Newarthill
Encyclopedia
Newarthill is a village in North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...

, 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...

, situated roughly three miles north-west of the town of Motherwell. It has a population of around 7,800. The Member of Parliament for the local area is Pamela Nash
Pamela Nash
Pamela Nash is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts since the 2010 general election.-Early life and education:...

. The Member of the 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...

 for the local area is Michael McMahon
Michael McMahon (Scottish politician)
Michael McMahon is a Scottish Labour politician and is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Uddingston and Bellshill since 2011. He was previously the member for the former seat of Hamilton North and Bellshill. McMahon has been the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government for Labour in...

. Nash is elected to the constituency of Airdrie and Shotts
Airdrie and Shotts (UK Parliament constituency)
Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in central Scotland within the North Lanarkshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament at least once every five years using the First-past-the-post system of voting....

 in Westminster
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...

 whilst McMahon is elected to the constituency of Hamilton North and Bellshill
Hamilton North and Bellshill (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Hamilton North and Bellshill is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...

 in the 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...

.

History

Situated on rich tracts 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...

 and other minerals, the original settlement of Newarthill occurred in the early to mid-nineteenth century. Originally thought to have been named after the larger and more northerly Harthill
Harthill, Scotland
Harthill is a rural village in North Lanarkshire in Scotland, on the border with the neighbouring county of West Lothian about halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh It lies on the River Almond about 2.5 miles west of the small town of Whitburn. The closest major towns are Bathgate and Livingston...

, is has recently been discovered that historical mentions of Newarthill actually pre-date Harthill. One quoted, but unproven, derivation is the Gaelic Nuadh-Ard, meaning New Hill, with a tautological "hill" added in the English translation.

Geography

The town of Newarthill is roughly bounded by the Legbrannock Burn to the north, the railway line connecting Carfin
Carfin
Carfin is a small village to the north-east of Motherwell, Scotland on the road to Newarthill.-Local facilities:The closest secondary school is Taylor High School in nearby New Stevenston...

 and Cleland
Cleland, North Lanarkshire
Cleland is a small village near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland - see . The two nearest towns are Wishaw and Motherwell. The village has a strong mining heritage and is a typical example of a working class village in North Lanarkshire and the Glasgow area...

 to the south, the junction of the B7066 with Biggar Road to the east and the A723 to the west. Situated on the northern side of the Clyde Valley, the town rises highest in the north east and slopes downward to the west. The higher land was the centre of initial settlement and holds most of the town's oldest and most significant buildings. Several modern housing estates have appeared on the outskirts and greenbelt areas of the village, rendering it less distinct from the surrounding conurbation.
There is no major town centre as such, with inhabitants chiefly relying on the amenities provided by neighbouring settlements such as Motherwell, 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...

, Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....

, Airdrie
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...

 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...

. It is generally considered to consist of two schemes, the older, formerly coal-heated east and the more recent, gas-powered west. This perception has altered slightly in light of large new housing estates encircling the village.

Amenities

The High Street, part of the B7066 connecting Motherwell with the M8, is probably the focal point of community activity with a newsagent, grocer, dental and medical surgeries, veterinarian, credit union, several hair salons and numerous public houses. A memorial to local men who gave their lives in the Great Wars can also be found here. Nearby Woodilee Road offers a small selection of services - supermarket, baker, tanning & beauty salon, short-lived hardware store, a bookmaker and a takeaway establishment. There are several shops and fast food outlets around the rest of the town. There used to be a local Post Office and Spar store, but it was demolished after a fire burned it down on Christmas Day 2009. A Nisalocal (opened Nov 2010) has been built on the Spar site, which does have a Post Office.The main tourist accommodation, the Silverburn Hotel was recently damaged in a fire and having been foreclosed for over a year, has recently been demolished.

The local schools are Newarthill Primary, Saint Teresa's Primary, Keir Hardie Memorial Primary and Brannock High School. The local authority-funded community centre, also on High Street, offers a range of activities from nursery care to computing classes. The library on Kirkhall Road offers a modern range of books and other media despite the distinctly 1970s exterior. Sports facilities are few and far between, with the existing pitches within school grounds long since closed to the general public. Newarthill Bowling Club exists just off High Street and adjacent to Newarthill Primary School, however it remains a members-only facility. On Mosshall Street, there are several football pitches and an amateur boxing club. A golf course and leisure facility between Newarthill and Newhouse
Newhouse, North Lanarkshire
Newhouse is a hamlet and major road interchange located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Sited 2 miles from the village of Salsburgh, from nearby Holytown and about north east of Motherwell....

 remains incomplete.

The police station lies near the centre of the village, while fire brigade and hospital facilities have to be sought outwith Newarthill. The nearest hospitals are Wishaw General
Wishaw General Hospital
Wishaw General Hospital is a district general hospital in the Craigneuk area of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire.-The Hospital:Wishaw General Hospital opened on 29 May 2001. It is a 633-bedded hospital, with the second-largest maternity unit in Scotland, delivering 5500 babies each year...

 and Monklands Infirmary
Monklands Hospital
Monklands District General Hospital, is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Administered by NHS Lanarkshire, it serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas...

 in Airdrie
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...

. There are two main places of worship, St. Teresa's Chapel and Newarthill Parish Church, with the nearest mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

 in New Stevenston
New Stevenston
New Stevenston is a small village situated outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.SchoolsThe village is served by two primary schools: St.Patrick's Primary School & New Stevenston Primary School which share a joint campus incorporating New Stevenston Library.Secondary education is...

.

Travel and transport facilities

Newarthill is situated within close proximity to the M8, offering road connections to Glasgow, Edinburgh, between and beyond. The B7066 is the major connecting route to Carfin and Motherwell, while those heading west on minor roads will generally do so through Holytown
Holytown
Holytown is a small village outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-History:The area was born and grew on the back of the nearby coal mining industries in the 18th century, although the roots of the town stretch back to at least the 17th Century, where records show that a meeting house...

, Mossend
Mossend
Mossend is a town on the A775, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, to the east of its larger sister town, Bellshill, and near to the Strathclyde Country Park....

 and beyond. These roads are well served by regular bus services by companies including First Glasgow
First Glasgow
First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in, Scotland. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...

, Coakleys, Stepend and Whitelaws. These services generally operate until 5pm. Service is limited on Sunday's. There are several local taxi companies with varying levels of service.

The closest railway stations, depending on your position in Newarthill, are to be found at Carfin
Carfin railway station
Carfin railway station is a railway station serving both Carfin and Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is southeast of Glasgow Central railway station on the Shotts Line between Glasgow and Edinburgh....

 and Holytown
Holytown railway station
Holytown railway station is a railway station serving both Holytown and New Stevenston in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the Shotts Line, south east of towards and is also on the Argyle Line....

 (rather confusingly, Carfin Station is geographically still located in the village of Newarthill and Holytown Station can be found in the village of New Stevenston).The Train Station's are named after the connecting roads they are located on i.e. "Carfin Road". These stations are served by regularly timetabled trains 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...

, connecting 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...

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

 and Milngavie
Milngavie
Milngavie , is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is on the Allander Water, at the northwestern edge of Greater Glasgow, and about from Glasgow city centre. It neighbours Bearsden....

. Again, there are currently no services at these stations on Sundays. The nearest mainline station, connecting to services on the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...

 and West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...

, is Motherwell
Motherwell railway station
Motherwell railway station serves Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on the West Coast Main Line, and is served also by Argyle Line trains of the Glasgow suburban railway network. It is the penultimate stop on the northbound WCML before Glasgow. There are four platforms of various...

.

Sports and Leisure

Newarthill does not really have any leisure facility of note,the facilities within Brannock High School
Brannock High School
Brannock High School is a non-denominational, co-educational comprehensive secondary school in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated on Loanhead Road.-Headteacher and Management Team:The Headteacher is Mr Colquhoun...

 and at Mosshall Street (Where the Boxing Club is located) are the only real places within the village, with sports halls and football pitches. The village is, however, situated very close to several large sports facilities in the surrounding areas, with Dalziel Park
Dalziel Park
Dalziel Park is an area located between the small villages of Cleland, Carfin and Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Other nearby settlements include the large town of Motherwell and the new town of Ravenscraig. The area consists of an estate, a sports facility , a golf course and a clubhouse...

, Colville Golf Club and Ravenscraig Sports Centre
Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility
The Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility is a public leisure centre that is located in the Ravenscraig area of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-History:...

. The residents of Newarthill make use largely of the Aquatec Leisure Centre which is located on the outskirts of nearby Motherwell
Motherwell
Motherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...

 Town Centre. The facilities available here include a family friendly swimming pool and a well equipped Gym.

Public houses and takeaways

Newarthill, like several surrounding villages, boasts its fair share of public houses and licensed establishments. These are concentrated in the High Street area and have consistently closed and reopened at the mercy of the drinking public. Currently these include Bar Mango, the Cottage Inn, Newarthill Bowling Club, The Club (formerly Newarthill Working Men's Club), The Oranger, the Hibernian Social Club, and Gaughans (Brannock Inn).

There is a similar volume of fast food takeaways of the more traditional variety - there are Indian and fish and chip restaurants, but no McDonalds or similar multinational brands. Currently these include Sal's Fast Foods, the Chanda Cottage, the Yee Tung and the Good Luck. Chutneys is a sit-in restaurant offering a-la-carte fare.The recently opened Ayesha's which is an expansion of Chutneys and focuses on providing Indian cuisine to take out. The Bakers Oven, a small cafe, situated next to the co-op, has a small sit-in area, 'Taste' (a Coffee and Sandwich bar) was situated on the High Street but recently closed and the premises have been converted to an extension for the next door veterinary surgery.

Notable figures

  • Sir Robert McAlpine
    Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet
    Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet , known as "Concrete Bob", founded the British construction firm now known as Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd....

     - Construction industry figure
  • Liz Lochhead
    Liz Lochhead
    Liz Lochhead is a Scottish poet and dramatist, originally from Newarthill in North Lanarkshire.-Background:After attending Glasgow School of Art, Lochhead lectured in fine art for eight years before becoming a professional writer....

     - Playwright, author and current Poet Laureate
    Poet Laureate
    A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...

     of Glasgow
  • James Mitchell
    James Mitchell
    -Arts, entertainment, and sports :*James Mitchell , American actor who played Palmer Cortlandt on All My Children*James Mitchell , American athlete who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics...

    I.T Industry figurehead Software engineer
  • Gary McAllister
    Gary McAllister
    Gary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...

     - Former Scotland international midfielder
  • Christopher Kane
    Christopher Kane
    -Biography:Kane was born as the youngest of five children in Newarthill, near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, to an engineer and draughtsman and housewife mother....

     - Fashion Design
  • Elaine C Smith- Comedian & Actress
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