Uphall

Last updated

Uphall
Uphall - geograph.org.uk - 56103.jpg
Main Street, Uphall (2005)
West Lothian UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Uphall
Location within West Lothian
OS grid reference NT058718
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BROXBURN
Postcode district EH52
Dialling code 01506
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°55′52″N3°30′29″W / 55.931°N 3.508°W / 55.931; -3.508

Uphall (Scots : Uphauch, Scottish Gaelic : Ubhalaidh) [1] is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is a swiftly growing village in a conurbation with Broxburn to the east, Dechmont to the west and the major town of Livingston to the south west. Uphall is 30 miles from Glasgow and 14 miles from Edinburgh in the Scottish Lowlands. Uphall Station and Pumpherston are separate villages that lie to the south of Uphall.

Contents

Uphall has one primary school (Uphall primary school), several grocery stores, two cemeteries, a skatepark, football fields (King George Park), a golf course, a lawn bowls club (Middleton Hall) and a selection of public houses and hotels including the Volunteer Arms, Dovehill Arms, Oatridge Hotel and Houston House Hotel.

History

Uphall was historically a small settlement known as Wester Strathbrock (from the Gaelic "Srath Bhroc" meaning valley of the badgers), with its neighbour Broxburn being named Easter Strathbrock. [2]

The parish was centered around Strathbrock Castle (a Motte-and-bailey castle since demolished) and St Nicholas Church which were both built in the 12th century. [3] [4] Until the late 18th century, Uphall was a small rural community but the industrial revolution triggered growth as local mining activity increased. [3] The largest growth was a direct result of the discovery and exploitation of local oil shale in the area, as well as across West Lothian generally. This triggered massive growth as many people moved to the area to gain employment in the oil shale mines and associated oil works. Surrounding villages expanded rapidly as rows of miners' cottages were erected to accommodate the influx of people, who relocated from places such as the Scottish Highlands and rural Ireland. This growth continued until the oil industry went into terminal decline between the 1920s and 1960s. [3]

Post war industrial development at Greendykes and East Mains Industrial Estates, coupled with new employment throughout the West Lothian district, the new town of Livingston and increased commuting to Edinburgh, continued to see the village grow into a larger settlement contiguous with Broxburn in the 20th century.

Transport

The A899 road is the primary road through Uphall, connecting the village with nearby Livingston to the south-east and Broxburn to the west. The A89 road and M8 Motorway lie immediately to the south of the village. The nearest railway station is Uphall railway station which lies to the south of Uphall at the smaller separate Uphall Station village.

McGill's Scotland East and Lothian Country operates multiple bus service that serve Uphall:

Notable buildings

St Nicholas (Strathbock) Church is a mid 12th century church with a small tower, a nave and large chancel (enlarged in the 13th century). [5] [6] The church is first recorded in 1270 and has been expanded over the centuries, with additional aisles added in the 17th and 19th centuries. [7] The church was extensively restored in 1937. The church has a Romanesque 12th century doorway and some of the oldest church bells in West Lothian, with one dated to 1503. [6] [8]

The Oatridge hotel on the main street of Uphall was built in 1810 and is a former coaching inn (previously named the Uphall Inn) on the Airdrie to Bathgate to Edinburgh turnpike route. [9] [10]

Middleton Hall is an 18th-century house currently operating as a care home. [11] The hall was built circa 1710 and reconstructed significantly in the late 19th century as the Headquarters of Scottish Oils Ltd. [11] The adjacent streets (Westhall Gardens, Middleton Road and Middleton Avenue) were later developed in the 1920s as a small garden community (based on the Garden city movement) for workers of the Oil company. [11] [12]

Kirkhill House in Uphall was the principal residence of David Stewart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan in the latter part of the eighteenth century. The house fell into ruin when Erskine moved to Dryburgh and it has only recently been reconstructed as a private residence. Among the features were a remarkable accurate scale model of the Solar System in the gardens surrounding the house, and an accompanying astronomical pillar now located in Almondell country Park. [2] [13] At the centre of the model the Sun was represented by a stone globe 6 feet in diameter and the six planets known in 1776 were represented by small globes distributed around the gardens at appropriate distances. Erskine, his titles and his model are preserved in modern names such as Buchan Road, Buchan Port, Buchan Arms, Cardross Road and Globe Park.

St Nicholas (Strathbrock) kirk, on the north side of Uphall Strathbrock Kirk.jpg
St Nicholas (Strathbrock) kirk, on the north side of Uphall

In the west of Uphall, Houston House is a four-storey white harl covered 16th century tower house and hotel. [14] [15] Originally built for the local laird, the house was later purchased and expanded by John Shairp, an advocate to Mary, Queen of Scots. [14] The house was restored by the architect Ian Lindsay in the 1940s as his home. [14] In the 1970s, the house was purchased, refurbished and extended as a hotel. [14]

Culture and recreation

King George's field is a 4.65-hectare (11.5-acre) public open space built as part of the King George's Fields programme.

In the west of the village, Uphall Golf Club is an 18-hole subscription/private membership golf course founded in 1895. [16] In February 2021, the Golf Club was substantially damaged by a fire which took 12 hours to extinguish. [17] [18] [19]

Middleton Hall Bowling Club is a local bowls club with 1930s origins. [20]

Uphall previously had a public hall (built 1873) that became the local cinema house in the 1920s, before closing in the 1974 (the site is now occupied by a car showroom). [21] [22] The cinema archives are held by West Lothian Council. [21]

Education

Uphall Primary School provides primary education for the community. The current school was constructed in the 1960s by Bamber Hall & Partners and has since been expanded. [23] Before the 1960s the original primary school was located further west on a site on the corner of Strathbrock place and St.Andrews drive. [2] This site has since been redeveloped as the Uphall Community Education Centre. The building incorporates a hall, youth room, playgroup room and coffee lounge. [24] While there are no facilities for secondary education in Uphall itself, Broxburn Academy in Broxburn serves as the closest secondary school.

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Lothian</span> Council area of Scotland

West Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geographically by the Avon to the west and the Almond to the east. The modern council area occupies a larger area than the historic county. It was reshaped following local government reforms in 1975: some areas in the west were transferred to Falkirk; some areas in the east were transferred to Edinburgh; and some areas that had formerly been part of Midlothian were added to West Lothian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livingston, West Lothian</span> New town and administrative centre in Scotland

Livingston is the largest town in West Lothian, Scotland. Designated in 1962, it is the fourth post-war new town to be built in Scotland. Taking its name from a village of the same name incorporated into the new town, it was originally developed in the then-counties of Midlothian and West Lothian along the banks of the River Almond. It is situated approximately fifteen miles (25 km) west of Edinburgh and thirty miles (50 km) east of Glasgow, and is close to the towns of Broxburn to the north-east and Bathgate to the north-west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broxburn</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Broxburn is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is 12 miles (19 km) from the West End of Edinburgh, 5 miles (8.0 km) from Edinburgh Airport and 5 miles (8.0 km) to the north of Livingston. Originally a village known as Easter Strathbock in the medieval period, by 1600, the village had become known as Broxburn. The area developed rapidly during the Victorian era as a result of industralisation related to shale oil extraction. While much of the industry in the area is now diminished, the town has continued to grow following new residential development, resulting in Broxburn forming a conurbation with neighbouring Uphall. It lies just to the south of Winchburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pumpherston</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Pumpherston is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. Originally a small industrial village housing works for the nearby shale mine and works, it now forms the eastern part of the new town of Livingston, which was constructed to the west of Pumpherston in the late 1960s and quickly grew to incorporate Pumpherston in its wider urban settlement, as defined by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS). The village of Uphall Station lies immediately to the north. It is twinned with the village of Mtarfa, Malta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackburn, West Lothian</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Blackburn is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, near both Bathgate and Livingston, two of the larger towns in the county. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Edinburgh and 25 miles (40 km) east of Glasgow on the old A8 road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauldhouse</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Fauldhouse is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is about halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The nearest towns to Fauldhouse are Whitburn and Livingston. Other neighbouring villages include Longridge, Shotts and Stoneyburn. At approximately 750 feet above sea level, Fauldhouse is one of the highest villages in West Lothian.

The Edinburgh–Bathgate line is a railway line in East Central Scotland. It is also known as the Bathgate branch and was originally operated by the Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway. Except for the short section at the original Bathgate terminus, the main line is still in use, with a frequent passenger train service operated by ScotRail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winchburgh</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Winchburgh is a village in the council area of West Lothian, Scotland. It is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of the city-centre of Edinburgh, 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Linlithgow and 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Broxburn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid Calder</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Mid Calder is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on a steep hill overlooking the River Almond and Calder Wood, around 15 miles (24 km) west of Edinburgh. The settlement has been on a major crossroads since its origin some time in the 11th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newbridge, Edinburgh</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Newbridge is a village in the civil parish of Kirkliston, west of Edinburgh in Scotland. It formerly lay on the western fringe of Midlothian, but it has belonged to the City of Edinburgh since 1975. The original village consists of a small crossroads settlement to the east of the eponymous New Bridge, which spans the River Almond. Around it is a confusion of roads and industrial estates converging on the Newbridge Roundabout, the meeting point of the M8 and M9 motorways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uphall Station</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Uphall Station is a village located in West Lothian, Scotland. The name is derived from the neighbouring town Uphall on account of the railway station located on the northeast perimeter of the village. The village is situated southeast of Uphall and Broxburn, north of Pumpherston and northeast of Livingston. It lies approximately a quarter of a mile from the A89, which is a major road running between Greenock in the west of Scotland and Edinburgh in the east of Scotland. A gala day is held annually, usually in June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dechmont</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Dechmont is a small village located near Uphall, West Lothian in Scotland. Bangour Village Hospital is located to the west of Dechmont. It has an approximate population of 989 people. Its postal code is EH52. An alleged alien encounter took place in 1979 in the nearby Dechmont Woods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Calder</span> Human settlement in Scotland

East Calder is a village located in West Lothian, Scotland, about a mile east of Mid Calder and a mile west of Wilkieston. It forms part of 'the Calders, three small neighbouring communities situated west of Edinburgh and south of the "New Town" of Livingston.

Our Lady's High School, Broxburn was a former Roman Catholic High School located in the western part of Broxburn, West Lothian in Scotland. The student occupied its former premises beginning in 1969. It was a state-funded high school that educated Roman Catholic students mainly from the areas of Broxburn, Uphall, Uphall Station and Winchburgh. In 1983, the school had 400 students; prior to its closure there were about 100 students. The school's motto was 'Respice Stellam', Latin for look to the stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howden, Livingston</span>

Howden is an area of the new town of Livingston, the largest town in West Lothian, Scotland. Howden is bordered by Craigshill, Ladywell, Almondvale and Kirkton.

Broxburn Academy is a secondary school in Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Graham Fairley</span> Scottish architect (1846-1934)

James Graham Fairley FRIBA MSGS (1846–1934) was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect working mainly in the West Lothian area, specialising in churches and schools.

Uphall Football Club was a football club from Uphall in West Lothian.

Bathgate and Linlithgow is a proposed constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it will first be contested at the next general election.

References

  1. ↑ List of railway station names in English, Scots and Gaelic – NewsNetScotland
  2. 1 2 3 Rev. James Primrose. Strathbrock or the History and Antiquities of the Parish of Uphall (PDF). Edinburgh: Elliot.
  3. 1 2 3 "Village Origins". Broxburn and Uphall Community Website Trust. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  4. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Strathbrock Castle (49274)". Canmore . Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "St Nicholas Church". Broxburn and Uphall Community Website Trust. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Kirk of St. Nicholas Strathbrock". St Nicholas Center. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "Corpus of Scottish Churches - St Nicholas Church". St Andrews University. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "St Nicholas Church Uphall". Scotlands Churches Trust. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "About Us". The Oatridge Hotel. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Uphall Inn". Broxburn and Uphall Community Website Trust. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 Historic Environment Scotland. "Uphall, Middleton Hall (49280)". Canmore . Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  12. ↑ "Middleton Hall Garden City". Shale Trail. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  13. ↑ Buchan, Earl of (1793). "Account of the Parish of Uphall". Archaeologia Scotica. 1: 139–155.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Historic Environment Scotland. "Houston House (49264)". Canmore . Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  15. ↑ "Houston House". MacDonald Hotels. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  16. ↑ "History". Uphall Golf Club. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "Uphall Golf Club: Major fire at West Lothian golf course". Edinburgh Evening News. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  18. ↑ "'A great deal of the club's history has been lost': Uphall Golf Club and its members react to the fire which devastated their clubhouse". Edinburgh Evening News. 7 February 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "West Lothian golf club 'devastated' by overnight blaze". BBC News. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  20. ↑ "Club History". Middleton Hall Bowling Club. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  21. 1 2 VelezSarna, Maria (2011). "Mapping Film Exhibition In Scotland Before Permanent Cinemas" (PDF). Post Script. 30 (3): 25–37.
  22. ↑ "Uphall Public Hall and Cinema". University of Aberdeen. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  23. ↑ "Building 405862". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  24. ↑ "Uphall Community Centre". West Lothian Council. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  25. ↑ "Alexander MacAndrew Gillespie". Billion Graves. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.