Strathaven
Encyclopedia
Strathaven is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire
, Scotland
. The town was granted a Royal Charter in 1450, making the Town of Strathaven a burgh of barony
. The town's principal industry was primarily weaving in the 19th and early 20th centuries, however this declined when faced by competition from Glasgow. The industrial revolution bypassed the town as it had little to offer in the way of natural resources, and thus has grown into more a commuter settlement, however it retains its function as a service centre for the surrounding area of Avondale. The current population is 7,700.
, around 6 miles from Hamilton, and 23 miles from Glasgow
. The A71
, which connects Edinburgh
and Kilmarnock
passes through the town. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 7,700. Strathaven has one secondary school
and three primary schools - Kirklandpark Primary, Wester Overton Primary, and St Patrick's Primary. It also has a grass airfield about two miles to the north west, on Lethame Road.
road passes close by, on the south side of the Avon Water, which led to the Roman fort at Loudoun Hill
near Darvel
. The origins of Strathaven Castle
are obscure, but it is believed to have been built around 1350 by the Bairds, on a bend of the Powmillon Burn. Today it is a ruin, with a single tower and sections of wall remaining beside the A71.
The Barony of Strathaven was acquired in 1362 by Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, by his marriage to Joanna, daughter to Maurice de Moravia, 1st Earl of Strathearn, great Moray heiress. The settlement within the lands of Strathaven became a Burgh of barony
in 1450. It still retains its traditional character despite the growth of more modern housing. The centre of the town is occupied by the market square, formerly a grassed common, and still known as Common Green, or just 'The Green'. Linking the town and the castle is the old 'Boo Backit Brig' ('bow-backed bridge'), a small arched bridge. The Old Parish Church, with its landmark spire, was built in 1772, and was the place of worship of the Dukes of Hamilton
who maintained a shooting lodge at nearby Dungavel House.
The town prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries as a weaving town, although there were many merchants living here too. The town played a significant part in the Radical War
of 1820, when James Wilson led a band of radicals on a march to Glasgow, to join a rumoured general uprising, which never actually happened. Wilson was hanged for treason, and in 1846 a memorial was built in his honour in the town cemetery. The history of Strathaven is now documented in the town's John Hastie Museum.
Its most famous 'modern' resident was Sir Harry Lauder
(1870–1950) whose mansion, Lauder Ha', or Hall, was just above the town on the road to Kilmarnock. Sir Harry spent the Second World War years there, and died in February 1950. The family retained the property until Death Duties of 65% forced a sale in the late 1960s. It remains a private residence.
and Hamilton
, Strathaven still has a number of craft and gift shops, alongside well known town centre names. There are three banks, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and a Nationwide office in the Common Green.
There are a number of businesses providing extra attraction to the town. Brian Young's Garden Centre and Lawn Mower centre on Newton Road, The new Auction mart half a mile from Strathaven on the Hamilton Road. This includes a number of smaller businesses reflecting Strathaven's equestrian following (horses) and a small cafe. The town has long been Sunday Run territory with several town centre eating establishments as well as four public houses. The fifth pub until recently, The Castle Tavern, is no longer open due to a collapse during renovations in early 2011.
The town is also home to a small recycling centre off the Hamilton Road. There are a number of businesses here mainly vehicle oriented but including a builders' yard. There is car sales and van and car servicing and repair and being a country town there is also a tractor business here.
. The railway was taken over by the Caledonian Railway
; and the station was replaced by ., a terminal station on the Hamilton and Strathaven Branch of the Caledonian Railway, opened in October 1904, closed temporarily during World War I
; and closed on 30 September 1945., on the Darvel and Strathaven Railway
closed in June 1964 to services from the east, although the line to Darvel closed in 1939.
Strathaven's Sport Centre underwent refurbishment in 2009 as a result of the demolition and reconstruction of Strathaven Academy.
Sports facilities in Strathaven include an indoor swimming pool and gym, three grass football pitches, two ash football pitches, four tennis courts, two rugby pitches and several badminton courts in church and primary school halls.
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
, 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...
. The town was granted a Royal Charter in 1450, making the Town of Strathaven a burgh of barony
Burgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
. The town's principal industry was primarily weaving in the 19th and early 20th centuries, however this declined when faced by competition from Glasgow. The industrial revolution bypassed the town as it had little to offer in the way of natural resources, and thus has grown into more a commuter settlement, however it retains its function as a service centre for the surrounding area of Avondale. The current population is 7,700.
Location
The town is located on the edge of the valley of the Avon WaterAvon Water
Avon Water, also known locally as the River Avon, is a 24-mile-long river in Scotland, and a tributary of the River Clyde.The Avon Water rises in the hills on the boundary between East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire, close to the head of the Irvine Water...
, around 6 miles from Hamilton, and 23 miles from 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...
. The A71
A71 road
The A71 is a major road in Scotland linking Edinburgh with Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. It adjoins the Livingston Bypass A899.It runs south west from Edinburgh for approximately 70 miles, through Saughton, Wilkieston and south of Livingston, Whitburn and Wishaw, then by way of the Garrion Bridge,...
, which connects 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 Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
passes through the town. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 7,700. Strathaven has one secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
and three primary schools - Kirklandpark Primary, Wester Overton Primary, and St Patrick's Primary. It also has a grass airfield about two miles to the north west, on Lethame Road.
History
Strathaven has a long history as a market town. A RomanRoman 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...
road passes close by, on the south side of the Avon Water, which led to the Roman fort at Loudoun Hill
Loudoun Hill
Loudoun Hill, also commonly Loudounhill is a volcanic plug in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located near the head of the River Irvine, east of Darvel. One real and one fictional battle have been fought around Loudoun Hill.-Location:...
near Darvel
Darvel
Darvel is a small town in East Ayrshire, Scotland, located at the eastern end of the Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" due to its quaint appearance on Ordnance Survey maps....
. The origins of Strathaven Castle
Strathaven Castle
Gavler's Castle is located in the centre of the small town of Strathaven, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ruin is publicly accessible, and can be found at grid reference...
are obscure, but it is believed to have been built around 1350 by the Bairds, on a bend of the Powmillon Burn. Today it is a ruin, with a single tower and sections of wall remaining beside the A71.
The Barony of Strathaven was acquired in 1362 by Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, by his marriage to Joanna, daughter to Maurice de Moravia, 1st Earl of Strathearn, great Moray heiress. The settlement within the lands of Strathaven became a Burgh of barony
Burgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
in 1450. It still retains its traditional character despite the growth of more modern housing. The centre of the town is occupied by the market square, formerly a grassed common, and still known as Common Green, or just 'The Green'. Linking the town and the castle is the old 'Boo Backit Brig' ('bow-backed bridge'), a small arched bridge. The Old Parish Church, with its landmark spire, was built in 1772, and was the place of worship of the Dukes 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...
who maintained a shooting lodge at nearby Dungavel House.
The town prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries as a weaving town, although there were many merchants living here too. The town played a significant part in the Radical War
Radical War
The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which had become prominent in the early years of the French Revolution, but had then been repressed...
of 1820, when James Wilson led a band of radicals on a march to Glasgow, to join a rumoured general uprising, which never actually happened. Wilson was hanged for treason, and in 1846 a memorial was built in his honour in the town cemetery. The history of Strathaven is now documented in the town's John Hastie Museum.
Its most famous 'modern' resident was Sir Harry Lauder
Harry Lauder
Sir Henry Lauder , known professionally as Harry Lauder, was an international Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador!"-Early life:...
(1870–1950) whose mansion, Lauder Ha', or Hall, was just above the town on the road to Kilmarnock. Sir Harry spent the Second World War years there, and died in February 1950. The family retained the property until Death Duties of 65% forced a sale in the late 1960s. It remains a private residence.
Town centre
Despite competition from the nearby large towns of East KilbrideEast Kilbride
East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
and Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
, Strathaven still has a number of craft and gift shops, alongside well known town centre names. There are three banks, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and a Nationwide office in the Common Green.
There are a number of businesses providing extra attraction to the town. Brian Young's Garden Centre and Lawn Mower centre on Newton Road, The new Auction mart half a mile from Strathaven on the Hamilton Road. This includes a number of smaller businesses reflecting Strathaven's equestrian following (horses) and a small cafe. The town has long been Sunday Run territory with several town centre eating establishments as well as four public houses. The fifth pub until recently, The Castle Tavern, is no longer open due to a collapse during renovations in early 2011.
The town is also home to a small recycling centre off the Hamilton Road. There are a number of businesses here mainly vehicle oriented but including a builders' yard. There is car sales and van and car servicing and repair and being a country town there is also a tractor business here.
Strathaven railway stations
Strathaven had, at various times, three railway stations., the first station, was the terminus of the Hamilton and Strathaven RailwayHamilton and Strathaven Railway
The Hamilton and Strathaven Railway was an historic railway in Scotland. It ran from a junction with the Hamilton Branch of the Caledonian Railway to a terminus at Strathaven...
. The railway was taken over by the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
; and the station was replaced by ., a terminal station on the Hamilton and Strathaven Branch of the Caledonian Railway, opened in October 1904, closed temporarily during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; and closed on 30 September 1945., on the Darvel and Strathaven Railway
Darvel and Strathaven Railway
The Darvel and Strathaven Railway linked, with the Darvel Branch to the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway in Scotland to allow trains to travel between Kilmarnock and Lanarkshire.-History:...
closed in June 1964 to services from the east, although the line to Darvel closed in 1939.
Sport
Strathaven is home to several sports clubs, which include:- Strathaven Army Cadet Force
- Strathaven Dynamo AFC
- Strathaven Rugby ClubStrathaven RFCStrathaven RFC are a rugby union team from the south Lanarkshire town of Strathaven. Founded in 1984 Strathaven RFC play at Whiteshawgate Park off Hamilton Road.For the 2011/2012 Season Strathaven 1st XV will play in the RBS West Regional League Division 2....
- Strathaven Striders
- Strathaven Golf Club
- Strathaven Bowling Club
- Avondale Bowling Club
- Strathaven Tennis Club
- Strathaven Badminton Club
- Avon Angling Club
- Upper Avon Angling Association
Strathaven's Sport Centre underwent refurbishment in 2009 as a result of the demolition and reconstruction of Strathaven Academy.
Sports facilities in Strathaven include an indoor swimming pool and gym, three grass football pitches, two ash football pitches, four tennis courts, two rugby pitches and several badminton courts in church and primary school halls.
Famous residents (past and present)
- Bertie AuldBertie AuldRobert "Bertie" Auld is a Scottish former football player and manager, perhaps most notable as a member of Celtic's Lisbon Lions side of 1967. As a player, he made more than 200 appearances in the Scottish League playing for Celtic, Dumbarton and Hibernian, and more than 100 in the Football League...
Footballer and one of the Lisbon LionsLisbon LionsThe Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967, defeating Internazionale 2–1. All the members of this team were born within 30 miles of Glasgow, Scotland. Celtic's style was the antithesis of the...
who played with CelticCeltic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... - William Craig BrownleeWilliam Craig BrownleeWilliam Craig Brownlee was an American clergyman, professor of languages and author. He was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland and was the fourth son of the Laird of Torfoot. President William McKinley was a distant cousin....
Clergyman, author and Professor of Languages at Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American... - Eric CaldowEric CaldowEric Caldow is a former Scottish international footballer who played for Rangers, Stirling Albion and Scotland.-Early life:...
Scottish internationalist footballer who played with RangersRangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... - James Mackinnon FowlerJames Fowler (Australian politician)James Mackinnon Fowler was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1901 to 1922.Fowler was born in Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland and educated at local schools and the Glasgow Athenaeum. He migrated to Australia in 1891 and was a foundation member of the Victorian...
Australian politician and founding member of the Victorian Socialist PartyVictorian Socialist PartyThe Victorian Socialist Party was a socialist political party in Victoria, Australia in the early 20th century. The VSP was founded in 1906 in Melbourne, bringing together a number of older socialist groupings. A leading influence in the VSP's formation was the British trade unionist Tom Mann, who... - Sir Robert Giffen Financial editor of The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper and President of the Royal Statistical SocietyRoyal Statistical SocietyThe Royal Statistical Society is a learned society for statistics and a professional body for statisticians in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1834 as the Statistical Society of London , though a perhaps unrelated London Statistical Society was in existence at least as early as 1824... - Andy Kerr Labour Politician and former Scottish ExecutiveScottish ExecutiveThe 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...
Health Minister - Sir Harry Lauder Singer, comedian and music hall entertainer
- Thomas LeiperThomas LeiperThomas Leiper was a Scottish American merchant and local politician who served in the American Revolutionary War...
Tobacco merchant - Una McLeanUna McLeanUna McLean MBE is a Scottish actress and comedienne, best known for appearing in pantomimes. She was married to Scottish stage and film actor Russell Hunter from 1991 until his death in 2004....
Actress and comedian - Ricky WarwickRicky WarwickRicky Warwick is possibly best known as the frontman for the Scottish band The Almighty. Starting out as a rhythm guitarist in New Model Army, Ricky formed The Almighty in 1988. Warwick was the lead vocalist and played guitar in various formats of the band. In 1996 he left The Almighty...
Singer and guitarist with rock bands The AlmightyThe Almighty (band)The Almighty are a hard rock/heavy metal band, from Glasgow in Scotland who formed in 1988. They have released seven studio albums, two anthologies and one live album.-1988-1993:...
and Circus DiabloCircus DiabloCircus Diablo is a Los Angeles-based hard rock band, formed in early 2006 by Billy Morrison , Billy Duffy and Ricky Warwick . Former Fuel frontman Brett Scallions and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum subsequently joined the band on bass and drums, respectively... - James WilsonJames Wilson (revolutionary)James Wilson was born on September 3, 1760, in the parish of Avondale in Scotland. He was a weaver from the town of Strathaven in Lanarkshire, but as the Industrial Revolution affected the weaving trade he had to find alternative work....
Revolutionary leader who participated in the Scottish Insurrection of 1820
External links
- Strathaven castle Website
- Town of Strathaven
- Strathaven Academy Blog
- Strathaven in Old Postcards
- Annual Strathaven Hot Air Balloon Festival (non-profit organisation)
- Strathaven Airfield web site
- Scottish Gazetteer : Strathaven
- Strathaven Rugby Club
- Strathaven Dynamos
- Strathaven Tennis Club
- Strathaven and District Pipe Band
- Hangarfest Music Festival
- http://www.upperavonangling.co.uk/