Kilncadzow is a small village in rural 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....

, lying roughly 5km north of Lanark

Lanark

Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....

 and 5km east-southeast of Carluke

Carluke

The town of Carluke lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, 5.4 miles northwest of Lanark and 4 miles southeast of Wishaw....

, on the A721 road. The name 'Kilncadzow' is pronounced locally as kill-caig-eh. Various theories exist about the reasons for this peculiar pronunciation, however none of these has ever been proven.

Aerial pictures of Kilncadzow can be accessed here

History

The Roman

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 road which passed through Clydesdale

Clydesdale

Clydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...

 to the western extremity of the Antonine Wall

Antonine Wall

The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...

 can be found in Kilncadzow. An abandoned stone quarry - thought to date from the 18th century - is located on common land, just north of the A721.

As an agricultural area, the village has many farms in close proximity. These include The Hill of Kilncadzow, The Hole of Kilncadzow, Greenbank, Collilaw, Birkenhead, The Drums, Craigend, Craighead, Gowanside and Leemuir. The three farms which were within the village - Townhead, Mid Town and West Town (all thought to date from the 18th century) - are no longer used as farms. A school (now the community hall) was built in the late 19th century to provide primary education for the children of the area. During the 20th century, council housing was provided for agricultural workers.

Location

The village is located primarily on two roads - Carnwath Road (the A721) and Craigenhill Road. There are approximately 40 houses in the village, the majority of which were constructed during the 1970s and 80s. However, a local farmer has plans to expand the village rapidly in the near future.

The village enjoys splendid panoramic views to the south, east and west - indeed, views of Tinto

Tinto

Several places share the name Tinto:*Tinto is the name of a hill, the highest in the Tinto Hills in southern Scotland.*The Tinto River is a river in south-western Andalusia, Spain....

 Hill, Lanark and Douglas

Douglas, South Lanarkshire

Douglas is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the south bank of the Douglas Water and on the A70 road that links Ayr, on the West coast of Scotland, to Edinburgh on the East, around 12 miles south west of Lanark. The placename is of Gaelic origin, derived from the Old Gaelic...

 are most prominent. The best views are from Kilncadzow Law, upon which a radio transmitter is located.

Most villagers commute to work, however there are no public transport facilities per se, and ownership or access to a vehicle is almost essential. Transport links and local amenities are located mainly in Carluke and Lanark, however the village does have a bakery, a community hall (in need of considerable investment) and a swing park.

Craigenhill Road’s speed limit was reduced from the national speed limit to 30mph. After many years of campaigning by local residents the speed limit on Carnwath Road was reduced to 40mph in 2009; however, vehicular traffic regularly travels far in excess of this limit, seemingly unaware of the dangers.

Commerce

A number of non-farming businesses are based in Kilncadzow, including a riding school, a farrier, The Village Bakery (renowned locally for producing larger-than-normal cakes and pastries) and a joiner.

Pronunciation

One theory for the pronunciation is that a Dr. Cadzow, resident in the village in the first half of the 20th century, was know by the nickname ‘Kagey’. Dr. Cadzow was also responsible for erecting the triangulation point at the top of Law Hill. With the doctor's fame, the village started to be known as 'Kil-Kagey'.

However, recently the National Library of Scotland has made several old maps of the area available online. One of the oldest is dated 1747-1755 (The General Roy map): http://geo.nls.uk/roy/

This clearly shows Kilncadzow as 'Kilcago'.

Education

Since the closure of Kilncadzow School, children of the village have attended a number of different schools, including Crawforddyke Primary School, Carluke High School, Lanark Grammar. Today, the children of Kilncadzow usually attend Crawforddyke Primary School and Carluke High School

Carluke High School

Carluke High School is a secondary school in Carluke, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. its head teacher was James Yuille. As of 2007 it had some 1,226 students. The school was rebuilt on the same site, beginning in 2005...

- indeed, South Lanarkshire Council provides transport to these schools - however, it is possible for children to attend other schools including St Athanasius and St Aidans.