West Calder
Encyclopedia
West Calder is a village
in West Lothian
, Scotland
, located 4 miles west of Livingston. The village was an important centre for the oil shale economy in the 19th and 20th Centuries. West Calder has its own railway station
. It is also has the most northerly centre of the Dogs Trust
, closely followed by the new centre at Glasgow
. The town is a 10 minute drive from Livingston, which is host to two large shopping centres.
oil shale
mine southwest of the village.
money this building represents a fine example of the Art Nouveau
style and has a decorative interior. The parish
church (1643) was abandoned in 1880 and is now roofless.
football
club West Calder United
.
West Calder is also the home of the West Calder Model Flying Club, the club is run for the enjoyment and promotion of radio control model aircraft flying in the area. The club has its own tarmac runway and is maintained by the members for use through out the whole year.
www.modelclub.org
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 West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders 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...
, located 4 miles west of Livingston. The village was an important centre for the oil shale economy in the 19th and 20th Centuries. West Calder has its own railway station
West Calder railway station
West Calder railway station is a railway station serving West Calder in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on the Shotts Line, west of on the way to . The station has two platforms, connected by a stairway footbridge, and CCTV...
. It is also has the most northerly centre of the Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust
Dogs Trust, formerly known as the National Canine Defence League, is an animal welfare charity and humane society in the United Kingdom which specialises in the wellbeing of dogs. The charity rehabilitates and finds new homes for dogs which have been abandoned or given up by their owners...
, closely followed by the new centre at 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 town is a 10 minute drive from Livingston, which is host to two large shopping centres.
Burngrange Pit disaster
A memorial in the centre of the village remembers the fifteen men killed on the 10th January 1947 as a result of an explosion at the BurngrangeBurngrange
Burngrange is an area of the Scottish village West Calder. Situated at the far west of the village it mainly consists of housing constructed for the areas mining industry in the early 20th century....
oil shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
mine southwest of the village.
Architecture
Most housing in the village dates from the mid-20th century, though it has a public library built as early as 1903. Funded by CarnegieCarnegie
Carnegie may refer to:*Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist, for whom many entries on this page are named*Dale Carnegie, motivational speaker and author*David Carnegie , Scottish-Swedish industrialist...
money this building represents a fine example of the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style and has a decorative interior. 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...
church (1643) was abandoned in 1880 and is now roofless.
Notable residents
- Sir Archibald DouglasSir Archibald DouglasSir Archibald Douglas was a Scottish noble, Guardian of Scotland and military leader. He is sometimes given the epithet "Tyneman" , but this may be a reference to his great-nephew Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas.-Early life:The younger son of Sir William "le Hardi" Douglas, the Governor of...
(1298–1333), Guardian of Scotland and military leader. - The birthplace of James DouglasJames Douglas (physician)James Douglas was a Scottish physician and anatomist, and Physician Extraordinary to Queen Caroline.One of the seven sons of William Douglas and his wife, Joan, daughter of James Mason of Park, Blantyre, he was born in West Calder, West Lothian, in 1675...
(1675–1742), Scottish physician and anatomist - The birthplace of John KaneJohn KaneJohn Kane was an American painter celebrated for his skill in Naïve art.He was the first self-taught American painter in the 20th century to be recognized by a museum...
(1860–1934), painter celebrated for his skill in Naïve art. - George HoggGeorge HoggGeorge Hogg was a Scottish footballer who spent most of his career with Heart of Midlothian.Hogg began his career with home-town juvenile side West Calder before moving to nearby junior side Mossend Swifts. He moved to League side Hearts in 1892 and became a professional the following year when...
(1869 – ????), Scottish footballer - Thomas FairfoulThomas FairfoulThomas Fairfoul was a Scottish footballer who played as a right-half. Fairfoul made over 200 senior appearances in Scottish football, playing for Kilmarnock and Third Lanark, before moving south of the border to join Liverpool in 1913. He spent two years with the club, where his fortunes were mixed...
(1881–1952), Scottish footballer - Laurence Ennis, chief engineer on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Robert McKeenRobert McKeenRobert McKeen, CMG was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party He was the twelfth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1947 to 1950....
(1884–1974), Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives - Dougal HastonDougal HastonDougal Haston, , was a Scottish mountaineer born in Currie, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.-Climbing achievements:...
(1940–1977), mountaineer and pupil at West Calder High - Douglas Rankine (born here 1980), Famed Editor of Total Vauxhall magazine, grew up in West Calder before moving to Bristol work on Total Vauxhall Magazine in 2005.
Sport
West Calder is home to the juniorScottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club West Calder United
West Calder United F.C.
West Calder United F.C. are a Scottish Junior football club based in West Calder, West Lothian. Their home ground is Hermand Park. Club colours are red and black....
.
Misc
West Calder also has a Masonic Hall which is home to Lodge Thistle number 270 of the Roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. The hall is also home to the West Calder chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.West Calder is also the home of the West Calder Model Flying Club, the club is run for the enjoyment and promotion of radio control model aircraft flying in the area. The club has its own tarmac runway and is maintained by the members for use through out the whole year.
www.modelclub.org