Newarthill
Newarthill is a small village in
North Lanarkshire,
Scotland situated roughly three miles north-east of the town of
Motherwell. It has a population of around 7,800. The Member of Parliament for the local area is Rt. Hon. Dr
John Reid, MP. The Member of the
Scottish Parliament for the local area is
Michael McMahon, MSP. Both men are elected to the constituency of
Airdrie and Shotts in their respective Parliaments.
Situated on rich tracts of
coal and other minerals, the original settlement of Newarthill occurred in the early to mid-nineteenth century.
The town of Newarthill is roughly bounded by the Legbrannock Burn to the north, the railway line connecting
Carfin and
Cleland 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,
Wishaw and
Glasgow. 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.
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, defunct tanning salon, short-lived hardware store and two takeaway establishments. There are several local shops and fast food outlets around the rest of the town, and a Post Office toward
Carfin. The main tourist accommodation, the Silverburn Hotel, is currently closed.
The local schools are Newarthill Primary, Saint Theresa'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 fairly exclusive, 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 remains incomplete. Generally-speaking, those seeking sports facilities head further afield, for instance to the sports centres of
Motherwell,
Wishaw and
Bellshill.
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 and Monklands Infirmary. There are two main places of worship, St. Theresa's Church and Newarthill Parish Church, with the nearest
mosque in
New Stevenston.It also has places where you can buy buckfast and rizla ciggarette papers.
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,
Mossend and beyond. These roads are well served by regular bus services by companies including
First Glasgow,
Coakleys,
Stepend and
Whitelaws.
Stepend buses are cheapest and most frequent. These services generally operate until 5pm. Unfortunately there are no bus services on a Sunday. 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
Cleland,
Carfin and
Holytown (the latter of which, rather confusingly, can be found in
New Stevenston). These stations are served by regularly-timetabled trains operated by
First Scotrail, connecting
Glasgow and
Edinburgh. Once again, however, there are currently no services at these stations on Sundays. The nearest mainline station, connecting to services on the
East Coast Mainline and
West Coast Mainline, is at
Motherwell.
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 the Cottage Inn, Newarthill Bowling Club, The Club (formerly Newarthill Working Men's Club), the Hibernian Club, the Orange Hall and the 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 and the Chanda Cottage. Sit-in restaurants and a-la-carte fare are virtually non-existent.
*
James Keir Hardie - early British advocate of socialism and first
Labour Party leader
*Dr
John Reid MP - Current Home Secretary and
Labour Party heavyweight
*Sir
Robert McAlpine - Construction industry figurehead
*
Liz Lochhead - Playwright, author and current
Poet Laureate of Glasgow
