Visit Cleland, North Lanarkshire Places

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The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Cleland, North Lanarkshire

  

Cleland, North Lanarkshire Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Cleland, North Lanarkshire

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Cleland, North Lanarkshire history

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The first Cleland on record is Alexander Cleland of that Ilk who married a cousin of Sir William Wallace. Their son, James Cleland joined William Wallace in battle in 1296 at Loudonhill; at Stirling in 1297; Falkirk in 1298; Glasgow in 1300; and in France in 1301. James Cleland and his son John Cleland fought at Bannockburn in 1314. For his loyalty and good service, Robert the Bruce gave James Cleland the lands of Calder-clere, now East Calder. The Cleland line later extends down to James Cleland, son of William Cleland of that Ilk. James married a daughter of Lord Somerville in 1450, and their line branches out to be the Clelands of Faskin, Monkland and Gartness. The Cleland family lands were therefore a number of areas which included the present day Cleland village. There was no defined village of Cleland as it is known today. Rather there was a Cleland House where the Cleland family lived, and the land where present day Cleland stands was part of the Cleland family’s estate. In 1596 Timothy Pont produced a map of Scotland, showing what is now Lanarkshire, with the places of Kneelandtou and Kneelandtounhead. Kneeland is an archaic alternative name for the Cleland family surname. Over time, Kneeland would eventually become Cleland (and Cleland used to be pronounced as Clee-land in the same way as Knee-land). The united Presbytery of Hamilton and Lanarkshire had its first meeting at Cleland on 6 September 1687. In 1702 Alexander Cleland of Cleland found himself in debt and sold the Cleland Estate to William and Archibald Hamilton, who in turn sold to Gavin Hamilton of Inverdovat in 1711. The link between the Cleland families and the Cleland lands was therefore broken. The sale of the Estate was described as follows: All and Haill [whole] the lands Clelandtoun, called the five pund land of Clelandtoun with the tower and fortalice, &c. – in the barony of Bothwell – All and Haill the fortie shilling land of Little Hareshaw, in the parish of Shotts – All and Haill the lands of Newarthill and Whitagreen – All and Haill the Mains and Mill of Carphinc- Excepting threfra the feu ferm rights if Little Hareshaw. General Roy’s military map of 1755 shows Cleland. By 1763 the first colliery in what is present day Cleland was in operation at Swinstie, and three years later Alexander Inglis Hamilton of Murdostoun sells Cleland Estate to Captain Hew Dalrymple of Fordal. In 1789 Colonel William Dalrymple (the second son of Sir William Dalrymple, third baronet of Cousland, and the nephew of Captain Hew Dalrymple), distinguishes himself by helping to capture both the Fort of San Fernando de Omoa and the port town of Omoa, in Honduras, Central America. On returning to civilian life Colonel Dalrymple established the Omoa Iron Works on Cleland estate. At first there was only one furnace at Omoa, employing about 40 miners, 40 smelters and other workmen, and 12 horses. The furnace consumed nine tons of calcined ironstone per day, with casts every eighteen hours, yielding about two tons of pig-iron each cast. Omoa claimed to be the second oldest iron works in Scotland (after Wilsontown). The Omoa Waggonway was opened in 1813 from Newarthill collieries to Omoa Iron Works by Colonel Dalrymple. The Omoa Works initially prospered enough to create the new community of Omoa Town. The procurement of ironstone for the Iron Works was reported as follows: An interesting circumstance connected with the early history of Omoa, and perhaps applicable to other iron-works at the same period, was the scarcity of ironstone and how it was procured. Any balls found in a stream, or cropping-out by its margin, were carefully collected, and in the case of Omoa, ironstone was collected in streams or otherwise by farmers and others in the neighbourhood, and taken to the ironworks and sold – many a ton went from Shotts parish in this way. The transaction was never called in question, but if practised at the present day, would be called thieving. Omoa Works changed proprietors several times, the last being to Robert Stewart, Esq., of Murdoston. Stewart reconstructed the works, and acquired a lease to an extensive mineral field, which was found to contain an excellent seam of blackband ironstone, he in the course of a few years acquired a considerable fortune, to which after years of great success were to make great additions. He became a member of Glasgow Town Council in 1842, becoming Lord Provost, 1848–1854, and drove the initiative to supply Glasgow with a freshwater supply from Loch Katrine. In 1856 Mr. Stewart acquired from Mr. Baillie Cochrane, now Lord Lamington, at a cost of £55,000, the estate of Murdostoun, situated in the parish of Shotts, and immediately began to improve it upon an extensive scale. The Omoa Works suffered a downturn through a slump in trade following the outbreak of Civil War in America in 1861. Two years after the death of Robert Stewart in 1866, operations ceased, with the furnaces eventually becoming ruins. Collieries around the present village included Knowenoble, Greenhill, Windyedge, and Spindleside, extracting thick-bedded coals and black-band ironstone The Coltness Iron Company was established in Newmains by Henry Houldsworth in 1837. It was estimated that the 2,000-acre (8.1 km) site at Newmains could produce 18,000 tons of coal and 1,000 tons of ironstone per acre. Henry Houldsworth had no difficulty, therefore, in attracting experienced labour from the iron works of Yorkshire as well as from Omoa and Wilsontown in Lanarkshire. The Iron Company, needing coal, was also aware of the coal mines in Ireland. When coal was being mined in Shotts, Cleland and the surrounding areas, the Iron Company sent representatives over to Ireland to hire miners for the Scottish mines. This is a primary reason why so many Irish families came to the area. Many came from County Donegal, and the Castlecomer coal fields in what is now north County Kilkenny and south County Laois. The population of Omoa and Cleland was recorded as 1,233 in 1861: Cleland had 190 males and 175 females; Omoa had 509 males and 359 females. In 1869 the Omoa and Midcalder Line (Caledonian Railway) was opened. The Omoa and Midcalder Line (Caledonian Railway) to Addiewell followed in 1882. Cleland was served with two railway stations. The first was Omoa Station (across from what is now Cleland Hospital), and the second was Cleland Station (behind what is now Cleland Cross). After Cleland Station was closed, Omoa Station was then renamed Cleland Station.A list of mines under Holytown in this year includes Cleland Collieries owned by Wm. Dixon, Monkland Iron Co., Trustees of late Robert Stewart; Wyndedge owned by Robert Dick. The Omoa Fireclay Works, a brickworks, opened in 1870. In 1871 the population of Cleland and Omoa had fallen to 819, but by 1881 it was 1,626. The Cleland and Omoa Public School opened in 1876, and in 1877 St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, a Free Church, and a Chapel of Ease were all established. In 1885 the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland recorded: Cleland, a village of N Lanarkshire, chiefly in Shotts parish, but also partly in Bothwell. With a station on the Morningside branch of the Caledonian, it stands near the left bank of South Calder Water, 3¾ miles [6 km] ESE of Holytown, 7 [miles; 11 km] E of Bothwell village, and 3½ [miles; 5.6 km] E by N of Motherwell, under which it has a post office. It mainly depends on the large neighbouring collieries of the Omoa and Cleland Coal and Iron Company; at it are an Established chapel of ease (1877), a Free church, and St Mary’s Roman Catholic church (1877), to the last of which, designed by Messrs Peyin, a presbytery was added in 1881. Cleland and Omoa public school and Cleland Roman Catholic school, with respective accommodation for 300 and 254 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 199 and 240, and grants of £190, 7s. 2d. and £182. Pop. (1861) 1233, (1871) 819, (1881) 1626. As the Gazetteer suggests, Omoa and Cleland were separate villages, and parts of Omoa and Cleland villages came under the District of West Shotts, and the remainder came under the District of Bothwell. However, both were within the Parish of Cleland. Further industrial ventures included the Omoa Greenhill Works brickworks (1889-1915), and the Cleland Pottery (1895–1911), the latter across the small gorge from Lithgow Drive. An inspection report for 1896 records the following coal mines in Cleland and Omoa: Beggarford, Omoa owned by Robert Young’s Trustees, Greenhill, by Holytown; Brownhill, Cleland owned by Barr and Higgins, 75, Bothwell St., Glasgow; Greenhill, Omoa owned by Robert Young’s Trustees, Greenhill, by Holytown; Hareshaw, Omoa owned by Hareshaw Coal Co., Cleland; Knownoble, Cleland owned by Kerr and Mitchell, Glencleland, Wishaw; Knownoblehill, Cleland owned by Robert Dick, Cleland; Murdostoun, Cleland owned by John McAndrew and Co., Cleland; and Sunnyside, Cleland owned by Coltness Iron Co. Ltd., Newmains. Cleland Poorhouse opened in 1905. Cleland streets were named and houses numbered in 1906. When built, Lithgow Drive was named after Dr Lithgow, and Gibb Street was named after the mid-wife Mrs Gibb, who both served Omoa and Cleland. The Annual Report of the County & District Medical Officer for Lanarkshire, 1910, describes Omoa Square: This group of 114 single-apartment and 24 two-apartment houses, is situated in the Parish of Shotts. These houses were inspected by the Committee on 27 September, and have since been the subject of considerable correspondence and several meetings. A specification, showing the repairs necessary to make the houses reasonably fit for human habitation, was prepared and submitted to the proprietors’ agents, who replied that the suggestions were extremely expensive and far beyond any reasonable requirement, and asking a meeting at the property. At this meeting the proprietor was strongly urged to provide domestic and sanitary conveniences of an approved type for the front one-storey block as an experiment in the first instance, but his agent objected very strongly to these proposals, on the ground that the expense was not warranted and the class of tenants would not make proper use of the conveniences. He, however, promised to consider the matter further. No definite proposals were put forward for the improvement of the housing conditions, and to facilitate matters I was afterwards instructed by the Committee to submit a Representation under the Housing Acts. “The Housing Condition of Miners” Report by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr John T. Wilson, 1910, summarises the Square as: Originally built by Omoa Iron and Coal Co, but now privately owned. The houses are occupied by miners employed at Cleland, Howmuir, Westwood, Murdostoun and quarrymen employed at Auchinlea – 114 houses of one apartment, rental, £5 4s. and £6 10s; and 24 houses of two-apartments, rental £7 16s and £10 8s – one story, brick – erected about 70 years ago – no damp – roof course – plastered on solid – brick floors, some floors cement – internal surfaces of walls and ceilings irregular, broken and patched – walls mostly damp – several houses unoccupied. No overcrowding – apartments large. No gardens – one wash house in centre of square – coal cellars recently erected for each house, but many have been broken down by tenants. 7 privy midden, in centre of square, in rear and in front, at distances of 20 feet (6.1 m) to 30 yards (27 m); doors and windows of these have been destroyed. No sinks – drainage by surface channels. Gravitation water from standpipes in centre and back of square, from 2 to 10 yards (1.8 to 9.1 m) distant. These houses have been frequently inspected, and sanitary improvements have been carried out with no satisfactory results. Notes on Omoa Square – Closing order made under Section 17 of Housing &c Act, 19. Partly demolished. By 1910, the Square’s houses were semi-abandoned and considered not properly fit for human habitation, with a recommendation for demolition. In the 1920s, hardship led to many Cleland families leaving for other mining areas or emigrating to America and Canada. In 1930 a police census records a population of 4,274, made up of 2,240 males and 2,030 females, though this shows a reduction of 552 compared with the census taken in 1928. In 1930 the Wishaw and Coltness Railway was closed to freight between Newmains and Cleland Junction, and to passengers between Morningside and Holytown (Cleland Junction). What is now Cleland Station collapsed, due to a local mine running under it caving in. It required major repairs before re-opening. In 1934 Cleland War Memorial was erected after public subscription, to the memory of the men of Cleland and District who fell in the Great War 1914–1918. Electricity was supplied to Cleland in 1934–35. Cleland Public Park opened to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in May 1935. Further railway closures included the Airdrie and Newhouse Line (Caledonian Railway) Chapelhall to Bellside (1966), and the Cleland (previously Omoa) and Midcalder Line (Caledonian Railway) Polkemmet Colliery line, which was lifted in 1986.

Cleland, North Lanarkshire geography / climate

Cleland is about 30 miles from Edinburgh and 16 miles from Glasgow by train. Geographically, the village is roughly bounded by the junction of Cleland Road and Chapleknowe road.

You can visit Cleland, North Lanarkshire places with Walkfo Cleland, North Lanarkshire to hear history at Cleland, North Lanarkshire’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Cleland, North Lanarkshire has 28 places to visit in our interactive Cleland, North Lanarkshire map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Cleland, North Lanarkshire, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Cleland, North Lanarkshire places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Cleland, North Lanarkshire & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 28 audio facts unique to Cleland, North Lanarkshire places in an interactive Cleland, North Lanarkshire map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Cleland, North Lanarkshire Places Map
28 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Cleland, North Lanarkshire historic spots	Cleland, North Lanarkshire tourist destinations	Cleland, North Lanarkshire plaques	Cleland, North Lanarkshire geographic features
Walkfo Cleland, North Lanarkshire tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Cleland, North Lanarkshire

  

Best Cleland, North Lanarkshire places to visit

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Cleland, North Lanarkshire has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Cleland, North Lanarkshire’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Cleland, North Lanarkshire’s information audio spots:

Ravenscraig Ravenscraig was once the largest hot strip steel mill in western Europe. The steelworks closed in 1992 and is now almost totally demolished. The empty land was redeveloped in the 2010s, with new houses and services being built.

Ravenscraig steelworks The Ravenscraig steelworks consisted of an integrated iron and steel works and a hot strip steel mill. Motherwell was noted as the steel production capital of Scotland, nicknamed Steelopolis. The steel mill was one of four in the United Kingdom.

Shieldmuir railway station Shieldmuir railway station is a railway station in Craigneuk suburb of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on the West Coast Main Line, but is not served by mainline services. Local commuter services are provided via the Argyle Line by Abellio ScotRail on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

Cambusnethan Cambusnethan is a large village and suburb on the eastern edge of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire in Scotland. It is approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, straddling both sides of the A722 on a hill overlooking Wishaw.

South Wishaw Parish Church South Wishaw Parish Church is a Parish church of the Church of Scotland. It serves the Southern area of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, serving the southern part of the town centre.

Dalziel Park Dalziel Park is located between the villages of Carfin, Cleland and Newarthill in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Other nearby settlements include the large town of Motherwell and the new town of Ravenscraig. The area consists of a residential estate, a sports facility (regarded as one of the best in Scotland) and a golf course.

Visit Cleland, North Lanarkshire plaques