Polmont
Encyclopedia
Polmont is a village
in the Falkirk council area of Central Scotland
. It lies towards the east of the town of Falkirk
, north of the Union Canal
, which runs adjacent to the village.
Due to its situation in Central Scotland, many locations can be seen from Polmont, ranging from the Ochil Hills
and the River Forth
, to Cairnpapple Hill
. Although giving its name to Polmont Young Offenders Institution
, the prison is in fact in Reddingmuirhead
.
term Poll-Mhonadh, which translates into English
as Pool of the Moor.
Old Polmont, situated on a raised beach
overlooking the Firth of Forth
and the Ochils, which was an important fort on the Roman
Antonine Wall
. This fort, embankment and water source has been marked out and can be visited in Polmont Woods, close to the M9 motorway.
Polmont was originally included within the parish
of Falkirk, but was severed under the authority of the Court of Teinds (teind is the Scots
word for tithe
), and erected into an independent parish, in 1724. Nothing of the early history of Polmont has been recorded.
The newer, modern Polmont has developed mainly from the 1970s with the Gilston Estate, and further up towards the railway and station, now adjoining the village of Brightons
.
The first two people in the United Kingdom to contract swine flu in the 2009 outbreak
(Dawn and Ian Askham) were from Polmont.
Parliamentary Constituency to Linlithgow and East Falkirk arose, but was soon discounted http://www.falkirktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=927&ArticleID=462082.
In May 2007, the Polmont area merged as part of an expanded Lower Braes seat, as proposed for Falkirk Council by the Scottish Executive
.
Lord Polmont is a subsidiary title of the Duke of Hamilton
. This title was originally given to the 2nd Duke of Hamilton in 1639.
One of the current councillors for Polmont (and the rest of the Lower Braes Ward) in Falkirk Council is Scottish Conservative Councillor Malcolm Nicol, who has held the role since 2000 following the death of his predecessor Frank Hodge. He previously represented a seat in Grangemouth
, originally being elected
in 1983. SNP Councillor Steven Jackson has also represented Polmont, which is part of the larger Lower Braes Ward, since May 2007, being elected for the first time through the Single Transferrable Vote system.
of Polmont is based mainly upon relatively small scale private enterprise
, such as pubs
, cafe
s, hotel
s, take-aways
and convenience store
s. The majority of these are based in or around Polmont shopping centre, the focal point of local custom. Agriculture
is also a central industry, with arable land
consuming a sizeable proportion of the area. Polmont is home to the controversial Avondale Landfill
, a large employer on the east of the village.
Due to the proximity to Grangemouth, a number of the population work at the Grangemouth refineries
and port
. Few of the population work in Polmont itself, leaving it something of a commuter town, largely to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
There are several hotels in the area, with the most well known being the Inchyra Grange, a redevelopment from one of the area's many former mansion
s.
is located on the Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line
. In 1984 a train collided with a cow that had strayed onto the rail line near Polmont. The crash left 13 people dead and 61 others injured.
The M9 motorway runs through the village between Polmont and Old Polmont, with two exit points on the east and west sides. There are numerous bus stops throughout the village, primarily situated on Polmont Main Street, which provide direct bus
services to Edinburgh, Falkirk and Stirling
. The nearest airport, Edinburgh Airport
, is located approximately 17 miles to the east.
, being home to a Church of Scotland
in Old Polmont. The area also has a Christian denominational presence in the form of the Church of the Brethren
and the Religious Society of Friends
.
Scottish rock band Glasvegas
have a song entitled 'Polmont On My Mind' on their debut album 'Glasvegas
'.
The most famous sporting export of Polmont is Alex Raisbeck, who spent several years captaining Liverpool F.C.
. He also represented Scotland
on eight occasions, and was considered to have been one of the finest players of his generation, dating back to 1898. He captained Liverpool to their first ever English championship title
in 1901 and did so again five years later. He is considered one of the club's greatest ever captains, ahead of many big name players.
The highest-profile former Polmont resident currently playing at senior level is Derek Niven
of Chesterfield F.C.
, most notable for his winning goal against Manchester City F.C.
in the League Cup in 2006.
, which has played host to several PGA
events. Within the boundaries of the course is Millhall Reservoir
, which is now a fishery. To the east on of the clubhouse, on Polmonthill is Polmont Ski Centre, which includes an artificial ski slope. There is also a popular dirt biking
park on the far east, as well as an amateur level football club.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Falkirk council area of Central Scotland
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...
. It lies towards the east of the 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....
, north of the Union Canal
Union Canal (Scotland)
The Union Canal is a 31.5-mile canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Location and features:...
, which runs adjacent to the village.
Due to its situation in Central Scotland, many locations can be seen from Polmont, ranging from the Ochil Hills
Ochil Hills
The Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/Glen Eagles and Glenfarg, the latter now largely replaced except for local traffic by the M90...
and the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
, to Cairnpapple Hill
Cairnpapple Hill
Cairnpapple Hill is a hill with a dominating position in central lowland Scotland with views from coast to coast. It was used and re-used as a major ritual site over about 4000 years, and in its day would have been comparable to better known sites like the Standing Stones of Stenness. The summit...
. Although giving its name to Polmont Young Offenders Institution
Polmont (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution Polmont is the largest of its kind in Scotland. Despite its name, the institution is located in Reddingmuirhead in the Falkirk region, and not in Polmont....
, the prison is in fact in Reddingmuirhead
Reddingmuirhead
Reddingmuirhead is a village located in Stirlingshire, Falkirk council area, Central Scotland. A few hundred yards uphill from the village of Redding, it is between Shieldhill and Brightons....
.
History
The name Polmont derives from the Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
term Poll-Mhonadh, which translates into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as Pool of the Moor.
Old Polmont, situated on a 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 ....
overlooking 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 the Ochils, which was an important fort on the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
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 ...
. This fort, embankment and water source has been marked out and can be visited in Polmont Woods, close to the M9 motorway.
Polmont was originally included within the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Falkirk, but was severed under the authority of the Court of Teinds (teind is the Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
word for tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
), and erected into an independent parish, in 1724. Nothing of the early history of Polmont has been recorded.
The newer, modern Polmont has developed mainly from the 1970s with the Gilston Estate, and further up towards the railway and station, now adjoining the village of Brightons
Brightons
Brightons is a village in the east of the Falkirk council area of Scotland. It is south-east of Falkirk, south of Grangemouth and east of Linlithgow...
.
The first two people in the United Kingdom to contract swine flu in the 2009 outbreak
2009 flu pandemic in the United Kingdom
The 2009 flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, first identified in April 2009, termed Pandemic H1N1/09 virus by the World Health Organization and colloquially called swine flu. The outbreak was first observed in Mexico, and quickly spread globally. On...
(Dawn and Ian Askham) were from Polmont.
Politics
Polmont is within the jurisdiction of Falkirk Council, although the suggestion of east Polmont changing hands for the purposes of the WestminsterParliament 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...
Parliamentary Constituency to Linlithgow and East Falkirk arose, but was soon discounted http://www.falkirktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=927&ArticleID=462082.
In May 2007, the Polmont area merged as part of an expanded Lower Braes seat, as proposed for Falkirk Council by the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
.
Lord Polmont is a subsidiary title of the Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage , and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas...
. This title was originally given to the 2nd Duke of Hamilton in 1639.
One of the current councillors for Polmont (and the rest of the Lower Braes Ward) in Falkirk Council is Scottish Conservative Councillor Malcolm Nicol, who has held the role since 2000 following the death of his predecessor Frank Hodge. He previously represented a seat in 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...
, originally being elected
Elected
Elected is the latest EP by Dutch Progressive metal project Ayreon. It was released on April 25, 2008 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and on April 28 in the rest of Europe...
in 1983. SNP Councillor Steven Jackson has also represented Polmont, which is part of the larger Lower Braes Ward, since May 2007, being elected for the first time through the Single Transferrable Vote system.
Economy
The economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
of Polmont is based mainly upon relatively small scale private enterprise
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, such as pubs
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...
, cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s, hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, take-aways
Take Out
Take Out is a 2007 short film written by Screenwriter and Producer Bill Hall, with Jonathan Budine as the Director, Producer and Editor. The short introduces Mary Ann Emerson, appearing in her first lead role, and includes veteran New York City actor Alexis Suarez. Scream Queen Debbie Rochon...
and convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s. The majority of these are based in or around Polmont shopping centre, the focal point of local custom. 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...
is also a central industry, with arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
consuming a sizeable proportion of the area. Polmont is home to the controversial Avondale Landfill
Avondale Landfill
The Avondale Landfill is a major Scottish landfill located in Polmont, off junction 4 of the M9 motorway. Avondale takes large volumes of waste from the Forth Valley and some from West Lothian. Avondale has the ability to accept Non-Hazardous, Stable Non-Reactive Hazardous waste including...
, a large employer on the east of the village.
Due to the proximity to Grangemouth, a number of the population work at the Grangemouth refineries
Grangemouth Refinery
Grangemouth refinery is a mature complex oil refinery located on the Firth of Forth in Grangemouth, Scotland.Currently operated by Ineos, it is Scotland's only oil refinery , and is also the UK's second-oldest; it supplies refined products to customers in Scotland, northern England, Northern...
and port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
. Few of the population work in Polmont itself, leaving it something of a commuter town, largely to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
There are several hotels in the area, with the most well known being the Inchyra Grange, a redevelopment from one of the area's many former mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s.
Transport
Polmont railway stationPolmont railway station
Polmont railway station is a railway station serving the village of Polmont, Scotland. It is located on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line and is also served by First ScotRail services from Edinburgh to Dunblane.- Services :...
is located on the Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line
Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line
The Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line is a mainline railway line linking Glasgow and Edinburgh via Falkirk in Scotland. It is the principal route out of the four rail links between Scotland's two biggest cities, hosting the flagship "Shuttle" service between and .- Places served :The route...
. In 1984 a train collided with a cow that had strayed onto the rail line near Polmont. The crash left 13 people dead and 61 others injured.
The M9 motorway runs through the village between Polmont and Old Polmont, with two exit points on the east and west sides. There are numerous bus stops throughout the village, primarily situated on Polmont Main Street, which provide direct bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services to Edinburgh, Falkirk 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...
. The nearest airport, Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
, is located approximately 17 miles to the east.
Culture
Polmont is a parish and the majority of its religious community is ChristianChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, being home to a Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
in Old Polmont. The area also has a Christian denominational presence in the form of the Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight persons led by Alexander Mack, in Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the...
and the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
.
Scottish rock band Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Jonna Löfgren . The band received critical acclaim for their debut album Glasvegas which was released in September 2008, reaching No...
have a song entitled 'Polmont On My Mind' on their debut album 'Glasvegas
Glasvegas (album)
Glasvegas is the debut studio album by the Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas, first released in the UK on 8 September 2008 by Columbia Records . The album was produced by lead singer James Allan and Rich Costey . The album sold copies in its first week of release and reached number 2 on the UK...
'.
Football
Polmont is home to Polmont F.C., an amateur football club. The club currently competes in the Stirling & District Division Three for the upcoming 2011-12 season. There was once a junior club representing the area, Polmont Athletic, but the club failed to last the distance and fizzled out after merely a few years. There have been no attempts at creating a junior or senior team since this experiment.The most famous sporting export of Polmont is Alex Raisbeck, who spent several years captaining Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. He also represented Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on eight occasions, and was considered to have been one of the finest players of his generation, dating back to 1898. He captained Liverpool to their first ever English championship title
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1901 and did so again five years later. He is considered one of the club's greatest ever captains, ahead of many big name players.
The highest-profile former Polmont resident currently playing at senior level is Derek Niven
Derek Niven
Derek Niven is a professional footballer who plays for Northampton Town, on loan from Chesterfield. He previously played for Stenhousemuir, Raith Rovers and Bolton Wanderers.-Playing career:...
of Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, most notable for his winning goal against Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in the League Cup in 2006.
Other sports
Polmont is home to a golf courseGolf 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...
, which has played host to several PGA
Professional Golfers Association
Professional Golfers' Association, , is the usual term for a professional association in men's golf. It is often abbreviated to PGA...
events. Within the boundaries of the course is Millhall Reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, which is now a fishery. To the east on of the clubhouse, on Polmonthill is Polmont Ski Centre, which includes an artificial ski slope. There is also a popular dirt biking
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
park on the far east, as well as an amateur level football club.