Larbert
Encyclopedia
Larbert is a small town in the Falkirk council area
of Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley above the River Carron
which flows from the west. Larbert is 3 miles (4.8 km) from the shoreline of the Firth of Forth
and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northwest of Falkirk
, the main town in the area. The village of Stenhousemuir
lies directly east of Larbert, with both settlements being contiguous and sharing certain public amenities with one another.
In medieval times, the Larbert area was heavily forested, but this was cleared and gave rise to much of the agricultural land which surrounds the town. The coming of industry and especially the arrival in the 1840s of the Scottish Central Railway
, which passes through the village, provided a base for economic growth. From the late 18th century until the mid-20th century heavy industry
, such as boiler
making, casting
and manufacturing underpinned the economy of Larbert. The Victorian era
also saw the opening of the Stirling District Lunatic Asylum at Bellsdyke and Scottish National Institution for Children on the Stenhouse Estate. This made Larbert central in providing care
, both locally and nationally.
Although the traditional economic base of Larbert dwindled with the decline of heavy industry, it has latterly experienced considerable growth as a commuter town
. Many residents work in the nearby towns of Falkirk
and Stirling
, as well as the cities of Edinburgh
and Glasgow
. According to the 2001 census
Larbert had a population of 6,425, and it continues to grow with large-scale housing development on the northern periphery of the town as well as on brownfield sites.
Historians believe that the origin of Larbert dates back to the Dark Ages when Scotland was beginning to emerge as a nation. The area in which Larbert lies was heavily forested at this time.
The lands to the south of Larbert and Camelon, in the area traversed by the Antonine Wall
, were strategically important to the Romans
. The crossing point on the River Carron
at Larbert was an important transportation route for the Romans on the road they constructed from Watling Lodge on the Antonine Wall to Stirling. Early Ordnance Survey
maps showed Larbert located on an old Roman Road
between Camelon
and Stirling, with the site of a Roman camp close by. An early Christian community, with a chapel, is believed to have existed close to the crossing point on the Carron around 1160.
By the 1750s, Larbert constituted a small settlement on the main road between Falkirk and Stirling, which was turnpiked
by an Act of Parliament
in 1752. At this time, Larbert had at three mill
s powered by water from the nearby River Carron. These mills shut down in the 1980s and since then salmon and sea trout have returned in good numbers. The surrounding population, largely scattered, engaged in agriculture
and took part in the important Falkirk Tryst (cattle market) held annually in nearby Stenhousemuir. In the 1950s, archaeological excavations to the north of present-day Larbert uncovered remains of a substantial pottery
works with eight kiln
s dating from the 15th or 16th centuries (Hall and Hunter 2001).
Larbert's later growth is tied to the industrial development in the village itself as well as the wider parish. The pivotal event was the opening of the Carron Iron Works to the east of Stenhousemuir, in 1759, which produced a range of cast-iron goods and the Carronade
, a naval cannon
. The development of the iron works shifted the centre of the parish eastwards as people moved to closer to the Carron Ironworks for employment.
Fortunes changed in the 1840s with the building of the Scottish Central Railway
which was a catalyst for economic expansion in Larbert itself. Improved transportation led to Dobbie, Forbes and Company establishing a foundry
in Larbert in 1872 which manufactured stoves, ranges and light castings. Three years later, James Jones, a local businessman, opened a sawmill
on land adjacent to the Dobbie Forbes and Company foundry, which grew rapidly manufacturing timber frames. By the turn of the 20th century, Dobbie Forbes had a payroll of more than 200 employees. In 1888, a joint venture between Jones and the cashier of Dobbie, Forbes and Company, Dermont Campbell, produced the Jones and Campbell foundry on land close to the railway, which further cemented Larbert's position as a centre of heavy industry. By 1891, the parish of Larbert had a population of 900.
The 19th century also witnessed the establishment of the Scottish National Institution for the Education of Imbecile Children on land to the north of present-day Larbert. The institution, opened in 1863 at a cost of £13,000, provided care for minors between the age of 5 and 21. In 1948 the facility became known as the Royal Scottish National Hospital (RSNH). On adjacent land, the Stirling District Lunatic Asylum, opened in 1869 at a cost of £20,000, engaged in the treatment of those with mental illness
. The asylum later became known as Bellsdyke Hospital.
The arrival of the tram
in October 1905 improved transport between Larbert and many of its surrounding neighbours. The service followed a circular route through Larbert, Stenhousemuir, past the Carron Iron Works, through Bainsford
and to Falkirk. Larbert's new closeness to surrounding communities raised concerns about the loss of village independence. A consortium of local industrialists and residents, fearing higher burgh
rates
, successfully resisted a 1912 proposal to incorporate nearby villages such as Larbert and Stenhousemuir into the larger town of Falkirk
.
From 1891 Larbert was contained within the county of Stirlingshire
and from 1894 until 1930 constituted its own civil parish
. Larbert was located in the Falkirk district of the Central Regional Council
area from 1975 to 1996. Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Larbert has been part of the Falkirk council area
, which is one of Scotland's 32 local authorities
. For registration
purposes, Larbert remains a part of Stirlingshire and is part of the Stirling and Falkirk
lieutenancy area
.
For the purposes of local government, Larbert is located in the 'Bonnybridge and Larbert' ward
of Falkirk Council, which elects three councillors under the single transferable vote
system. Following the 2007 elections, the Bonnybridge and Larbert ward returned one councillor from the Scottish National Party
(SNP), one from the Scottish Labour Party
and one independent. Larbert, Stenhousemuir and Torwood comprise one of Falkirk's community council
s, which have a role in communicating local opinion to local and central government. Larbert combined with Stenhousemuir also forms one of the six Falkirk Council Area Forums
, which represent aggregations of both council wards and community council areas. Forums are normally held every eight weeks, and their membership consists of all councillors representing the area, a representative from the community council, the local unit commander
from Central Scotland Police
and nominees from other local community groups.
Larbert is in the Falkirk West
Scottish Parliament
constituency
. Since the May 2007 Scottish general election
, the seat has been held by the SNP. The Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP) for the constituency is Michael Matheson
. In the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, Larbert is part of the Falkirk
constituency, which elects one member to the House of Commons
. The current MP is Eric Joyce
of the Labour Party who has represented the Falkirk constituency since a by-election
in December 2000.
. The settlement sits on a shelf of land overlooking the River Carron
, which flows to the west. The river has its source in the Campsie Fells
north of Glasgow, flowing into the Carron Valley Reservoir and past the village of Denny
. After passing Larbert, the river flows through Falkirk before emptying into the Firth of Forth
at Glensburgh, near Grangemouth
.
Larbert has an area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) and is contiguous with the town of Stenhousemuir
to the east. Historically, Larbert and Stenhousemuir were united into one parish and consequently shared public amenities. Commonly, Larbert and Stenhousemuir are referred to as being part of the same locality.
The underlying geology of Larbert is primarily characterised by glacial deposits. Elevations above 10 metres (32 ft) are covered by a mixture of glacial till and boulder clay
with low-lying areas covered by sand
y soils and loam
s. The origins of much of the unsorted glacial rubble found in the area are eroded debris from the Campsie Fells and Kilsyth Hills
to the west.
In places, stratified till and boulder clay give rise to features of glacial deposition such as esker
s, and drumlin
s that are predominant over much of the area north and east of Larbert and provide natural transportation routes. As Larbert is not far from the coast, post-glacial features akin to raised beach
es are particularly prevalent south and west of the settlement, and this gives rise to differing elevations surrounding the town.
Beneath the surface layer of unsorted glacial till are strata of sandstone
and ironstone
which weathering and erosion have exposed above the surface in areas. Deposits of coal
are found east of Larbert.
Like much of the rest of southern Scotland, Larbert experiences a temperate
, maritime climate with mild winters, cool summers and evenly distributed rainfall. The prevailing wind
direction is south-westerly, which brings warm, wet and unstable air associated with the North Atlantic Drift
.
The predominant land use in Larbert is suburban. The urban environment of Larbert is a mix of housing styles ranging from 19th- and 20th-century developments to large detached villas built of stone in Victorian times for Larbert's industrialists. Much new housing development in Larbert is on brownfield sites, such as those west of the railway line, on reclaimed foundry land. As a result, little industrial land remains in the village itself. Larbert's surroundings are much more rural in character with scattered farmsteads on land between Larbert and the M9 motorway and between Larbert and the village of Plean
. Parkland on the northwest side of Larbert has been given over to the development of a new hospital. The site of the former RSNH and Bellsdyke Hospital is slated for joint residential and commercial development and will be known as Kinnaird Village. There is open parkland south of Larbert.
On Census night 2001
, Larbert had a total resident population of 6,425, which has risen to 7,235 according to 2005 estimates. For statistical and census purposes, Larbert is normally combined with adjoining Stenhousemuir into one wider locality. In 2001, the Larbert and Stenhousemuir locality had a total population of 16,311, of whom 12,969 were aged 16 or over.
Disaggregated 2001 census data showed that Larbert proper had a higher proportion of those under age 15 than the Falkirk council area and Scottish average and a lower proportion of those over age 75. The census figures also showed that 1.7 percent of those who are economically active, were unemployed, lower than the Falkirk area average of 3.6 percent and the Scottish average of 3.9 percent.
In 2001, there were 2,542 dwellings in Larbert of which 76.8 percent were owner-occupied, a higher than average proportion compared to the surrounding area. Homes rented directly from the council or tenants associations, comprised 20.7 percent of the total housing stock in Larbert, with privately rented, or rent-free dwellings making up the remaining 2.5 percent.
Average house prices in Larbert have been among the fastest growing in Scotland and the UK. In 2005, the average house price in Larbert was £145,716, making it the ninth most expensive place in Scotland to buy property.
Today, Larbert is home to a range of light service industries. In 1992, 19 hectares (190,000 m²) of the former RSNH site, on the northern flank of Larbert close to the A88 road
, was developed into a business park
. The site became known as 'Central Park'. Its first occupant was the US
-based data storage corporation Exabyte
, which opened in late 1992 and employed 80 workers. Towards the end of the following year, three more high tech
firms arrived, which gave Central Park a combined floorspace of 14000 square metres (150,694.7 sq ft).
Central Park was boosted further in 2000 with the creation of 700 jobs by the multi-client Telecom Service Centre (TSC) facility. Other occupants of the park include the travel firm Thomas Cook
and the central Scotland baker Mathiesons, which has consolidated all operations onto one site. Glenbervie Business Park was developed next to Central Park with the help of local government and EU
structural aid. The 28 hectares (280,000 m²) site is suitable for a range of light industries. Larbert lacks a supermarket
, but the main street of the town is home to small retail outlets and a post office
.
The Lochlands Industrial area sits south of Larbert. One of the main tenants of the industrial park is Dowding and Mills, an electrical contractor, which opened a factory in 1979. The UK food service company, 3663, also have a distribution centre located in the industrial park.
Most residents of Larbert work outside the town. Historically, the Carron Company
, which developed east of Stenhousemuir, was a major employer. More recently, the bus builder Alexander-Dennis Coachbuilders, which has a large works at Camelon
, has employed Larbert residents. Larbert sits in the travel to work area
for both Edinburgh
and Glasgow
, with many residents commuting
to work there daily.
Larbert railway station
opened on 22 May 1848, when the Scottish Central Railway
built its line through the village and narrowly survived the Beeching
cuts of the 1960s. Larbert station lies north of one of the major rail junctions in central Scotland, where the line from Stirling and Perth
splits into one branch heading to Glasgow and the other to Edinburgh. The station is on the Edinburgh to Dunblane
and Croy
Lines. Like most stations in Scotland, Larbert, which has two platforms, is owned by Network Rail
and operated by First ScotRail
on their behalf. During the day, trains are half-hourly to Glasgow
and Edinburgh
and take 35 minutes and 45 minutes respectively to reach their destinations. There are four trains per hour to Stirling
, which is a journey of 10 minutes. In 2005–06 there were 468,849 passenger journeys from the station, a rise of 9.6 percent on the previous year.
As late as the 1970s, through traffic from Falkirk and Glasgow passed the outskirts of Larbert. Motorway construction in the area from 1980 onwards ran Central Scotland's important trunk roads close to Larbert. The nearest motorway is the M876
, of which Junction 2 is the interchange
for Larbert. The motorway connects with the M80
, the principal route into Glasgow. The M9, the main route into Edinburgh, passes east of Larbert. The motorway's Junction 7 (Kincardine Bridge
) is the nearest interchange for Larbert.
First Group provide local bus services in Larbert and surrounding communities. Included is the local 'Circular' bus service, which connects Larbert with Stenhousemuir, Camelon
, Bainsford
and Falkirk. The nearest bus station to Larbert is in Falkirk.
While having its own identity, Larbert is contiguous with the neighbouring settlement of Stenhousemuir
, which borders its eastern side and has a larger population. As a result, the local centre of commercial gravity is located in Stenhousemuir, where most shops, the nearest health centre, high school and local government offices are found.
There are currently three primary schools in Larbert itself. Larbert Village Primary School dates from 1891 and has 270 pupils. Ladeside Primary School dates from 1970 and has a roll of 400 nursery and primary pupils. Additionally, pupils who live in the eastern portion of Larbert and live in the catchment area for Stenhousemuir Primary School attend there. A new purpose built 434-pupil primary school, Kinnaird Primary School, opened in January 2008 in North Larbert. Most secondary pupils attend Larbert High School
, which historically was the main school for the whole of Larbert parish and serves secondary level pupils from the surrounding area and outlying villages such as Airth
and Skinflats
. Despite its name, Larbert High School lies entirely in Stenhousemuir.
There is currently no general hospital in Larbert, which sits in the NHS Forth Valley
health board area. The nearest hospital is the Falkirk District Royal Infirmary (FDRI) in the Woodlands area of Falkirk. A small portion of the Bellsdyke Hospital complex, located on the outskirts of the town, still exists and provides psychiatric care only for patients in the Forth Valley health board area. In May 2007, construction began on a new 860-bed hospital for the Stirling and Falkirk on the site of the former RSNH in Larbert. the Forth Valley Royal Hospital (FVRH) will replace and combine existing facilities at both Falkirk and Stirling on a new site. The construction phase of the project is expected to be completed by December 2009. Services will then progressively transfer to the hospital from Summer 2010.
The Falkirk Council local authority provides all waste management
services, with recycling
facilities at Roughmute near Denny
and at Kinneil Kerse in Bo'ness
.
There are three 18-hole golf course
s close to Larbert. Falkirk Tryst Golf Club, on the boundary between Larbert and Stenhousemuir, is a parkland-style course with a length of 6053 yards (5,534.9 m). Falkirk Golf Club, is located on the outskirts of Larbert, between the town and Camelon
. About 1 miles (1.6 km) to the north is the Glenbervie Golf Club. Larbert also has its own lawn bowls club.
There is a cricket club in Stenhousemuir, which adjoins Larbert. Stenhousemuir Cricket Club based on part of the old Trysting grounds at Tryst Road. As a club it has been in existence for over 135 years and has a very proud history with many international cricketers coming from within its ranks.
Larbert Old Parish Church stands on the western approaches to Larbert, above the River Carron
. The church, designed by the Scottish architect David Hamilton
, was built in 1820 at a cost of £3,000 using sandstone from a local quarry. The church was built at a time of population growth and increasing prosperity in Larbert and its parish, which necessitated the construction of a more modern place of worship. As Larbert grew during the 19th century, the church again became too small. Major alterations to the building were carried out in the 1880s. An early chapel under the domain of the Abbot of Cambuskenneth
is believed to have stood in the vicinity of the present-day church.
At the southern tip of the village, the Dorrator Iron Bridge spans a meander in the River Carron, connecting Larbert with the neighbouring settlement of Camelon
. The bridge was constructed in 1893 on the site of a ford
, which could rarely be used when the river was in full flow. The bridge is reached via a footpath leading from the bottom of Carronvale Road in Larbert.
Larbert Bridge was the original crossing over the Carron and was built in the 17th century. A toll was collected in the 18th century, payable to the Earl of Callendar and Linlithgow and levied at " ...four pennies Scots for each cart, two pennies for each loaded horse and twelve pennies Scots for each score of droves of cows that shall pass along the said bridge." A later, more modern crossing built next to Larbert Bridge carries the main A9 road from Larbert to Falkirk. Nearby, a 19th-century viaduct, built outside Larbert, carries the railway into town. The main A9 road passes underneath.
The Station Hotel, close to Larbert's railway station, has been a central focal point of Larbert for many years. An inn or public house
has stood on the spot of the current hotel for as long as the railway has passed through Larbert.
The Victorian Gothic structures of the Royal Scottish National Hospital (RSNH) and the Stirling District Asylum still exist in a dilapidated state, but most of the grounds are being used for new housing development. Carronvale House
is an 18th-century category A listed building, now home to the Scottish Headquarters of the Boys' Brigade
.
explorer James Bruce
was born at Kinnaird, just outside Larbert in 1730 and is buried in the graveyard of Larbert Old Parish Church. Bruce travelled through much of Africa
and in the process traced the origins of the Blue Nile
. It was said that Bruce was fluent in 13 languages and stood over 6 feet 4 inches (1.9 m) tall.
Thomas Hardy
, parliamentary reformer and co-founder of the London Corresponding Society
, was born in Larbert in 1752 and ran a boot-making business there. He moved to London, where he continued boot-making until he became involved in parliamentary reform.
John Baildon
, a pioneer in metallurgy
, was born in Larbert in 1772. Baildon was involved in pioneering industrial undertakings such as the construction of the first blast furnace
s fired by coke
in continental Europe.
The Scottish-American actor Jimmy Finlayson
was born in Larbert in 1887. Finlayson worked in silent movies as well as sound movies and starred opposite Stan Laurel
and Oliver Hardy
. The creator of The Simpsons
, Matt Groening
,
has indicated that the catchphrase of Homer Simpson
, D'oh, derives from a longer version used by Finlayson as one of his trademark expressions. Finlayson died in Hollywood, California
, in 1953 at age 66.
Falkirk (council area)
Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire...
of Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley above the River Carron
River Carron (Forth)
The River Carron is a river in central Scotland. This river has given its name to towns in Falkirk, a variety of regional features, a type of cannon, a line of bathtubs, two warships and an island in the Southern Hemisphere.-River Carron:The river rises in the Campsie Fells before flowing into...
which flows from the west. Larbert is 3 miles (4.8 km) from the shoreline of the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northwest of Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, the main town in the area. The village of Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west. The villages of Carron and Carronshore adjoin Stenhousemuir to the east but...
lies directly east of Larbert, with both settlements being contiguous and sharing certain public amenities with one another.
In medieval times, the Larbert area was heavily forested, but this was cleared and gave rise to much of the agricultural land which surrounds the town. The coming of industry and especially the arrival in the 1840s of the Scottish Central Railway
Scottish Central Railway
The Scottish Central Railway was formed in 1845 to link the Caledonian Railway near Castlecary to the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at Perth...
, which passes through the village, provided a base for economic growth. From the late 18th century until the mid-20th century heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
, such as boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
making, casting
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
and manufacturing underpinned the economy of Larbert. The Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
also saw the opening of the Stirling District Lunatic Asylum at Bellsdyke and Scottish National Institution for Children on the Stenhouse Estate. This made Larbert central in providing care
Care of residents
Residential care refers to long-term care given to adults or children in a residential setting rather than the patient's home. People with disabilities, mental health problems, or learning difficulties are often cared for at home by paid or voluntary caregivers, such family and friends, with...
, both locally and nationally.
Although the traditional economic base of Larbert dwindled with the decline of heavy industry, it has latterly experienced considerable growth as a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
. Many residents work in the nearby towns of Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
and Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, as well as the cities of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
Larbert had a population of 6,425, and it continues to grow with large-scale housing development on the northern periphery of the town as well as on brownfield sites.
History
The origins of the name Larbert are uncertain. Historically, the name was variously written as Lairbert scheills or Laithbert scheills which signifies the scheills, or huts, of a man named Lairbert or Laithbert.Historians believe that the origin of Larbert dates back to the Dark Ages when Scotland was beginning to emerge as a nation. The area in which Larbert lies was heavily forested at this time.
The lands to the south of Larbert and Camelon, in the area traversed by 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 ...
, were strategically important to the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The crossing point on the River Carron
River Carron (Forth)
The River Carron is a river in central Scotland. This river has given its name to towns in Falkirk, a variety of regional features, a type of cannon, a line of bathtubs, two warships and an island in the Southern Hemisphere.-River Carron:The river rises in the Campsie Fells before flowing into...
at Larbert was an important transportation route for the Romans on the road they constructed from Watling Lodge on the Antonine Wall to Stirling. Early Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps showed Larbert located on an old Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
between Camelon
Camelon
Camelon is a large settlement within the Falkirk council area, Scotland. The village is in the Forth Valley, west of Falkirk, south of Larbert and east of Bonnybridge...
and Stirling, with the site of a Roman camp close by. An early Christian community, with a chapel, is believed to have existed close to the crossing point on the Carron around 1160.
By the 1750s, Larbert constituted a small settlement on the main road between Falkirk and Stirling, which was turnpiked
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1752. At this time, Larbert had at three mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s powered by water from the nearby River Carron. These mills shut down in the 1980s and since then salmon and sea trout have returned in good numbers. The surrounding population, largely scattered, engaged in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and took part in the important Falkirk Tryst (cattle market) held annually in nearby Stenhousemuir. In the 1950s, archaeological excavations to the north of present-day Larbert uncovered remains of a substantial pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
works with eight kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
s dating from the 15th or 16th centuries (Hall and Hunter 2001).
Larbert's later growth is tied to the industrial development in the village itself as well as the wider parish. The pivotal event was the opening of the Carron Iron Works to the east of Stenhousemuir, in 1759, which produced a range of cast-iron goods and the Carronade
Carronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
, a naval cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. The development of the iron works shifted the centre of the parish eastwards as people moved to closer to the Carron Ironworks for employment.
Fortunes changed in the 1840s with the building of the Scottish Central Railway
Scottish Central Railway
The Scottish Central Railway was formed in 1845 to link the Caledonian Railway near Castlecary to the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at Perth...
which was a catalyst for economic expansion in Larbert itself. Improved transportation led to Dobbie, Forbes and Company establishing a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
in Larbert in 1872 which manufactured stoves, ranges and light castings. Three years later, James Jones, a local businessman, opened a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
on land adjacent to the Dobbie Forbes and Company foundry, which grew rapidly manufacturing timber frames. By the turn of the 20th century, Dobbie Forbes had a payroll of more than 200 employees. In 1888, a joint venture between Jones and the cashier of Dobbie, Forbes and Company, Dermont Campbell, produced the Jones and Campbell foundry on land close to the railway, which further cemented Larbert's position as a centre of heavy industry. By 1891, the parish of Larbert had a population of 900.
The 19th century also witnessed the establishment of the Scottish National Institution for the Education of Imbecile Children on land to the north of present-day Larbert. The institution, opened in 1863 at a cost of £13,000, provided care for minors between the age of 5 and 21. In 1948 the facility became known as the Royal Scottish National Hospital (RSNH). On adjacent land, the Stirling District Lunatic Asylum, opened in 1869 at a cost of £20,000, engaged in the treatment of those with mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. The asylum later became known as Bellsdyke Hospital.
The arrival of the tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
in October 1905 improved transport between Larbert and many of its surrounding neighbours. The service followed a circular route through Larbert, Stenhousemuir, past the Carron Iron Works, through Bainsford
Bainsford
Bainsford is a small village within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is situated in the Forth Valley, north of the town of Falkirk. It is positioned between the River Carron and the Forth and Clyde Canal to the north and south respectively....
and to Falkirk. Larbert's new closeness to surrounding communities raised concerns about the loss of village independence. A consortium of local industrialists and residents, fearing higher burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
rates
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
, successfully resisted a 1912 proposal to incorporate nearby villages such as Larbert and Stenhousemuir into the larger town of Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
.
Politics
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
and from 1894 until 1930 constituted its own civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
. Larbert was located in the Falkirk district of the Central Regional Council
Central Region, Scotland
Central Region was a local government region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. It is now divided into the council areas of Falkirk, Stirling, and Clackmannanshire, which had previously been districts within Central...
area from 1975 to 1996. Since local government reorganisation in 1996, Larbert has been part of the Falkirk council area
Falkirk (council area)
Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire...
, which is one of Scotland's 32 local authorities
Subdivisions of Scotland
For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
. For registration
Registration county
A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purposes....
purposes, Larbert remains a part of Stirlingshire and is part of the Stirling and Falkirk
Stirling and Falkirk
Stirling and Falkirkis a lieutenancy area of Scotland. It consists ofthe local government areas of Stirling and Falkirk,which cover the same areas as the previous districts from 1975—1996.-References:...
lieutenancy area
Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
The lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch's representatives, in Scotland. They are different from the local government council areas, the committee areas, the sheriffdoms, the registration counties, the former regions and districts, the...
.
For the purposes of local government, Larbert is located in the 'Bonnybridge and Larbert' ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Falkirk Council, which elects three councillors under the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
system. Following the 2007 elections, the Bonnybridge and Larbert ward returned one councillor from the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP), one from the Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
and one independent. Larbert, Stenhousemuir and Torwood comprise one of Falkirk's community council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
s, which have a role in communicating local opinion to local and central government. Larbert combined with Stenhousemuir also forms one of the six Falkirk Council Area Forums
Area committee
Many large local government councils in the United Kingdom have a system of area committees, with responsibility for services in a particular part of the area covered by the council....
, which represent aggregations of both council wards and community council areas. Forums are normally held every eight weeks, and their membership consists of all councillors representing the area, a representative from the community council, the local unit commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
from Central Scotland Police
Central Scotland Police
Central Scotland Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire . The headquarters of the force are at Randolphfield House in Stirling....
and nominees from other local community groups.
Larbert is in the Falkirk West
Falkirk West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Falkirk West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
constituency
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....
. Since the May 2007 Scottish general election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
, the seat has been held by the SNP. The Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
(MSP) for the constituency is Michael Matheson
Michael Matheson
Michael Matheson is the Public Health Minister in the Scottish Government. He has been an SNP Member of the Scottish Parliament since 1999, first representing Central Scotland and, since 2007, the Falkirk West constituency....
. In the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, Larbert is part of the Falkirk
Falkirk (UK Parliament constituency)
- References :...
constituency, which elects one member to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. The current MP is Eric Joyce
Eric Joyce
Eric Stuart Joyce is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Falkirk since 2005. Joyce served as a Private in the Black Watch before attending University and subsequently rejoining the army as a commissioned officer...
of the Labour Party who has represented the Falkirk constituency since a by-election
Falkirk West by-election, 2000
The Falkirk West by-election, 2000 was a parliamentary by-election held on 21 December 2000 for the Scottish constituency of Falkirk West.The vacancy was caused the resignation from the House of Commons of Dennis Canavan, the Member of Parliament for Falkirk West...
in December 2000.
Geography
Larbert lies at an altitude of 30 metres (100 ft) above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The settlement sits on a shelf of land overlooking the River Carron
River Carron (Forth)
The River Carron is a river in central Scotland. This river has given its name to towns in Falkirk, a variety of regional features, a type of cannon, a line of bathtubs, two warships and an island in the Southern Hemisphere.-River Carron:The river rises in the Campsie Fells before flowing into...
, which flows to the west. The river has its source in the Campsie Fells
Campsie Fells
The Campsie Fells are a range of hills in central Scotland, stretching east to west, from Denny Muir to Dumgoyne, in Stirlingshire. . The highest point in the range is Earl's Seat which is 578 m high...
north of Glasgow, flowing into the Carron Valley Reservoir and past the village of Denny
Denny, Falkirk
Denny is a town in the Falkirk council area of Scotland, formerly in the county of Stirlingshire. It is situated west of Falkirk, and north-east of Cumbernauld, adjacent to both the M80 and M876 motorways...
. After passing Larbert, the river flows through Falkirk before emptying into the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
at Glensburgh, near Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
.
Larbert has an area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) and is contiguous with the town of Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west. The villages of Carron and Carronshore adjoin Stenhousemuir to the east but...
to the east. Historically, Larbert and Stenhousemuir were united into one parish and consequently shared public amenities. Commonly, Larbert and Stenhousemuir are referred to as being part of the same locality.
The underlying geology of Larbert is primarily characterised by glacial deposits. Elevations above 10 metres (32 ft) are covered by a mixture of glacial till and boulder clay
Boulder clay
Boulder clay, in geology, is a deposit of clay, often full of boulders, which is formed in and beneath glaciers and ice-sheets wherever they are found, but is in a special sense the typical deposit of the Glacial Period in northern Europe and North America...
with low-lying areas covered by sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y soils and loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
s. The origins of much of the unsorted glacial rubble found in the area are eroded debris from the Campsie Fells and Kilsyth Hills
Kilsyth
Kilsyth is a town of 10,100 roughly halfway between Glasgow and Stirling in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-Location:...
to the west.
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
s, and drumlin
Drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...
s that are predominant over much of the area north and east of Larbert and provide natural transportation routes. As Larbert is not far from the coast, post-glacial features akin to raised beach
Raised beach
A raised beach, marine terrace, or perched coastline is an emergent coastal landform. Raised beaches and marine terraces are beaches or wave-cut platforms raised above the shore line by a relative fall in the sea level ....
es are particularly prevalent south and west of the settlement, and this gives rise to differing elevations surrounding the town.
Beneath the surface layer of unsorted glacial till are strata of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
which weathering and erosion have exposed above the surface in areas. Deposits of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
are found east of Larbert.
Like much of the rest of southern Scotland, Larbert experiences a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
, maritime climate with mild winters, cool summers and evenly distributed rainfall. The prevailing wind
Prevailing winds
Prevailing winds are winds that blow predominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on Earth's surface. The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a particular point on the Earth's surface. A region's prevailing and dominant winds...
direction is south-westerly, which brings warm, wet and unstable air associated with the North Atlantic Drift
North Atlantic Current
The North Atlantic Current is a powerful warm ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream northeast. West of Ireland it splits in two; one branch, the Canary Current, goes south, while the other continues north along the coast of northwestern Europe...
.
The predominant land use in Larbert is suburban. The urban environment of Larbert is a mix of housing styles ranging from 19th- and 20th-century developments to large detached villas built of stone in Victorian times for Larbert's industrialists. Much new housing development in Larbert is on brownfield sites, such as those west of the railway line, on reclaimed foundry land. As a result, little industrial land remains in the village itself. Larbert's surroundings are much more rural in character with scattered farmsteads on land between Larbert and the M9 motorway and between Larbert and the village of Plean
Plean
Plean is a former mining village, in the Stirling Council area of central Scotland located on the main A9 road from Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Plean had a population of 1,740. Plean has some historic buildings, some council houses and an estate...
. Parkland on the northwest side of Larbert has been given over to the development of a new hospital. The site of the former RSNH and Bellsdyke Hospital is slated for joint residential and commercial development and will be known as Kinnaird Village. There is open parkland south of Larbert.
Demography
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Larbert had a total resident population of 6,425, which has risen to 7,235 according to 2005 estimates. For statistical and census purposes, Larbert is normally combined with adjoining Stenhousemuir into one wider locality. In 2001, the Larbert and Stenhousemuir locality had a total population of 16,311, of whom 12,969 were aged 16 or over.
Disaggregated 2001 census data showed that Larbert proper had a higher proportion of those under age 15 than the Falkirk council area and Scottish average and a lower proportion of those over age 75. The census figures also showed that 1.7 percent of those who are economically active, were unemployed, lower than the Falkirk area average of 3.6 percent and the Scottish average of 3.9 percent.
In 2001, there were 2,542 dwellings in Larbert of which 76.8 percent were owner-occupied, a higher than average proportion compared to the surrounding area. Homes rented directly from the council or tenants associations, comprised 20.7 percent of the total housing stock in Larbert, with privately rented, or rent-free dwellings making up the remaining 2.5 percent.
Average house prices in Larbert have been among the fastest growing in Scotland and the UK. In 2005, the average house price in Larbert was £145,716, making it the ninth most expensive place in Scotland to buy property.
Economy
A88 road
The A88 is a trunk road in Scotland, United Kingdom. It runs from Stenhousemuir to Larbert, a mere , making it Britains shortest 2 digit road. It connects the A9 with the A905....
, was developed into a business park
Business park
A business park or office park is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. All of the work that goes on is commercial, not industrial or residential....
. The site became known as 'Central Park'. Its first occupant was the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based data storage corporation Exabyte
Exabyte (company)
Exabyte Corp. was a manufacturer of magnetic tape data storage products headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Exabyte Corp. is now defunct, but company's technology is sold by Tandberg Data under both brand names. Prior to the 2006 demise, Exabyte offered tape storage and automation...
, which opened in late 1992 and employed 80 workers. Towards the end of the following year, three more high tech
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
firms arrived, which gave Central Park a combined floorspace of 14000 square metres (150,694.7 sq ft).
Central Park was boosted further in 2000 with the creation of 700 jobs by the multi-client Telecom Service Centre (TSC) facility. Other occupants of the park include the travel firm Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England founded the travel agency that is now Thomas Cook Group.- Early days :...
and the central Scotland baker Mathiesons, which has consolidated all operations onto one site. Glenbervie Business Park was developed next to Central Park with the help of local government and EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
structural aid. The 28 hectares (280,000 m²) site is suitable for a range of light industries. Larbert lacks a supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
, but the main street of the town is home to small retail outlets and a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
.
The Lochlands Industrial area sits south of Larbert. One of the main tenants of the industrial park is Dowding and Mills, an electrical contractor, which opened a factory in 1979. The UK food service company, 3663, also have a distribution centre located in the industrial park.
Most residents of Larbert work outside the town. Historically, the Carron Company
Carron Company
The Carron Company was an ironworks established in 1759 on the banks of the River Carron near Falkirk, in Stirlingshire, Scotland. After initial problems, the company was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom. The company prospered through its development and...
, which developed east of Stenhousemuir, was a major employer. More recently, the bus builder Alexander-Dennis Coachbuilders, which has a large works at Camelon
Camelon
Camelon is a large settlement within the Falkirk council area, Scotland. The village is in the Forth Valley, west of Falkirk, south of Larbert and east of Bonnybridge...
, has employed Larbert residents. Larbert sits in the travel to work area
Travel to Work Area
A Travel to Work Area or TTWA is a statistical tool used by UK Government agencies and local authorities, especially by the Department for Work and Pensions and Job Centres, to indicate an area where the population would generally commute to a larger town, city or conurbation for the purposes of...
for both Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, with many residents commuting
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
to work there daily.
Transport
Larbert railway station
Larbert railway station is a railway station serving Larbert near Falkirk, Scotland.- History :The station was built by the Scottish Central Railway, opening on 1 March 1848....
opened on 22 May 1848, when the Scottish Central Railway
Scottish Central Railway
The Scottish Central Railway was formed in 1845 to link the Caledonian Railway near Castlecary to the Scottish Midland Junction Railway at Perth...
built its line through the village and narrowly survived the Beeching
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
cuts of the 1960s. Larbert station lies north of one of the major rail junctions in central Scotland, where the line from Stirling and Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
splits into one branch heading to Glasgow and the other to Edinburgh. The station is on the Edinburgh to Dunblane
Edinburgh to Dunblane Line
The Edinburgh to Dunblane Line is a railway line in East Central Scotland. It links the city of Edinburgh via Falkirk to the city of Stirling, Lecropt and the town of Dunblane...
and Croy
Croy Line
The Croy Line is a suburban railway route linking Glasgow and Croy in Scotland. It is part of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network....
Lines. Like most stations in Scotland, Larbert, which has two platforms, is owned by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
and operated by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
on their behalf. During the day, trains are half-hourly to Glasgow
Glasgow Queen Street railway station
Glasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the main railway station in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. Covering an area of over 25 acres in the centre of the city, it is the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area, the largest being...
and take 35 minutes and 45 minutes respectively to reach their destinations. There are four trains per hour to Stirling
Stirling railway station, Scotland
Stirling railway station is a railway station located in Stirling, Scotland.- History :Stirling was first connected to the Scottish Central Railway in 1848. Lines were operated by the Stirling and Dunfermline Railway and the Forth and Clyde Junction Railway...
, which is a journey of 10 minutes. In 2005–06 there were 468,849 passenger journeys from the station, a rise of 9.6 percent on the previous year.
As late as the 1970s, through traffic from Falkirk and Glasgow passed the outskirts of Larbert. Motorway construction in the area from 1980 onwards ran Central Scotland's important trunk roads close to Larbert. The nearest motorway is the M876
M876 motorway
The M876 motorway is a motorway in Scotland. The motorway runs from Denny to Airth in the Falkirk council area, forming an approach road to the Kincardine Bridge. It was opened in 1980....
, of which Junction 2 is the interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
for Larbert. The motorway connects with the M80
M80 motorway
The M80 is a motorway in central Scotland, running through Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk and Stirling and links the M8, the M73 and M9 motorways. Following completion in 2011, this road is long. From 1992 - 2011, the road was in two sections; the southern section, Glasgow to Stepps and the...
, the principal route into Glasgow. The M9, the main route into Edinburgh, passes east of Larbert. The motorway's Junction 7 (Kincardine Bridge
Kincardine Bridge
The Kincardine Bridge is a road bridge crossing the Firth of Forth from Falkirk council area to Kincardine-on-Forth, Fife, Scotland.-History:The bridge was constructed between 1932 and 1936, designed by Donald Watson...
) is the nearest interchange for Larbert.
First Group provide local bus services in Larbert and surrounding communities. Included is the local 'Circular' bus service, which connects Larbert with Stenhousemuir, Camelon
Camelon
Camelon is a large settlement within the Falkirk council area, Scotland. The village is in the Forth Valley, west of Falkirk, south of Larbert and east of Bonnybridge...
, Bainsford
Bainsford
Bainsford is a small village within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is situated in the Forth Valley, north of the town of Falkirk. It is positioned between the River Carron and the Forth and Clyde Canal to the north and south respectively....
and Falkirk. The nearest bus station to Larbert is in Falkirk.
Public amenities
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west. The villages of Carron and Carronshore adjoin Stenhousemuir to the east but...
, which borders its eastern side and has a larger population. As a result, the local centre of commercial gravity is located in Stenhousemuir, where most shops, the nearest health centre, high school and local government offices are found.
There are currently three primary schools in Larbert itself. Larbert Village Primary School dates from 1891 and has 270 pupils. Ladeside Primary School dates from 1970 and has a roll of 400 nursery and primary pupils. Additionally, pupils who live in the eastern portion of Larbert and live in the catchment area for Stenhousemuir Primary School attend there. A new purpose built 434-pupil primary school, Kinnaird Primary School, opened in January 2008 in North Larbert. Most secondary pupils attend Larbert High School
Larbert High School
Larbert High School is a six year state, non denominational, school located in Stenhousemuir, Scotland. The school is run by Falkirk Council Education Services on behalf of the Scottish Government. In August 2010, the school roll was 1932, and in 2005 the total running costs of the school were...
, which historically was the main school for the whole of Larbert parish and serves secondary level pupils from the surrounding area and outlying villages such as Airth
Airth
Airth is a Royal Burgh, village, former trading port and civil parish in Falkirk, Scotland. It is north of Falkirk town and sits on the banks of the River Forth. Airth lies on the A905 road between Grangemouth and Stirling and is overlooked by Airth Castle, the village retains two market crosses...
and Skinflats
Skinflats
Skinflats is a small village in the Falkirk council area of Scotland. It is located north-west of Grangemouth, east of Carronshore and north-east of Falkirk...
. Despite its name, Larbert High School lies entirely in Stenhousemuir.
There is currently no general hospital in Larbert, which sits in the NHS Forth Valley
NHS Forth Valley
NHS Forth Valley is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in the Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling area. NHS Forth Valley is headquartered in Castle Business Park, Stirling....
health board area. The nearest hospital is the Falkirk District Royal Infirmary (FDRI) in the Woodlands area of Falkirk. A small portion of the Bellsdyke Hospital complex, located on the outskirts of the town, still exists and provides psychiatric care only for patients in the Forth Valley health board area. In May 2007, construction began on a new 860-bed hospital for the Stirling and Falkirk on the site of the former RSNH in Larbert. the Forth Valley Royal Hospital (FVRH) will replace and combine existing facilities at both Falkirk and Stirling on a new site. The construction phase of the project is expected to be completed by December 2009. Services will then progressively transfer to the hospital from Summer 2010.
The Falkirk Council local authority provides all waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
services, with recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
facilities at Roughmute near Denny
Denny, Falkirk
Denny is a town in the Falkirk council area of Scotland, formerly in the county of Stirlingshire. It is situated west of Falkirk, and north-east of Cumbernauld, adjacent to both the M80 and M876 motorways...
and at Kinneil Kerse in Bo'ness
Bo'ness
Bo'ness, properly Borrowstounness, is a coastal town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on a hillside on the south bank of the Firth of Forth within the Falkirk council area, north-west of Edinburgh and east of Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Bo'ness had a resident population of 13,961...
.
There are three 18-hole golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s close to Larbert. Falkirk Tryst Golf Club, on the boundary between Larbert and Stenhousemuir, is a parkland-style course with a length of 6053 yards (5,534.9 m). Falkirk Golf Club, is located on the outskirts of Larbert, between the town and Camelon
Camelon
Camelon is a large settlement within the Falkirk council area, Scotland. The village is in the Forth Valley, west of Falkirk, south of Larbert and east of Bonnybridge...
. About 1 miles (1.6 km) to the north is the Glenbervie Golf Club. Larbert also has its own lawn bowls club.
There is a cricket club in Stenhousemuir, which adjoins Larbert. Stenhousemuir Cricket Club based on part of the old Trysting grounds at Tryst Road. As a club it has been in existence for over 135 years and has a very proud history with many international cricketers coming from within its ranks.
Buildings and landmarks
River Carron (Forth)
The River Carron is a river in central Scotland. This river has given its name to towns in Falkirk, a variety of regional features, a type of cannon, a line of bathtubs, two warships and an island in the Southern Hemisphere.-River Carron:The river rises in the Campsie Fells before flowing into...
. The church, designed by the Scottish architect David Hamilton
David Hamilton (architect)
David Hamilton was a Scottish architect based in Glasgow. He has been called the "father of the profession" in Glasgow. Notable works include Hutchesons' Hall, Nelson Monument in Glasgow Green and Lennox Castle. The Royal Exchange in Queen Street is David Hamilton's best known building in Glasgow...
, was built in 1820 at a cost of £3,000 using sandstone from a local quarry. The church was built at a time of population growth and increasing prosperity in Larbert and its parish, which necessitated the construction of a more modern place of worship. As Larbert grew during the 19th century, the church again became too small. Major alterations to the building were carried out in the 1880s. An early chapel under the domain of the Abbot of Cambuskenneth
Abbot of Cambuskenneth
The Abbot of Cambuskenneth or Abbot of Stirling was the head of the Arrouaisian monastic community of Cambuskenneth Abbey, near Stirling...
is believed to have stood in the vicinity of the present-day church.
Camelon
Camelon is a large settlement within the Falkirk council area, Scotland. The village is in the Forth Valley, west of Falkirk, south of Larbert and east of Bonnybridge...
. The bridge was constructed in 1893 on the site of a ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
, which could rarely be used when the river was in full flow. The bridge is reached via a footpath leading from the bottom of Carronvale Road in Larbert.
Larbert Bridge was the original crossing over the Carron and was built in the 17th century. A toll was collected in the 18th century, payable to the Earl of Callendar and Linlithgow and levied at " ...four pennies Scots for each cart, two pennies for each loaded horse and twelve pennies Scots for each score of droves of cows that shall pass along the said bridge." A later, more modern crossing built next to Larbert Bridge carries the main A9 road from Larbert to Falkirk. Nearby, a 19th-century viaduct, built outside Larbert, carries the railway into town. The main A9 road passes underneath.
The Station Hotel, close to Larbert's railway station, has been a central focal point of Larbert for many years. An inn or public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
has stood on the spot of the current hotel for as long as the railway has passed through Larbert.
The Victorian Gothic structures of the Royal Scottish National Hospital (RSNH) and the Stirling District Asylum still exist in a dilapidated state, but most of the grounds are being used for new housing development. Carronvale House
Carronvale House
Carronvale House is a category A listed country house in Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland. It is a large two-storey house with neo-Georgian details...
is an 18th-century category A listed building, now home to the Scottish Headquarters of the Boys' Brigade
Boys' Brigade
For the 80s New Wave band from Canada, see Boys Brigade .The Boys' Brigade is an interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values...
.
Notable people
The AbyssinianEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
explorer James Bruce
James Bruce
James Bruce was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who spent more than a dozen years in North Africa and Ethiopia, where he traced the origins of the Blue Nile.-Youth:...
was born at Kinnaird, just outside Larbert in 1730 and is buried in the graveyard of Larbert Old Parish Church. Bruce travelled through much of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and in the process traced the origins of the Blue Nile
Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. With the White Nile, the river is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile...
. It was said that Bruce was fluent in 13 languages and stood over 6 feet 4 inches (1.9 m) tall.
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy (political reformer)
Thomas Hardy was an early Radical, the founder and also the first Secretary of the London Corresponding Society....
, parliamentary reformer and co-founder of the London Corresponding Society
London Corresponding Society
London Corresponding Society was a moderate-radical body concentrating on reform of the Parliament of Great Britain, founded on 25 January 1792. The creators of the group were John Frost , an attorney, and Thomas Hardy, a shoemaker and metropolitan Radical...
, was born in Larbert in 1752 and ran a boot-making business there. He moved to London, where he continued boot-making until he became involved in parliamentary reform.
John Baildon
John Baildon
John Baildon was a Scottish pioneer in metallurgy in continental Europe.Baildon was born in Larbert, Stirlingshire. In 1793, he came to Prussian Silesia on the invitation of Friedrich von Reden...
, a pioneer in metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
, was born in Larbert in 1772. Baildon was involved in pioneering industrial undertakings such as the construction of the first blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
s fired by coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
in continental Europe.
The Scottish-American actor Jimmy Finlayson
Jimmy Finlayson
James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is famous for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression...
was born in Larbert in 1887. Finlayson worked in silent movies as well as sound movies and starred opposite Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel
Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
and Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
. The creator of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
,
has indicated that the catchphrase of Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, D'oh, derives from a longer version used by Finlayson as one of his trademark expressions. Finlayson died in Hollywood, California
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, in 1953 at age 66.