,493
1981 48,445
2001 41,170

The median age of males and females living in Coatbridge was 35 and 38 years respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years for those in the whole of Scotland[72]. Thirty four percent were married, 6.1% were cohabiting couples, 14.7% were lone parent families and 32.5% of households were made up of individuals.[79]

The place of birth of the town's residents was 98.7% United Kingdom (including 96% from Scotland), 0.32% Republic of Ireland, 0.30% from other European Union countries, and 0.72% from elsewhere in the world.[72] The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 39.3% in full-time employment, 9.4% in part-time employment, 3.6% self-employed, 5.3% unemployed, 2.5% students with jobs, 3.2% students without jobs, 13.4% retired, 5.7% looking after home or family, 12.0% permanently sick or disabled, and 5.7% economically inactive for other reasons.[74] Compared with the average demography of Scotland, Coatbridge has low proportions of people born outside the United Kingdom, and people over 75 years of age.[72]

During the 19th century Irish people began to arrive in large numbers in Coatbridge. The 1851 census recorded that the Irish constituted 35.8% of the local population. Although while a significant proportion of these emigrants were Protestant the majority were Catholic. By 1901, the percentage of Irish born people in Coatbridge had fallen to around 15%, but remained the highest of all the major towns in Scotland.[80] In the 2001 census Irish ethnicity was recorded at just over 1%, although just over 50% of the population claimed to be adherents of Catholicism. In 1985 56% of population of Coatbridge were RC in 1985. [81] In 2006, Coatbridge (along with Port Glasgow and Clydebank) was voted 'the least Scottish town in Scotland' due to having the highest percentage of Irish names in the country. Reportedly more than 28% of adults in Coatbridge had names with Irish origins.[82] [83]

Other immigrants to Coatbridge have included in 1880s a small number Lithuanians arrived [84] In 1905 part of a “wave” of immigrants from the Monte Cassino area of Italy came to Coatbridge. Other notable immigrants have included a small number of Polish people had stayed in Coatbridge after a polish tank regiment was stationed in the town during WW II.

The 1960 Coatbridge town plan forecast the population to reach 76,000 by 1990.[85] One local author has argued that despite the population appearing relative static in 1970s, the population of Coatbridge has in fact declined by around 15,000 due to emigration. [86]

Economy

Present day Coatbridge is the site of Scotland's inland container base. Coatbridge was chosen as the site in part due to the proximity of various rail and motorway networks. [87] Makers of PA systems and loudspeakers Tannoy Ltd. are headquartered in Coatbridge. Lees Foods Plc is a local confectionery and bakery products company and are the manufacturers of the Lees macaroon bar. William Lawson’s Scotch Whiskey distillery has been located in Coatbridge since 1967.[88]

In terms of housing, property prices in Coatbridge have undergone rapid growth in recent years. In 2005, house prices rose by 35%, reportedly the largest such increase in Scotland.[89]

Landmarks

St. Augustine's Church, Dundyvan. Detail.
New extension at Summerlee Heritage Park

The built environment around Coatbridge's town centre is characterised by its mixture of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century sandstone buildings and late twentieth-century precast concrete shops. The leafy Blairhill and Dunbeth conservation areas to the west and north of the town centre comprise detached, semi-detached and terraced sandstone residential buildings. The bulk of the remaining surrounding areas consist of various twentieth-century local authority housing buildings. Several high rise flats dominate the skyline. Due to the decline of industries, several private housing estates have been built on reclaimed land.

In 2007 Coatbridge was awarded Prospect architecture magazine’s carbuncle award for being the ‘most dismal town in Scotland’. [90] The town was also recently described by Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle as "like Bladerunner… without the special effects”. [91]

Drumpellier Country Park is set around Woodend Loch. There are extensive woodlands, a visitor centre and a butterfly house. Monkland Canal runs through a section of the park. The Time Capsule is a multi-purpose leisure centre containing a swimming pool, an adventure pool set in a prehistoric environment, an ice skating facility, suana/steam room and a sports complex with gym halls and other facilities. The Showcase Leisure Park contains a 12-screen cinema, a 10-pin bowling complex and numerous restaurants.

Architecturally noteworthy landmarks in Coatbridge include:

  • Coatbridge Leisure Centre – Peter Womersley 1970's brutalist, modernist cantilevered building sited on the main road into Coatbridge.
  • Coatbridge library – Andrew Carnegie sponsored 1905 pink sandstone construction. Imposing B-listed structure sited on Academy Street.
  • St. Augustine's church and buildings - Built in 1873 and located in the Dundyvan area. A red sandstone B listed Rowand Anderson [92] Gothic church.
  • The Quadrant shopping centre - Has been described in one article; "...from the set of Camberwick Green. A new clock tower, which looks as if it was designed on the back of a beer mat, marks the town centre, a throwaway gesture compounded by the addition of some appalling public art-cum street furniture".[93]
  • St Andrew’s Church - 1839 early Victorian Gothic church by Scott Stephen & Gale in the Whitelaw hill area. Its steeple towers over the town centre.
  • Coatbridge railway bridges - The B-listed 1898 bridges span Bank Street, West Canal Street and the former Monkland Canal. The bridges are currently undergoing specialist restoration.[94]
  • St Mary’s Church - B listed Gothic church in Whifflet designed by Pugin and Pugin in 1896. Contains an elaborate and ornate interior ceiling.
  • the former Cattle Market Building - Erected in 1896, B listed façade of the sandstone cattle market building within the Blairhill and Dunbeth conservation area. Now part of a modern housing development.
  • Summerlee Heritage Park 2008 Extension - Spaceship style glass and metal addition to existing building by Pick Everard. [95] Part of a two year £5 million renovation project.

Transportation

The Monkland Canal (completed 1791[96]) was used in the 19th and 20th century to transport coal and iron to Glasgow. The town centre section of the canal was interred in pipe between Sikeside and Blair Road in the mid 1960’s. [97] Some sections of the Monkland Canal can still be seen today between Townhead and Drumpellier.

In terms of road links Coatbridge is adjacent to the M8 and M73 motorways. The M74 motorway is also a short drive away. The major cities of Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow all within commuting distance.

Due to the number of rail lines running through Coatbridge it was once dubbed the "Crewe of the North".[98] There are six railway stations on the four train lines that bisect the town: Motherwell-Cumbernauld Line; Argyle Line; Whifflet Line; and North Clyde Line. The six stations within Coatbridge and on these lines are: Blairhill; Coatbridge Central; Coatbridge Sunnyside; Coatdyke; Kirkwood; and Whifflet. Coatbridge has had additional passenger stations, such as Langloan and Calder Station (Greenend). However these stations have however been closed for many years.

A bus transit terminus is situated along both sides of the South Circular Road.

Neighbourhoods

See also: Neighbourhoods of Coatbridge

The earliest map showing Coatbridge is by Timothy Pont published in Blue’s “Nether warde of clyds-dail” 1654. The districts of Dunpelder, Gartshary, Kangloan, Kirkwood, Kirkshawes, Wheatflet are all evident. [99]

The present day neighbourhoods of Coatbridge are Barrowfield, Blairhill, Brownshill, Carnbroe, Cliftonville, Cliftonhill, Coatbank, Coatdyke, Cuparhead, Drumpellier, Dunbeth, Dundyvan, Espieside, Gartsherrie, Greenhill, Greenend, Kirkshaws, Kirkwood, Langloan, Old Monkland, Rosehall, Shawhead, Sikeside, Summerlee, Sunnyside, Townhead and Whifflet. Victoria Park is a relatively new area close the town centre which was built on a brownfield site once occupied by heavy industry.

The Blairhill and Dunbeth neighbourhoods are part of the Blairhill and Dunbeth conservation area. [100]

Whitelaw is the area which the town centre is in but is a term which has not been used for many years. The fountain which is situated at the town centre on the corner of main street/south circular road is officially called the Whitelaw Fountain.

Education

Coatbridge College

Coatbridge College was built as Scotland’s first college in the late 19th century. As Coatbridge has moved away from the traditional heavy industries the teaching focus has shifted from traditional industry courses towards commerce, care and the arts.

St. Andrew's, St. Ambrose and Coatbridge High are the three mainstream secondary schools serving Coatbridge. St. Amrose has beet rated as one of the "best secondary schools in the country". [101] The sports journalist, broadcaster and erstwhile Brain of Britain Bob Crampsey was formerly headmaster of St Ambrose High School.

Public services

Coatbridge forms part of the Western water and sewerage regions of Scotland. Waste management is provided by the North Lanarkshire local authority. Water supplies are provided by Scottish Water, a government-owned corporation of the Scottish Government. Coatbridge's Distribution Network Operator for electricity is Scottish Power.[102] Coatbridge is served by Monklands Hospital, sited on the Airdrie side of the Coatbridge/Airdrie border. The NHS board is NHS Lanarkshire. Strathclyde Fire and Rescue is the statutory fire and rescue service which operates in Coatbridge. Policing in Coatbridge is provided by the Strathclyde Police force, N-Division. The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, a public body in Scotland, has direct operational responsibilities, such as supporting (and in some cases running) local bus services, and managing integrated ticketing in Coatbridge and other areas from the former Strathclyde region.[103] Transport Scotland manages the local rail network.[103]

File:Northlanarkshirelogo.png

The local authority responsible for community based service in Coatbridge is North Lanarkshire Council. The council provides local services related to education, social work, the environment, housing, road maintenance and leisure.[104]

Notable people from Coatbridge

Further information: Category:People from Coatbridge

Twin towns

See also

References

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  2. ^ Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland (1994) Eds. J & J Keay, HarperCollins Publishers, p.175
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  5. ^ "SCOTTISH PLACE-NAME SOCIETY". Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  6. ^ Coatbridge: Three Centuries of Change – Peter Drummond and James Smith, Monkland Library Services, 1982. P.11
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  8. ^ The Raddle – Journal of Monklands Historical Society. Volume 10, September 2005.
  9. ^ Lanarkshire - An Inventory Of The Prehistoric And Roman Monuments - Royal Commission On The Ancient And Historical Monuments Of Scotland. HMSO - RCHMS, Edinburgh. 1978. p.40, 71 & 75
  10. ^ Coatbridge (Images of Scotland) Helen Moir. The History Press (2001). ISBN 0752421328. p7
  11. ^ by Anne S. Robertson. "Roman Coins found in Scotland, 1961-70" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-01-28.
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  13. ^ Scottish Burgh and County Heraldry – RM Urqhuart. Heraldry Today (1973). P.188
  14. ^ Coatbridge (Images of Scotland) By Helen Moir. The History Press (2001). ISBN 0752421328. p7
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  18. ^ Drummond, Peter and James Smith (1982). Coatbridge: Three Centuries of Change. Monkland Library Services, P.15
  19. ^ Miller, Thomas Roland (1958). The Monkland Tradition. Thomas Nelson and Sons, p.26
  20. ^ Miller, Thomas Roland (1958). The Monkland Tradition. Thomas Nelson and Sons, p.36
  21. ^ Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland (1994) Eds. J & J Keay, HarperCollinsPublishers, p.175
  22. ^ Historical, biographical and literary sketches of Glasgow and Lanarkshire, part 1&2. Hamilton herald printing and publishing. 1904. p26
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  30. ^ Quoted in "The County of Lanark" by George Thomson (Collins, 1960), p.32
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  101. ^ North Lanarkshire Council (2009). publisher=http://www.northlan.gov.uk "St. Ambrose is top of the class". Retrieved 2009-02-09. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing pipe in: |url= (help)</
  102. ^ "Electricity Distribution Network Operators". energylinx.co.uk. 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  103. ^ a b Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (2007-09-05). "Who we are". spt.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
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Further reading

  • Dillon, Des (2007). Monks. Luath Press Ltd.
  • Drummond, Peter and James Smith (1982). Coatbridge: Three Centuries of Change. Monkland Library Services
  • Drummond, Peter (1985). The Population of Monklands in the 1980’s. Monkland Library Services Dept.
  • Miller, Andrew (1864)). The Rise of Coatbridge and the Surrounding Neighbourhood. Glasgow.
  • Miller, Thomas Roland (1958). The Monkland Tradition. Thomas Nelson and Sons.
  • Moir, Helen (2001). Coatbridge (Images of Scotland). The History Press. ISBN 0752421328.
  • Van Helden, Oliver (2000). Old Coatbridge. Stenlake Publishing
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