iKnow Scotland
- East Coast
- Around Edinburgh
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Glasgow North
- Glasgow South
- Melrose
- Peebles
- Scottish Borders
Glasgow North Accommodation
Airdrie, Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Industrial Heritage Glasgow Scotland UK
The North Lanarkshire border stretches right up to Airdrie and Coatbridge, and the area's history in coal mining, iron and steel is seeing somewhat of a revival in some superb heritage centres including Summerlee Industrial Heritage Centre at Coatbridge (due for reopening in Spring 2008) and one at Shotts further east. It all sits well with Glasgow's many musuems exploring shipbuilding history, as these industrial heritage history centres on the city's outskirts dig deeper into the industries that served shipbuilding. The raw materials of coal, iron and steel came from North Lanarkshire, and were integral to Glasgow's development as a shipbuilding centre.
Alongside the revival of North Lanarkshire's industrial heritage, and with Glasgow's contemporary art boom influence sitting close by, a number of arts centres are emerging in the area too, at Airdrie and Motherwell. If you're on the Glasgow Industrial Heritage trail, then both North and South Lanarkshire certainly deserve your attention. You might hear some of the area referred to as 'Monklands', although less so in recent times. (see Monklands Online weblink right). This dates from the period around the 1400s when Monks settled in the Airdrie and Coatbridge area and first mined for coal. By the 1700s the industrial revolution was in full swing in the area, and the Monklands Canal was built to transport coal in and iron out. Coatbridge was a particular centre for ironworks.
Airdrie, Shotts & Coatbridge Industrial History & Heritage Centres
Airdrie is prime Glasgow commuter territory these days (11 miles east of Glasgow), but its fascinating history is in heavy industry, specifically coal, cotton and il-shale extraction. The town boasts two good golf courses, an arts centre and its biggest draw an observatory. Airdrie Observatory sits above Airdrie Library in Wellwynd. As appears to have been the paternalistic habit of industrialists, if they weren't building monuments, they were donating telescopes. This one was donated by Coats of Coats Ironworks fame in 1925 and it's a famous Cooke telescope.
Also in the town is Airdrie's arts centre at Sir John Wilson Town Hall, on Stirling Street. See the North Lanarkshire Council weblink right for events listings. There's a huge list of industrial companies, ranging from boiler works to ironfounders, Mills and Brickworks located in Airdrie in 1921, listed on the superb Monklands local history website - Monklands Online to the right. For an example of a village totally dominated and built off the back of both coal and iron, Shotts to the south east of Airdrie is a good example. Situated almost mid-way between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Shotts provide an ideal location for the ironworks established here in 1802 (ironstone was found on Muldron Moor just near Shotts. In the early 1800s Cornish lead miners flocked up here for work, and later in the 1880s and 1890s Irish immigrants. Coal was available in abundance from surrounding mines, and the iron industry boomed here. Some remains of the Shotts Ironworks remain at 'Works corner'.
You can find out more about Shott's Industrial Heritage via the Shott's Local History Group's weblink right, and by visiting the Shotts Heritage Centre based in the library on Benhar Road. Displays here explore the rise and fall of Shott's heavy industries of coal, iron, the railwailways and mining. The crowning glory of the Monklands and East Glasgow area's industrial heritage journey promises to be the Summerlee Heritage Park due to reopen in Spring 2008. Based in Coatbridge, once an industrial centre for both coal and iron, Summerlee is having a refit.
The main exhibition hall is being spruced up, extra parking and landscaping is being added. It should all work to great effect, with a better setting to display the huge archive of industrial machinery. Many attractions remain including an electric tramway, a recreated mine and miners cottages, plus playpark, cafe, shop and more will all be on-site. The centre is easy to reach by rail from Glasgow Central Station to Coatbridge Station situated just 2 minutes from the Summerlee Centre. The spot was the original site of the former Hydrocon Crane Works. The Summerlee Heritage Park, Heritage Way, Coatbridge, ML5 1QD. Tel. 01236 431261.
Click Search
