100-588: Motherwell Civic Centre is a municipal building in Windmillhill Street in Motherwell , North Lanarkshire , Scotland. The building, which is the headquarters of North Lanarkshire Council , is a Category B listed building . The facility was commissioned to replace the ageing Motherwell Town Hall in Hamilton Road. After a period of rapid population expansion associated with the growth of
200-563: A Europa League game in 2014. Motherwell hosted motorcycle speedway racing at two venues. In 1930 and 1932 racing took place at Airbles Road which would soon be called the Clyde Valley Greyhound Track and the 1930 speedway venture was known as Paragon Speedway . The venture was run by a group of riders who were regulars at White City in Glasgow and known collectively as The Blantyre Crowd . Speedway returned to
300-557: A 46-ton cutter, was built by Scotts of Greenock in 1803. The pre-eminent Scottish yacht designer William Fyfe did not start designing yachts until 1807. The first yacht club on the Clyde was the Northern Yacht Club , which was established in 1824 and received its royal charter in 1831. The club was founded to organise and encourage the sport of yacht racing. By 1825, Scottish and Irish clubs were racing against each other on
400-530: A Celtic language—most likely Old British . But there is more than one old Celtic word that the river's name could plausibly derive from. One possible root is the Common Brittonic Clywwd , meaning 'loud' or 'loudly'. More likely, the river was named after a local Celtic goddess, Clōta . The goddess's name in turn derives from an older, Proto-Celtic word meaning 'the strongly flowing one' or 'the holy cleanser'. Humans have settled along
500-560: A direct daily service between London King's Cross and Glasgow Central that stops at Motherwell. The smaller station in the Airbles suburb of Motherwell only runs on the line to Dalmuir via Glasgow Central low level and Hamilton Central ; however, it is closer to the Civic Centre and Fir Park stadium than the main-line station. That station is served by Abellio ScotRail. Formerly, Motherwell, Wishaw and Hamilton were served by
600-552: A disused airfield in Balado , Kinross-shire. It houses Roman bath ruins, in said park, and is a 2 hour drive away from some remnants of Hadrians Wall. Motherwell is the headquarters for both North Lanarkshire Council , which is one of Scotland's most populous local authority areas , and of Police Scotland "Q" division. These organisations cover an overall population of 327,000 people (59,000 in Motherwell and Wishaw ) throughout
700-651: A few miles from the river, was constructed later by the Romans as a means of defending the area against invasion by the Picts . Despite the strategic location and flat terrain of Glasgow and the surrounding Clyde basin, no Roman civilian settlement was ever constructed. Instead, the region may have functioned as a frontier zone between the Roman province known as Britannia Inferior and the Caledonians , an indigenous group that
800-748: A few years, Ravenscraig was producing more than a million tonnes of steel per year. Following nationalisation of the steel industry, production at the plant was raised, with the Motherwell blast furnaces producing 3 million tonnes each year. 40 locals from Lanarkshire travelled to become volunteers of the International Brigades to fight for the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War . The Spanish Civil War memorial in Duchess Park in Motherwell commemorates them. By
900-457: A heat source. The flow rate downstream alone is around 50 m /s. Reducing this temperature by 3 °C would enable river heat pumps to extract 188.1 MW of heat. Since river heat pumps typically have an efficiency of 3.0, the heat deliverable is 1.5 times the river component. As a result, the estuary could deliver 282 MW of heat. The temperature of industrial heat pump delivery is typically 80 °C. In 2020, West Dunbartonshire Council deployed
1000-539: A large fanbase due to the attraction of Glasgow's "Old Firm": Rangers and Celtic . The team attracts a regular home support of between five and six thousand fans. Motherwell is one of the most established clubs in the top division of the Scottish football league system , having been in the top flight continuously since the mid-80s. Again, due to the Old Firm's dominance of Scottish football, Motherwell's list of honours
1100-454: A long but declining history of coal usage and, beginning around the 1950s, an increasing reliance on petroleum fuels. The decline of hydrocarbon pollution was followed by the appearance of PCB concentrations in the 1950s. Total PCB concentration levels peaked in the period 1965 to 1977, and declined beginning in the 1990s. The Polmadie Burn , which flows into the Clyde at Richmond Park , remains heavily contaminated by hexavalent chromium , to
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#17327796940621200-597: A naval defence contractor, BAE Systems Surface Ships , which specialises in the design and construction of technologically advanced warships for the Royal Navy and other navies around the world. The two yards are the former Yarrow yard at Scotstoun , and Fairfields at Govan. In addition, the King George V Dock is operated by the Clyde Port Authority . Ferguson Shipbuilders , at Port Glasgow on
1300-531: A population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarkshire , Motherwell is the headquarters for North Lanarkshire Council . Geographically the River Clyde separates Motherwell from Hamilton to the west whereas the South Calder Water separates Motherwell from Carfin to the north-east and New Stevenston and Bellshill towards the north. Motherwell
1400-568: A school roll of around 1,000 pupils. Notable alumni of Dalziel include former Motherwell, Wigan and Rangers player Lee McCulloch and international television journalist, Alan Fisher . Braidhurst High School , in the Forgewood area of Motherwell, serves areas including Forgewood, North Motherwell , The Globe and Jerviston. With a roll of around 500, Braidhurst is one of the smaller secondary schools in Lanarkshire. The main school building
1500-478: A small workshop at Sandbank in 1876, and went on to become one of the foremost wooden boat builders on the Clyde. The 'golden years' of Robertson's yard were in the early 20th century, when they started building classic 12-and-15-metre (39 and 49 ft) racing yachts. More than 55 boats were built by Robertson's in preparation for World War I, and the yard remained busy even during the Great Depression in
1600-476: Is a cycle path that acts as a direct route from Strathclyde Park to Motherwell Town Centre. The path was formed in 2005 and may expand into Ravenscraig in the future. Motherwell has a golf course based within the town, the Colville Park Golf Club, based at Jerviston Estate, on the former site of Jerviston House (the ruins are still visible in the grounds). A second golf course is located at
1700-652: Is also geographically attached to Wishaw and the two towns form a large urban area in North Lanarkshire , with both towns having similar populations and strong community ties. A Roman road through central Scotland ran along Motherwell's side of the River Clyde , crossing the South Calder Water near Bothwellhaugh . At this crossing a fort and bath house were erected, but the Roman presence in Scotland did not last much later than this. Motherwell's location in
1800-414: Is around half a mile distant from the Clyde. It is said to have constructed over 500 vessels, many of which were assembled and then 'knocked down' to kit form for despatch to a remote location, such as Chauncy Maples . Clyde shipbuilding reached its peak in the years just before World War I: It is estimated that, in the year 1913 alone, over 370 ships were completed. The first recorded Clyde racing yacht,
1900-475: Is situated to the south of the town, right on the banks of the River Clyde . This house is protected as a Category-A listed building. One of the main attractions in Motherwell is the M & D's Amusement Park , which is situated next to Strathclyde Loch in Strathclyde Park . The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid, popularly known as Motherwell Cathedral , is a Roman Catholic cathedral which
2000-525: Is somewhat modest. The club's last major trophy was the 1990–91 Scottish Cup , when they beat Dundee United 4–3 in the final . Motherwell have qualified for European football several times in recent seasons, usually competing in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League . It has been reported that the famous Viking Thunder Clap originated from Motherwell F.C. and was passed onto Icelandic football club Stjarnan when they played them in
2100-857: Is the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell . It is the seat of the Bishop of Motherwell and its current bishop is Joseph Toal . The cathedral is open to the public most days. It is used as a venue for performances of the Motherwell Diocesan Choir. The following primary schools are located in Motherwell: Dalziel High School is located on Crawford Street near Duchess park, serving areas including North Motherwell, The Globe, Greenacres, Airbles and North Lodge. and has
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#17327796940622200-527: Is the headquarters of North Lanarkshire Council (since 1996, previously the offices of Motherwell District Council within the Strathclyde region since 1975). A number of pantomimes and musicals have taken place in the concert hall and theatre within the complex. As well as this, top-level snooker (the Scottish Masters event) was also held there. The Dalzell House is a building that
2300-571: The Clyde Navigation Consolidation Act 1858 ( 21 & 22 Vict. c. cxlix). The Clyde Port Authority Confirmation Act 1965 (c. xlv) replaced the Clyde Navigation Trust with the Clyde Port Authority from 1 January 1966, which has since been renamed to 'Clydeport', and was privatisated in 1992. In 2003 it was acquired by Peel Holdings . The Clyde is formed by the confluence of two streams,
2400-505: The 7th century , Saint Mungo established a new Christian community on the banks of the Clyde, potentially replacing Cathures if this is assumed to have occupied the same locus. This community was the beginnings of what would become the city of Glasgow. Several villages along the Clyde that were founded in or before this period have endured to this day, and have grown to become towns, including Llanerc ( Lanark ), Cadzow ( Hamilton ), and Rhynfrwd ( Renfrew ). The fortress of Altclut fell in
2500-665: The Brutalist style , built by Whatlings (Buildings) Limited at a cost of £2.25 million and was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire , Lord Clydesmuir , in December 1970. The main frontage of the civic centre, facing on Windmillhill Street (today part of the A721 road ), featured continuous stone facing panels above and below a continuous row of windows on six floors with a separate council chamber jutting out to
2600-715: The Daer Water (the headwaters of which are dammed to form the Daer Reservoir ) and the Potrail Water. The Southern Upland Way crosses both streams before they meet at Watermeetings ( grid reference NS953131 ) to form the River Clyde proper. At this point, the Clyde is only 10 km (6 mi) from Tweed's Well, the source of the River Tweed , and is about the same distance from Annanhead Hill ,
2700-463: The Gare Loch , within half a mile of each other. McGruers built over 700 boats. Both yards built many widely-known and classic yachts, some of which are still sailing today. The Glasgow Humane Society is responsible for the safety and preservation of life on Glasgow's waterways. Founded in 1790, it is the oldest lifesaving organisation in the world. During and immediately after World War II ,
2800-628: The Industrial Revolution was due to the location of Glasgow, as a port facing the Americas. Tobacco and cotton trade began to drive this economic engine in the early 18th century. However, an obstacle to further economic growth soon became evident: the Clyde was too shallow for the largest ocean-going ships to navigate into it, so cargo had to be transferred, at Greenock or Port Glasgow , to smaller ships that could sail upstream into Glasgow itself. In 1768, John Golborne advised that
2900-566: The Kingdom of Strathclyde ( Teyrnas Ystrad Clut ). The exact etymology of the river's name is unclear, though it is known that the name is ancient. In 50AD, the Egyptian mathematician, astronomer and geographer Claudius Ptolemy wrote of the river as "Klōta", It was called Clut or Clud by the Britons and Clota by the Romans. It is therefore likely that the name comes from
3000-528: The M8 motorway , between the two largest cities of Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh. In the future, there are plans to build a dual carriageway, that will travel through the town linking the two motorways. There are a number of different bus companies that travel through the town to various different locations. Some examples include First (Routes 201, 240, 242, 254 and 355), JMB Travel (Routes 41, 56, 211 and 802), Whitelaws Coaches and United Coaches (Route 1). Some of
3100-635: The Newcastle Diamonds in 1951, and he was supported by Gordon McGregor who was a founder Eagle. Eagles also featured Aussies Keith Gurtner and Ron Phillips who moved over when Ashfield left the League. Popular Australian Noel Watson was killed in his home country in 1953. However, due to his "never say die" approach, the fans' favourite was Bluey (Eric) Scott, who joined the Eagles in 1951. The pioneer Eagles featured Bill Baird from Forth who became
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3200-533: The Ravenscraig steelworks , civic leaders decided to procure a purpose-built civic centre: the site selected at the corner of Airbles Road and Windmillhill Street had previously been occupied by residential properties with a public house on the corner itself. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the provost , Edward McCardle, in September 1965. It was designed by Wylie, Shanks and Partners in
3300-597: The River Cart , by many boatyards, including those at Maryhill and Kirkintilloch on the Forth & Clyde Canal , and Blackhill on the Monkland Canal . Over the same time period, it is estimated that more than 300 firms have engaged in shipbuilding on Clydeside, although probably at most 30 to 40 firms were operating at any given time. The shipbuilding firms became household names on Clydeside, and even around
3400-584: The River Spey . It runs through the city of Glasgow . The River Clyde estuary has an upper tidal limit located at the tidal weir next to Glasgow Green . Historically, it was important to the British Empire because of its role in shipbuilding and trade. To the Romans , it was Clota , and in the early medieval Cumbric language , it was known as Clud or Clut . It was central to
3500-657: The Scottish Lowlands means that it would have been inhabited by the Britons . Motherwell's name reportedly comes from a well, the Lady Well, formerly dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The site of this well is now marked by a plaque on Ladywell Road. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652. By
3600-521: The Siege of Dumbarton of 870 AD, when a force of Norse-Irish raiders from the Kingdom of Dublin sacked it. After that, the kingdom, now politically weakened, possibly moved its capital to Govan . However, it never fully recovered, and in the 11th century it was annexed by the Kingdom of Alba . It did however retain some autonomy under the Church of Glasgow, which became the secular successors of much of
3700-546: The early modern period onwards, the Clyde began to be used commercially as a trade route; trade between Glasgow and the rest of Europe became commonplace. In the centuries that followed, the Clyde became increasingly vital to both Scotland and Britain as a major trade route for exporting and importing resources. The Clyde Navigation Trust was initially formed in 1840 by the Clyde Navigation Act 1840 ( 3 & 4 Vict. c. cxviii), and then reconstituted under
3800-541: The legions of the Roman Empire arrived in southern Scotland, the river and the area surrounding it had been settled by the Brythonic-speaking Damnonii tribe. It has been suggested that a Damnonii town called Cathures was located there and was the precursor to modern Glasgow. The Damnonii tribe originally likely distributed power among individual chiefdoms, but at some point before 500 AD
3900-530: The town's Country Park , The North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre , formerly the Motherwell Heritage Centre on High Road, situated next to the town's railway station, is a building that displays the history of Motherwell from the Roman era. The building also has a viewing tower on the fifth floor, giving visitors a good view of the town and other parts of Lanarkshire, as well as of mountains as far back as Ben Lomond . Motherwell Civic Centre
4000-475: The 183 square miles (470 km ) of North Lanarkshire. Motherwell was noted as the steel production capital of Scotland, nicknamed Steelopolis , home of David Colville & Sons during the 19th and 20th centuries, with its skyline later dominated by the water tower and three cooling towers of their Ravenscraig steelworks which closed in 1992. The Ravenscraig plant had one of the longest continuous casting , hot rolling , steel production facilities in
4100-559: The 1930s, as many wealthy businessmen developed a passion for yacht racing on the Clyde. During World War II, the yard was devoted to Admiralty work, producing large, high-speed Fairmile Marine motor boats (motor torpedo boats and motor gun boats). After the war, the yard built the successful one-class Loch Longs and two 12 m (39 ft) challengers for the America's Cup , designed by David Boyd: Sceptre (1958) and Sovereign (1964). Because of difficult business conditions in 1965,
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4200-403: The 1970s, and completed eastward in 2005, is a foot-and mountain-bike path that follows the course of the Clyde between Glasgow and New Lanark . Scottish Natural Heritage has designated it one of Scotland's Great Trails . The British Geological Survey has identified and evaluated organic chemical pollutants in the sediment of the Clyde estuary. Surface sediments from the Glasgow reaches of
4300-540: The Clyde and Cuningar to Milton , were previously found to contain polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from 630 μg/kg to 23,711 μg/kg and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in the range of 5 to 130.5 μg/kg, which puts these sediments in the range classified as "non-toxic." However, a later study showed PCB concentrations as high as 5,797 μg/kg, which is above published threshold levels for such chlorinated compounds. A comparison between individual PAH compounds that have different thermal stabilities shows that
4400-470: The Clyde since the Paleolithic era. Artifacts dating from 12,000 BC have been found near Biggar , a rural town close to the river. Biggar is home to an archeological site at which Britain's most ancient artifacts have been unearthed. Prehistoric canoes , used by ancient peoples for transport or trade, have been found in the river. There are a number of Mesolithic sites along the Clyde, especially in
4500-542: The Clyde's importance as a major industrial centre rapidly declined. During the war, the Luftwaffe singled out Clydebank for bombing , and its buildings sustained heavy damage. In the immediate postwar period, the sharp reduction in warship orders was initially balanced by a prolonged boom in merchant shipbuilding. But by the end of the 1950s, other countries had begun to establish well-capitalised and highly productive shipbuilding centres that were able to outcompete many of
4600-407: The Clyde. By the mid-19th century, yachting and yacht building had become widely popular. The Clyde became famous worldwide for its significant contribution to yachting and yachtbuilding, and was the home of many notable designers: William Fife III , Alfred Mylne , G. L. Watson , E. McGruer, and David Boyd. It was also home to many famous yacht yards. Robertson's Yard started repairing boats in
4700-710: The Dalziel Park Hotel and Golf Club. Torrance Park Golf Club is a third located in Newarthill. River Clyde The River Clyde ( Scottish Gaelic : Abhainn Chluaidh , pronounced [ˈavɪɲ ˈxl̪ˠuəj] ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde , in the west of Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland after the River Tay and
4800-550: The East Coast Main Line via Edinburgh and Newcastle , and is located next to Motherwell Shopping Centre . National train operators; Avanti West Coast , CrossCountry and TransPennine Express , pass through the main station, but not all stop there. The station is also served by Abellio ScotRail who provide direct services to Carstairs, Coatbridge Central, Cumbernauld, Dalmuir, Edinburgh, Lanark, Milngavie and North Berwick. London North Eastern Railway also provide
4900-572: The European shipbuilding yards. Several Clydeside yards booked a series of loss-making contracts in the hope of weathering the storm, but their unprofitable circumstances continued for too long, and by the mid-1960s they faced potential collapse. Harland and Wolff 's Linthouse yard went under, and Fairfields of Govan faced bankruptcy. The government tried to limit the decline by creating the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders consortium, but
5000-644: The Glasgow Garden Festival 1988 as part of the re-use of city docklands and associated industrial uses led by the Scottish Development Agency in the 1980s and early 90s. The Clyde Waterfront Regeneration project from 2008 aims to continue this approach of finding new uses and attracting new investment, from Glasgow Green to Dumbarton. Residents and tourists come back to the riverside, especially in Glasgow, where vast former docklands have given way to housing and amenities on
5100-518: The Lanarkshire Tramways (closed 1931), which were connected to the very large Glasgow electric tramway system (closed 1962) at both Cambuslang and Uddingston. At its maximum extent, the 200-mile system extended to Balloch, Milngavie, Airdrie, Larkhall, Clarkston, Barrhead, Kilbarchan and Renfrew, besides providing a dense network of lines offering pollution-free electric transport in the city centre. The (now defunct) firm of Hurst Nelson
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#17327796940625200-516: The Lower Clyde, is now owned by the Scottish government. It is the last survivor of the many shipyards that once dominated Port Glasgow and Greenock. Its core business is now the construction of car ferries . Major regeneration schemes include those in the 1970s of forming Strathclyde Country Park , lying between Hamilton and Motherwell, as part of motorway developments; the establishment of
5300-717: The Motherwell area (though outside the boundaries of the town itself) include Brannock High School in Newarthill , Taylor R.C. High School in New Stevenston and Clyde Valley High School in Overtown . The nearest private school is Hamilton College in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire . Another former pupil of Garrion Academy, (later Clyde Valley High School), Deborah Orr, became an award winning journalist in London &
5400-443: The Upper Clyde Valley. Permanent settlements and structures, including what is believed to be a temple to moon gods in Govan , were constructed in the area during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages . Celtic art, language, and other aspects of culture began spreading to the area from the south during this period, and prehistoric artifacts suggest that, by around 1000 BCE, they had become the dominant cultural influences there. Before
5500-405: The amounts of PBDE compounds revealed a decline in certain compounds, in line with the European ban on production of mixtures containing environmentally harmful PBDE with eight and nine bromine atoms. At the same time, there was an increase in the amounts of the less harmful mixture, composed of ten bromine atoms. The River Clyde, or more accurately the Clyde Estuary, has significant potential as
5600-474: The banks in the city. Examples of public amenities and attractions include the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , the Glasgow Science Centre , and the Riverside Museum . Merchant shipping has largely moved west, closer to deeper water at Greenock, and 20 miles beyond that, south, to Hunterston. The river's water is increasingly used for recreation now that industrial uses have diminished. The Clyde Walkway , originating at Glasgow's Custom House Quay in
5700-499: The civic centre, in April 1996. A comprehensive programme of refurbishment works to the concert hall and theatre, costing £6 million, was completed in November 2011. The Civic Centre was designed a Category B listed building by Historic Environment Scotland in December 2020. Motherwell Motherwell ( Scots : Mitherwall , Scottish Gaelic : Tobar na Màthar ) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire , Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow . It has
5800-422: The consortium became mired in controversy and collapsed in 1971. After that, James Callaghan 's Labour government implemented the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 (c. 3), which nationalised most of the Clyde's shipyards and grouped them with other major British shipyards, such as the firm British Shipbuilders . Today, two major shipyards on the Upper Clyde remain in operation. They are both owned by
5900-506: The east of the main structure: the design also included a multi-purpose concert hall and theatre which was built to the west of the civic centre and was part financed by the Scottish Arts Council . The complex received a Scottish Civic Trust Award in 1973. Following the official opening, the concert hall and theatre hosted an initial "carol pageant" and then followed this up with a regular programme of pantomimes and concerts. As well as this, top-level snooker (the Scottish Masters event)
6000-418: The end of the 1980s. Ravenscraig closed on 24 June 1992, and was demolished in July 1996, bringing 400 years of Scottish iron production to an end. Today the Dalzell Plate Mill is all that remains of Motherwell's industrial heritage, rolling steel from Middlesbrough into steel plates of various sizes. By the start of the 21st century Motherwell had begun to transform itself with the service industry thriving,
6100-425: The exchange of military information. The Romans did, however, construct several forts ( castra ) in the area, notably on the banks of the Clyde. These include Castledykes, Bothwellhaugh , and Old Kilpatrick and Bishopton . The Romans also constructed several roads along the river, both small ones and larger ones designed to be used as trade routes and to carry entire legions. The Antonine Wall , which lies only
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#17327796940626200-528: The extent it turned bright green in 2019, and yellow in 2021. Although pollution from heavy industry and power generation has been decreasing, there is evidence that human-made pollution from new synthetic compounds in electrical products and textiles has been increasing. The amounts of 16 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) compounds used as flame retardants in televisions, computers, and furniture upholstery were measured in sediment cores collected from six sites between Princes Dock and Greenock. Comparison of
6300-466: The increased flow of the newly constrained water wore away the river bottom. In other cases, dredging was required to deepen the river. In the mid-19th century, engineers took on the task of dredging the Clyde much more extensively. They removed millions of cubic feet of silt to deepen and widen the channel. The major stumbling block encountered by that project was a massive geological intrusion known as Elderslie Rock . Because that rock increased
6400-401: The large scale unemployment of the previous twenty years had been largely remedied. Through the expansion of both towns, Motherwell and Wishaw are now effectively one continuous urban area, although the towns remain distinct. Motherwell hosted the National Mòd in 1983. Strathclyde Park previously hosted the major Scottish music festival, T in the Park , until 1996, when it was moved to
6500-437: The long track and one on the short track – in 1972. Derrick Close represented Lanarkshire Eagles and England in the 1952 Speedway World Championship Final. He was the third Scottish based rider to achieve this feat after Ken Le Breton ( Ashfield Giants and Australia) in 1949 and Jack Young ( Edinburgh Monarchs and Australia) in 1950 and 1951. Motherwell had two greyhound tracks in the town. The first opened in 1932 and
6600-455: The machinery needed to drive these vessels, including the boilers, pumps, and steering gear, including Rankin & Blackmore , Hastie's and Kincaid 's of Greenock, Rowan's of Finnieston, Weir's of Cathcart, Howden's of Tradeston, and Babcock & Wilcox of Renfrew. One shipyard that was known as a 'Clyde' shipyard was not actually located on any of the Clyde's waterways: Alley & MacLellan 's Sentinel Works in Jessie Street at Polmadie
6700-411: The middle of the 1970s, Motherwell's steel industry employed more than 13,000 people. The 1980s brought a catastrophic collapse in the industry of Motherwell. The steel strike of 1980 lost British Steel Corporation important contracts and markets, followed by the closure of important local customers such as the Linwood car factory and Bathgate truck factory, Ravenscraig employed only 3,200 people by
6800-422: The new building is approximately 20,000 students. The former site at Barons Grange is now being regenerated into a modern housing area. Motherwell Football Club was established in 1886. Known as the "Steelmen" because of the history of steel making in the area, they play in the Scottish Premiership from their home ground at Fir Park Stadium. Like many smaller clubs in the area, Motherwell struggle to attract
6900-399: The only rider to ride for all four Scottish teams. Tommy Miller, one of the top Scottish speedway stars of the day, joined the Eagles in 1954 but moved on to the Coventry Bees mid-season. A short season in 1958 under former Glasgow Tigers promoter Ian Hoskins saw the end of the events at The Stadium but a short lived Long Track venture and a small speedway track staged four events – three on
7000-426: The open sea. Shipping and shipbuilding grow in Glasgow and its neighbouring industrial burghs of Govan and Partick ; with the Clyde, including is lower reaches, becoming the centre of world shipbuilding. The river then flows west, out of Glasgow, past Renfrew , under the Erskine Bridge , and past Dumbarton on the northern shore and the sandbank at Ardmore Point between Cardross and Helensburgh . Opposite, on
7100-418: The places that can be accessible by bus from Motherwell: The three acute hospitals in Lanarkshire can also be reached by bus from Motherwell: Since the M74 Extension has been completed, access to Glasgow Airport has become easier. The airport is approximately 16 miles (26 km) away from Motherwell. Edinburgh Airport is further away, at 31 miles (50 km), and can be reached by the M8. As well as
7200-480: The political framework was a British culture of Welsh speakers that was politically unified and formed a centralised kingdom known as Alt Clut, representing the power centre at Dunbarton Rock. None of the documentary or archaeological evidence from the period when the Roman legions arrived suggests that battles took place in the area. Therefore the Roman legions and Damnonii tribespeople are assumed to have been on good terms and to have co-operated by means of trade and
7300-471: The power of the Falls of Clyde , the most spectacular of which is Cora Linn. A hydroelectric power station still generates 11MW of electricity there today, although the mills have now become a museum and World Heritage Site . The river then makes its way northwest, past the towns of Wishaw to the east of it and Larkhall to the west of it. The river's surroundings here become increasingly suburban. Between
7400-579: The problem, so in 1773, a training wall called the Lang Dyke was built on the Dumbuck shoal to stop water flowing over into the southern channel of the river. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, hundreds of jetties were built out from the banks of the river between Dumbuck and the Broomielaw quay in Glasgow proper. In some cases, this construction had the effect of deepening the river, because
7500-399: The project's difficulty, the work was not completed until the 1880s. Around this time, the Clyde became an important source of inspiration for artists, such as John Atkinson Grimshaw and James Kay , who were interested in painting scenes that depicted the new industrial era and the modern world. The completion of the dredging was well-timed, because the channel finally became navigable all
7600-494: The region. Large employers include William Grant & Sons whisky distillers and the heavy equipment manufacturer Volvo Construction Equipment /Rokbak. Motherwell has been a Fairtrade Town since January 2007. The town has three stations, a main railway station (known simply as Motherwell), Airbles and Shieldmuir . The main station runs on the West Coast Main Line from Glasgow to London and on
7700-510: The river should be made narrower and the scour increased by constructing rubble jetties and dredging sandbanks and shoals . Another obstacle to navigation that had to be solved was that the river divided into two shallow channels by the Dumbuck shoal near Dumbarton . After James Watt 's 1769 report describing this problem, a jetty was constructed at Longhaugh Point to block off the southern channel. This turned out to be insufficient to solve
7800-589: The river's shipyards were given contracts to build prestigious ocean-going liners, as well as warships. The Queen Mary and, in later years, the Queen Elizabeth 2 were built in the town of Clydebank . Between 1712, when the Scott family's shipyard was built at Greenock, and the present day, over 25,000 ships have been built on the River Clyde, its firth, and its tributaries , the River Kelvin and
7900-486: The second half of the 19th century. With the coming of the railway in 1848, came industry and money. By 1881 David Colville had opened both an iron and steel works; Motherwell had a new piped water supply; had been granted burgh status and had its population swelled to 13,800 people. By the end of the 19th century Motherwell Town Hall and Dalziel High School had been built, the local football club had been founded, and its stadium, Fir Park , had been constructed. At
8000-595: The source of PAH pollution in the Clyde is different in different parts of the river. PAH in the inner Clyde (Cuningar to Milton) are from combustion sources (vehicle exhaust, coal burning), whereas PAH in the outer Clyde are from petroleum spills. The amount and type of sedimentary pollution in the Clyde reflects the area's industrial history. In order to assess how the nature of the pollutants has changed over time, from 1750 to 2002, seven sediment cores of one metre's depth were collected, and dated using lead concentrations and changing lead isotope ratios. The sediments showed
8100-458: The source of the River Annan . From there, it meanders northeastward before turning to the west, where its flood plain serve as the site of many major roads in the area, then reaches the town of Lanark , where the late 17th- and early 18th-century industrialists David Dale and Robert Owen built mills and the model settlement of New Lanark on the banks of the Clyde. The mills harnessed
8200-459: The southeastern part of Glasgow, the river begins to widen, meandering through Cambuslang , Rutherglen , and Dalmarnock , and past Glasgow Green . From the Tidal Weir westwards, the river is tidal : a mix of fresh and salt water. Over three centuries the river has been engineered and widened where it passes through Glasgow city centre and onwards towards Dumbarton and Greenock and
8300-509: The southern shore, is the last remaining Lower Clyde shipyard, at Port Glasgow . The river continues on to Greenock , where it reaches the Tail of the Bank as the river merges into the Firth of Clyde . Here at the mouth of the Clyde, there is currently a significant ecological problem of oxygen depletion in the water column. The economic prosperity that the Clyde made possible at the beginning of
8400-428: The start of the 19th century Motherwell was a small hamlet, a farming community of some 600 people living adjacently to the 16th century laird's manor, Jerviston house. The hamlet remained reasonably small, reaching 1,700 people by 1841, and centred on the crossroads between the main road following the Clyde, and the road connecting Edinburgh with Hamilton and the west. Motherwell's fortunes changed dramatically in
8500-497: The start of the 20th century Motherwell stood a large and growing industrial centre, a town of 37,000 people and a wide variety of heavy industries such as munitions, trams and bridge components. By the 1930s most of Scotland's steel production was in Motherwell, and owned by the Colville family. In 1959 the Colville family were persuaded by the government to begin work of a vast new steel works, which would become Ravenscraig . Within
8600-607: The territory when it was treated as a Principality of the Scottish Crown. In the 13th century, Glasgow, then still a small town, built its first bridge over the river Clyde. This was an important step in its ability to eventually grow into a city. The establishment, in the 15th century, of both the University of Glasgow and the Archdiocese of Glasgow , vastly increased the importance of the town within Scotland. From
8700-560: The town in 1950 at the then newly constructed Parkneuk Sports Stadium in Milton Street. The Lanarkshire Eagles staged open meetings from July to September 1950. In 1951 the Eagles started out in the National League Second Division with veteran ex- Glasgow Tigers Will Lowther and Joe Crowther in the line up. They operated until the end of the 1954 season. The top man was Derrick Close, signed from
8800-416: The towns of Motherwell and Hamilton , the course of the river has been altered to create an artificial loch within Strathclyde Park . Part of the original course can still be seen: It lies between the island and the eastern shore of the loch. The river then flows through Blantyre and Bothwell , where the ruined Bothwell Castle stands on a defensible promontory . As it flows past Uddingston and into
8900-475: The way from Greenock to Glasgow just when the steelwork industry had begun to grow in the city. Shipbuilding replaced trade as the major activity on the river, and shipbuilding companies started rapidly establishing themselves there. The Clyde soon gained a reputation for being the best location for shipbuilding in the British Empire , and grew to become the world's pre-eminent shipbuilding centre. The term Clydebuilt became an industry symbol of high quality, and
9000-485: The world before it was decommissioned. The closure of Ravenscraig signalled the end of large scale steel making in Scotland, although the town's Dalzell steel plate works continues to be operated by Tata Steel Europe . In the past decade, Motherwell has to an extent recovered from the high unemployment and economic decline brought about by this collapse of heavy industry . A number of call centres and business parks such as Strathclyde Business Park have since set up in
9100-418: The world to some extent. These included, among many others, John Brown & Company of Clydebank, Denny of Dumbarton, Scott of Greenock, Lithgows of Port Glasgow, Simon and Lobnitz of Renfrew, Alexander Stephen & Sons of Linthouse, Fairfield of Govan, Inglis of Pointhouse, Barclay Curle of Whiteinch, Connell and Yarrow of Scotstoun. Almost as famous were the engineering firms that supplied
9200-465: The yard turned to doing GRP production work (mainly building Pipers and Etchells), and it closed in 1980. During its 104-year history, Robertson's Yard built 500 boats, many of which are still sailing today. Two other notable boatyards on the Clyde were Silvers, which operated from 1910 to 1970, and McGruers, which operated from 1910 to 1973. They were situated on the Rosneath peninsula on the banks of
9300-641: Was a major railway rolling stock manufacturer based in the town. The company built trains for the London Underground , and tramcars, as well as vehicles for main line railways. Motherwell is very accessible, as it is right next to the M74 motorway beside the River Clyde . This road leads to Cumbria on the Anglo-Scottish border , where it becomes the M6 . It is also about 3 miles (5 km) drive from
9400-667: Was also held within the complex during the 1990s. The civic centre was the headquarters of the Burgh of Motherwell and Wishaw Council until it was replaced by Motherwell District Council under the wider Strathclyde Regional Council in May 1975. It remained the Motherwell District Council headquarters until the abolition of the Strathclyde Region led to the formation of North Lanarkshire Council , based at
9500-539: Was called the Clyde Valley Greyhound Track , it was located on Airbles Road and closed in 1959. The second was the Parkneuk Sports Stadium near Milton Street and was opened in 1949 but closed in 1972. Dalziel Rugby Club play at Dalziel Park (formerly Cleland Estate) between the villages of Carfin and Cleland (both near Motherwell). There are cycle routes based in Motherwell and in neighboring Strathclyde Country Park. The Greenlink Cycle Path
9600-416: Was hostile to the Romans. Strathclyde was founded as an independent unified British kingdom, quite some centuries after the Roman occupation of Britain . The kingdom's core territory and much of its arable land was located around the Clyde basin in the area traditionally associated with Alt Clut. The kingdom was ruled from its original capital, the near impenetrable Alt Clut fortress (Dumbarton Rock), which
9700-547: Was married for a time to Will Self. Her personal memoir "Motherwell" 2020 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN 978 1 4746 1146 6, gives a clear eyed description of the town as she knew it from the 1960s onwards. There is a Further Education college in Motherwell, known as New College Lanarkshire . This was located next to Our Lady's High School in Dalzell Drive, though in 2009 relocated to Ravenscraig , about 1 km away from its former site. The current roll of students at
9800-623: Was recently modernised, with the outdated pink and yellow panels replaced by a modern-looking glass exterior. Notable alumni of Braidhurst include Elaine C Smith (actress), former Scotland national football captain Gary McAllister and Tam Cowan (comedian and writer). Our Lady's High School is a Roman Catholic secondary located in Dalzell Drive, near Fir Park Stadium in Knowetop, the school serves areas including Knowetop, North Lodge, Airbles, Glencairn and Muirhouse. At one point it
9900-613: Was situated on the river and overlooked much of the estuary. This fortress was noteworthy enough to have been referred to at the time in several letters and poems about Sub-Roman Britain , written by Gildas and others. Strathclyde remained a powerful kingdom during the early medieval period in Britain. It was also a reservoir of native Welsh culture : Its territory expanded along the Clyde Vae Southern Uplands and Ayrshire, and eventually southwards into Cumbria. In
10000-467: Was the largest school in Western Europe, but the current school roll is around 700. Notable alumni of Our Lady's include Manchester City footballer and Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby , Celtic F.C. footballer Billy McNeill, Derby County footballer Stephen Pearson , Celtic F.C. footballer Kieran Tierney and Motherwell F.C. footballer Chris Cadden . Other secondary schools in
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