Beattock
Encyclopedia
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and lies within the administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
. It is surrounded by the parish of Kirkpatrick Juxta. It was an important stabling point for horses in the olden days with a coach house at one end of the village. It also boasts a bridge designed and built by Thomas Telford.
Beattock was once served directly by both the A74 road
A74 road
The A74 was a major trunk road in the United Kingdom, linking Glasgow in Scotland to Carlisle in the North West of England. The road has been largely replaced by the A74 and M74 motorways and now only one short stub remains....
and the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
(WCML) which both run through the village, but the road has long since bypassed Beattock and been converted to motorway, whilst the railway station
Beattock railway station
Beattock railway station was a station which served Beattock, in the Scottish county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was served by local trains on what is now known as the West Coast Main Line...
was closed in 1972, although there are plans to reopen it.
10 miles (16 km) to the north of the village in the neighbouring administrative area of South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
is Beattock Summit
Beattock Summit
Beattock Summit is a high point of the West Coast Main Line railway and of the A74 motorway as they cross from Dumfries and Galloway to South Lanarkshire in south west Scotland.- Railway history :...
, which at 315 m (1033 ft) is the highest point on both the M74, and on the WCML in Scotland. The village was once given importance as steam trains needed to attach a banker locomotive from Beattock engine shed to the rear to assist them by pushing their heavy trains up the daunting incline that is Beattock bank. This was itself made famous in the poem by W H Auden written in 1936 specifically for use by the GPO Film Unit
GPO Film Unit
The GPO Film Unit was a subdivision of the UK General Post Office. The unit was established in 1933, taking on responsibilities of the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit...
, when it was set to music by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
. The poem is called Night Mail
Night Mail
Night Mail is a 1936 documentary film about a London, Midland and Scottish Railway mail train from London to Scotland, produced by the GPO Film Unit. A poem by English poet W. H. Auden was written for it, used in the closing few minutes, as was music by Benjamin Britten...
.