Bilston, Midlothian

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Bilston
Dryden Tower.jpg
Dryden Tower, a 19th-century Gothic folly overlooking Bilston
Midlothian UK location map.svg
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Bilston
Location within Midlothian
Population1,440 (2020) [1]
OS grid reference NT262646
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town ROSLIN
Postcode district EH25
Dialling code 0131
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°52′08″N3°10′44″W / 55.869°N 3.179°W / 55.869; -3.179

Bilston is a small village in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located on the edge of Edinburgh, just south of Loanhead on the A701. The Bilston Burn Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) was occupied from 2002 until the mid-2010s by protestors who successfully opposed plans for a bypass.

Contents

History

Bilston is a village which was set up to service the local coal-mining industry. The Bilston Glen Colliery produced coal until its closure in 1989. [2] [3] It is located next to woodland and the Bilston Glen industrial estate. The village is overlooked by a tower which used be part of the Dryden House, which was set on a hill overlooking the River Forth. [4] Bilston Burn is a tributary of the River North Esk. It flows east from the village, and the woods it runs through are classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). [5] John Comyn stayed in the woods with his troops before the Battle of Roslin in 1303. [6]

Bilston has a primary school, Bilston Primary. [7] Police Scotland run a control room at Bilston Glen and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland set up a coronavirus control centre there. [8]

Bypass and camp

A proposed bypass, taking the A701 east of the village from Straiton to Milton Bridge outside Penicuik, was put forward by Midlothian Council in 2000. It was included in the local development plan. [9] One of the proposed routes of the bypass was through the SSSI woodland at Bilston Glen. Despite objections from local people and conservationists who submitted 700 objections, Midlothian Council and the Scottish Executive approved the route. It was challenged legally but the Scottish transport minister Sarah Boyack declined to open an inquiry about the £18.5 million scheme. [10]

In response, Bilston Glen was occupied in 2002 in order to prevent the SSSI being destroyed. Ten years later, the camp was still there, with protestors careful not to build any permanent structures which would damage the woodland. [10] [11] It became known as one of the longest-running tree protection sites in the world. [12]

The 2015 local development plan proposed building more houses in Bilston and turning the current A701 road into a route for public transport, cyclists and walkers, as part of the revised "Midlothian Gateway" plan. [13]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Blackstock, Gordon (19 June 2016). "The four childhood pals who escaped a life of mining to make their millions". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Disused Stations: Millerhill Station". www.disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Bilston Midlothian Scotland". Lothian and Borders. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Bilston Burn SSSI". sitelink.nature.scot. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Newsroom (24 February 2017). "Roslin 1303: Scotland's forgotten battle". Scotsman. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  7. ↑ Norman, Rob. "Bilston Primary School". www.midlothian.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  8. ↑ Matchett, Conor (20 March 2020). "Police Scotland launch coronavirus major incident response with control centre based in Midlothian". Scotsman. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Midlothian Local Plan INSET MAP 3 A701 CORRIDOR NORTH" (PDF). Midlothian Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  10. 1 2 Davidson, Gina (21 February 2012). "Bilston Glen camp determined to beat bypass plans". Scotsman. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Bilston Glen road protest". Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2007.
  12. ↑ Pike, Sarah M. (3 October 2017). For the Wild: Ritual and Commitment in Radical Eco-Activism. University of California Press. p. 40. ISBN   978-0-520-29495-0 . Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  13. ↑ Scott, Thomas (14 May 2015). "The Long Read: Midlothian 2020". Penicuik Cuckoo. Retrieved 19 September 2020.


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