Broxburn
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|---|---|
 The junction of East and West Main Street in central Broxburn | |
  Broxburn Location withinWest Lothian | |
| Population | 15,970 (2020)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NT081722 |
| 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 | |
| 55°56′02″N3°28′16″W / 55.934°N 3.471°W /55.934; -3.471 | |
Broxburn (Scottish Gaelic:Srath Bhroc,pronounced[ˈs̪ɾaˈvɾɔʰk]) is a town inWest Lothian,Scotland. It is 12 miles (19 km) from the West End ofEdinburgh, 5 miles (8.0 km) fromEdinburgh Airport and 5 miles (8.0 km) to the north ofLivingston. 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 theVictorian era as a result of industrialisation 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 aconurbation with neighbouringUphall. It lies just to the south ofWinchburgh.
The name Broxburn is a corruption of "brock's burn", brock being an old Scots name for aEuropean badger whether from the Gaelicbroc[2][3] or the Pictish/Welsh/BrythonicBroch[4] andburn being a Scots word for a large stream or small river.[5] The village was earlier known as Easter Strathbrock (Uphall was Wester Strathbrock)[6] with Strath coming either from the Gaelicsrath or the Pictish/Welsh/Brythonicystrad[7] meaning a river valley.
The village that later became Broxburn probably originated around 1350 when Margery le Cheyne inherited the eastern half of the Barony of Strathbrock (Easter Strathbrock) on the death of her father, Sir Reginald le Cheyne III. The hamlet that grew up around her residence was then called Eastertoun (eastern town) after the land on which it stood. The lands of Strathbrock were earlier owned byFreskin the Fleming, granted to him under a charter fromKing David I.
Easter Strathbrock was burned to the ground sometime in 1443-4 during a conflict betweenWilliam, Earl of Douglas, Lieutenant-General of Scotland, andWilliam, Lord Crichton, Chancellor of Scotland. It was destroyed again in 1455 during fighting between the Douglases andKing James II. After the conflict, peace was regained and the town was gradually resettled. In 1590, Kirkhill House was built for John Laing, a local landowner.[8] The village was renamed Broxburn in 1600 bySir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington,Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, almost certainly afterBroxburn, East Lothian.
In 1636, Kirkhill house was granted to Ludovic Stewart, advocate.[8] The house and surrounding land eventually passed toDavid Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, where the house was extensive remodelled in 1770/1771.[8] It then passed to his nephew, the 12th Earl who was buried in St John's Church nearby. The house still exists today in Broxburn and is Category B listed.[8]
Broxburn remained an agricultural community until the development of theoil shale industry in the area during the second half of the nineteenth century. This brought in a rapid influx of workers, greatly expanding the local population. Broxburn is still known for its association with the industry, pioneered by the inventor and industrialistJames Young. Many shale spoil tips, known asbings, are still in evidence around the town.
Up until its closure in 2013, Hall's of Broxburn, a food manufacturer, employed around 1,700 employees at its meat processing plant to the east of the town.[9] At the time of closure, it was the largest, single employer in Broxburn. The large building was demolished in 2014.[10]
The 3 Broxburn Bings (Greendikes Bing, Albion Oil Works Bing and Hopetoun Bing) reside on the north east of Broxburn starting from behind the East Mains Industrial estate. The nearby Niddry Bing resides near the village ofWinchburgh. The largest of the three Bings is the Greendykes Bing which when scaled provides excellent views of the whole area. The Bings were created by large piles of spoil from the shale mines being dumped on top of each over to form the Bings.
Broxburn now has two separate industrial areas, the Greendykes Industrial Estate and the East Mains Industrial Estate, which provide employment for local people. The largest employers are Campbells Prime Meat Limited,Glenmorangie and Broxburn Bottlers Limited (part of Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd).James Ritchie & Son is a firm of clockmakers located in Broxburn that was established in 1809.[11]
Broxburn lies in theLivingston constituency of theBritish Parliament and theAlmond Valley constituency of theScottish Parliament.
BeforeBrexit, it was part of theScotland European Parliament constituency.
ForLocal Government purposes, it is part of; the Broxburn, Uphall and WinchburghWard ofWest Lothian Council and is part ofWest Lothian Council 2nd ward, which also includes the nearby villages ofUphall andWinchburgh.
The Strathbrock Partnership Centre is a local community facility that contains a medical centre, library, community museum and community centre.[12][13][14] The library, formerly known as the Broxburn library was renamed the Lex Davidson Library in 2022 in honour of a local councillor who served the community for 25 years.[15][16]
The local hospital isSt. John's Hospital at Howden in Livingston.[17]
TheA89 road passes along the southern edge of Broxburn. TheA899 road passes directly through the centre of Broxburn where it is known as East and West Main Street. The nearest motorway is theM8. Broxburn is served by multiple bus services operated by McGill's Scotland East,Lothian Country and E&M Horseburgh.SD Travel operates one twice-a-day service 16 between Livingston Centre and Western General Hospital in the northwestern tip of Edinburgh via Broxburn, Whinchburgh, and Kirkliston, andHcL, a small mobility company based in the county, operates a local town service 2A and 2B between Broxburn and Uphall and within Broxburn itself.
Lothian Country operates services:
Broxburn has regular links toEdinburgh,Livingston,Linlithgow andEdinburgh Airport. The nearest railway station is atUphall Station providing links toEdinburgh,Livingston,Bathgate,Airdrie andGlasgow.
TheUnion Canal passes through Broxburn. It no longer operates as a transport link, but is now used for fishing,magnet fishing and some leisure boating. It has a towpath previously used by the horses which drew canal barges and which is now used as a footpath, the footpaths are popular places for dog walkers, bikers, runners and walkers.
Broxburn has four schools, all state-funded, Broxburn Primary, Kirkhill Primary, St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Primary andBroxburn Academy.
Broxburn has six churches.
The church of St John Cantius and St Nicholas Catholic Church is aRoman Catholic church.[18] The church is Category B listed.[19] It was built in 1880 in theEarly English style to a design by Shiells & Thomson, the church is notable for containing a 15th/16th-century font from the medieval church excavated at Kirkhill.[18] The original church high altar, inCaen stone and marble byPugin & Pugin,[18] has been replaced with a modernreredos.[19] Adjacent to the church is a hall dating to 1936 (now used by a local scout group) and a memorial chapel forHenry Erskine, 12th Earl of Buchan built in 1857, who lived nearby at Kirkhill House.[18][8]
The Broxburn Parish Church was built in 1880 to aFrench Gothic design byHippolyte Blanc.[20] It providesChurch of Scotland services.[21]
The St NicholasUnited Free Church of Scotland was built in 1890 in the Gothic style to a design byJames Graham Fairley.[22][23]
Other smaller churches in the town include the New Life Christian Fellowship Broxburn in Strathbrock Community Centre,[24] the Broxburn Baptist Church,[25] and the Grace Community Church.[26] There are also some other religious groups active in the town, includingJehovah's Witnesses and several evangelical Christian organisations.
Broxburn is home to thefootball clubBroxburn Athletic, who play in the Scottish Lowland League. There are sports and health facilities publicly available, including a sports centre, library, swimming pool and bowling clubs.[citation needed] TheBinny Golf Club is located on the Binny Estate.A motorcycle dirt track was built at The Sports Park in 1928 and a few demonstration events were staged to show off the new sport to football fans.[citation needed] Due to Broxburn's proximity to Edinburgh, it was not licensed. Another demonstration event at a motorcycle club event in 1929 ended after both riders crashed.
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