| Coatbridge | |
|---|---|
 The Fountain at Bank Street | |
  Coatbridge Location withinNorth Lanarkshire | |
| Area | 6.818 sq mi (17.66 km2) |
| Population | 43,950 (2022)[3] |
| • Density | 6,038/sq mi (2,331/km2) |
| OS grid reference | NS730651 |
| • Edinburgh | 33 mi (53 km)ENE |
| • London | 341 mi (549 km)SSE |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | COATBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | ML5 |
| Dialling code | 01236 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 55°51′45″N4°01′36″W / 55.8625°N 4.0266°W /55.8625; -4.0266 | |
Coatbridge (Scots:Cotbrig or Coatbrig,locally/ˌkoʊtˈbrɪdʒ/[4]) is a town inNorth Lanarkshire,Scotland, about8+1⁄2 miles (14 kilometres) east ofGlasgow city centre, set in thecentral Lowlands. Along with neighbouring townAirdrie, Coatbridge forms the area known as the Monklands (population approximately 90,000 including outlying settlements),[5] often considered to be part of theGreater Glasgow urban area – although officially they have not been included in population figures since 2016 due to small gaps between the Monklands and Glasgow built-up areas.
In the last years of the 18th century, the area developed from a loose collection ofhamlets into the town of Coatbridge. The town's development and growth have been intimately connected with the technological advances of theIndustrial Revolution, and in particular with thehot blast process. Coatbridge was a major Scottish centre for iron works and coal mining during the 19th century and was then described as 'the industrial heartland of Scotland'[6] and the 'Iron Burgh'.
Coatbridge also had a notorious reputation for air pollution and the worst excesses of industry. However, by the 1920s, coal seams were exhausted and the iron industry in Coatbridge was in rapid decline. After theGreat Depression, the Gartsherrie ironwork was the last remaining iron works in the town. One publication has commented that in modern-day Coatbridge "coal, iron and steel have all been consigned to the heritage scrap heap".[7]
Coatbridge owes its name to a bridge that carried the old Edinburgh-Glasgow road over the Gartsherrie Burn, at what is now Coatbridge Cross. This first appears onRoy's survey of 1755 asCottbrig, one of a number of places on the wider Coats estate. The name Coats most likely comes from the Scots wordcot(t), meaning "cottage",[8] although an alternative theory links it to the name of the Colt family, who owned land here as early as the 13th century.[9]
Settlement of the Coatbridge area dates back 3000 years to theMesolithic Age.[10] A circle ofBronze Age stone coffins was found on theDrumpellier estate in 1852.[11] A number of other Bronze Age urns and relics have been found in Coatbridge.[12] AnIron Age wood and thatchcrannog dwelling was sited in the loch at the present dayDrumpellier Country Park. Dependent upon the water level in the loch, the remains can still be seen.[13]
Roman coins have been unearthed in Coatbridge,[14] and there are the remains of a Roman road on the fringes of the town near theM8 motorway.[15]
The Monklands area inherited its name after the area was granted to theCistercian monks ofNewbattle Abbey[16] byKing Malcolm IV in 1162. In 1323, the Monklands name appeared for the first time on Stewards' charter.[17] The monks mined coal and farmed the land until the time of thereformation when the land was taken from them and given to private landowners. In 1641, the parish ofMonklands was divided between New Monkland (present dayAirdrie) and Old Monkland (present day Coatbridge).[18] Old Monkland was described in the 1799Statistical Account as an "immense garden" with "extensive orchards" and "luxurious crops", where "rivers abound with salmon".[19]
TheMonkland Canal was constructed at the end of the 18th century initially to transport coal to Glasgow from the rich local deposits. The invention of thehot blast furnace process in 1828 meant that Coatbridge'sironstone deposits could be exploited to the maximum by the canal link and hot blast process.[20] The new advances meant that iron could be produced with two-thirds less fuel.[21]Summerlee Iron Works was one of the first iron works to use this technology.[22] By the mid 19th century there were numerous hot blast furnaces in operation in Coatbridge.
The prosperous industry which had sprung up around the new iron industry required vast numbers of largely unskilled workers to mine ironstone and work in theblast furnace plants. Coatbridge therefore became a popular destination for vast numbers ofIrish (especially fromCounty Donegal inUlster) arriving in Scotland. The iron bars and plates produced in Coatbridge iron works were the raw materials needed throughout theBritish Empire forrailways, construction, bridge building and shipbuilding. One example of uses Coatbridge iron was put to included armour plating for British ships fighting in theCrimean War.[23]
Over the course of the following forty years, the population of Coatbridge grew by 600%.[24] The character of the Coatbridge area changed from a rural,Presbyterian landscape of small hamlets and farmhouses into a crowded, polluted,Irish Catholic industrial town. In 1840, Rev William Park wrote that:
"The population of this parish is at present advancing at an amazing rate, and this propensity is entirely owing to the local coal and iron trade, stimulated by the discovery of the black band of ironstone and the method of fusing iron by hot blast. New villages are springing up almost every month, and it is impossible to keep place with the march of prosperity and the increase of the population."[25]
One contemporary observer at this time noted that Coatbridge is "not famous for its sylvan beauties of its charming scenery" and "offers the visitor no inducements to loiter long". However, "a visit to the large Gartsherrie works is one of the sights of a lifetime".[26]
Most of the town's population lived in tight rows ofterraced houses built under the shadow of the iron works. These homes were often owned by their employers. Living conditions for most were appalling andtuberculosis was rife.[27]
For a fortunate few though, fortunes could be won "with a rapidity only equalled by the princely gains of some of the adventurers who accompanied Pizarro to Peru", noted one observer.[18] Among the most notable success stories were the six sons of Coatbridge farmer Alexander Baird. The Baird family had become involved in coal mining but opened an iron foundry in order to exploit the new hot blast process of iron smelting invented byJames Beaumont Neilson. The Bairds subsequently constructed numerous iron foundries in Coatbridge including the famous Gartsherrie iron works.[28] The waste heap or 'bing' from the Baird's Gartsherrie works was said to be as large as the great pyramid in Egypt. One son, James Baird, was responsible for erecting 16 blast-furnaces in Coatbridge between 1830 and 1842.[29] Each of the six sons of Alexander Baird was reputed to have become a millionaire.[18]
The town was vividly described by Robert Baird in 1845:[28]
"There is no worse place out of hell than that neighbourhood. At night the groups of blast furnaces on all sides might be imagined to be blazing volcanoes at most of which smelting is continued on Sundays and weekdays, day and night, without intermission. From the town comes a continual row of heavy machinery: this and the pounding of many steam hammers seemed to make even the very ground vibrate under ones feet. Fire, smoke and soot with the roar and rattle of machinery are its leading characteristics; the flames of its furnaces cast on the midnight sky a glow as if of some vast conflagration. Dense clouds of black smoke roll over it incessantly and impart to all buildings a peculiarly dingy aspect. A coat of black dust overlies everything."[30]
In the 19th century, the Baird family wielded a pervasive influence over Coatbridge. They were responsible for the design of the lay out of present-day Coatbridge town centre. The land for the Town Hall and the land which later came to form Dunbeth Park was given to the town by the Bairds. Gartsherrie church was built by the Baird family, the oldest and most significant landmark in the town. Despite being Protestant, the Bairds donated the site on the Main Street for the erection of St Patrick's Catholic Church.
Daniel (Dane) Sinclair, an engineer with the National Telephone Company, based in Glasgow, patented the automatic telephone switchboard. This system was installed in Coatbridge in 1886 and became the world's first automatic telephone exchange.[31]
By 1885, the once plentiful Monklands ironstone deposits had been largely exhausted.[28] It became increasingly expensive to produce iron in Coatbridge as raw materials had to be imported from as far afield asSpain. The growth of the steel industry (in nearbyMotherwell) had also led to a start of a decline in demand for the pig iron Coatbridge produced. Living conditions remained grim. In the 1920s,Lloyd George's "Coal and Power" report described the living conditions in the Rosehall area of Coatbridge:
"...on the outskirts of Coatbridge, I found nearly the worst of all. In each of these single rooms lives a miner's family. There is no pantry. The coal is kept under the bed. Water has to be obtained from a standpipe outside, used by a number of houses. Conspicuously huddled together in the yards are filthy huts for sanitary purposes."[32]
George Orwell's bookThe Road to Wigan Pier was illustrated by a photograph of homes in the Rosehall area of Coatbridge.[33] In 1934, there was an exodus toCorby inEngland when the local Union Plant relocated. This had the effect of a hammer blow impact on the town's iron industry and ushered in the end of serious iron production. The decline of theClydeside shipbuilding industry in the 1950s meant the demand for iron finally collapsed.[34] A legacy of 'devastating'[35] unemployment, appalling housing conditions and some of the worst overcrowding in Scotland left its stamp on the Coatbridge of the early 1930s.[36] As late as 1936, Coatbridge was the most overcrowded place in Scotland.
In the 1930s and 1950s, however, massive state-sponsored programmes saw thousands of new homes built in Coatbridge and some of the worst examples of slum housing were cleared away. By the early 1980s, 85% of homes in Coatbridge were part of local authority housing stock.[37]
The last of the blast furnaces, William Baird's famous Gartsherrie works, closed in 1967.[28]
Since the 1970s, there have been various initiatives to attempt to regenerate Coatbridge. Urban Aid grants,European Union grants and, more recently, Social Inclusion Partnerships have attempted to breathe new life into Coatbridge. Despite these efforts the town's population has continued to fall and, in recent years, the town has been dubbed the "most dismal in Scotland".[38]
Towns, villages and places in direction of Coatbridge | |
|---|---|
At55°51′44″N4°1′46″W / 55.86222°N 4.02944°W /55.86222; -4.02944 (55.861°, -4.047°), Coatbridge is situated in Scotland'sCentral Lowlands. The town lies 88 metres (288 ft) abovesea level, 9 miles (14.5 km) east ofGlasgow, 6 miles (10 km) south ofCumbernauld and 2 miles (3 km) west ofAirdrie.Although Coatbridge has no major river running through it, theNorth Calder Water runs east–west to the south and the now defunctMonkland Canal used to run straight through the centre of the town toward Glasgow. The canal route through Coatbridge can still be seen today. Several smallerburns run through Coatbridge, most of which drain into theNorth Calder Water. Coatbridge has four significant public parks: Dunbeth Park, West End Park,Whifflet park andDrumpellier Country Park. Lochend Loch (locally known as Drumpellier Loch) and Woodend Loch are situated on the north-west edge of Coatbridge.
Thetopography of Coatbridge was an important feature in the town's development during theindustrial revolution. Coatbridge rests 60 metres below the "Slamannan plateau" and neighbouring Airdrie sits on its edge. The low-lying flat ground of Coatbridge was a vital factor in the siting of the town's blast furnaces and theMonkland Canal route. Although Airdrie was an already established town and had local supplies of ironstone, the Monkland Canal link did not extend into Airdrie because of its higher elevation.[39] TheClyde Valley plan of 1949 described Coatbridge as 'situated over a flooded coalfield'.[40] Tenement buildings in Coatbridge were not built to the same level as Glasgow tenements due to danger of local subsidence from centuries of local mining.[41]
Dunbeth Hill where the present local authority municipal buildings stand is a wedge of rock which was probably squeezed upwards by the force of two (now-extinct)fault lines. There are the remains of spreads of glacial sands along the crest of Drumpellier, the west bank of Gartsherrie Burn and along modern day Bank Street. Kirkwood, Kirkshaws and Shawhead sit on a sandstone capped ridge looking south over the Clyde Valley. The vital Coatbridge black band coal field extended from Langloan to beyond the eastern edge of the town.[23]
Like much of theBritish Isles, Coatbridge experiences atemperatemaritime climate with relatively cool summers and mild winters. The prevailing wind is from the west. Regular but generally light precipitation occurs throughout the year.
Coatbridge is the home of one of Scotland's most visited museums,Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, which contains an insight into the lives of working people in the West of Scotland. A miners' row of 1900s–1980s houses, a working tramway and a reconstruction coal mine can all be experienced on site. The museum is situated on the remains of one of Coatbridge's historic blast furnaces, now a Scheduled Monument.
Janet Hamilton, the nineteenth century poet and essayist, died in Langloan in 1873. Present-day writersAnne Donovan (Orange prize winner), Brian Conaghan (the award-winning author of several novels) Award-winning authorDes Dillon[43] are all from Coatbridge. Coatbridge has regularly featured in Des Dillon's work. Two of his books about Coatbridge have been turned into plays.[44]
Mark Millar is a Coatbridge comic book writer whoseWanted comic book series has been translated into a feature film starringAngelina Jolie andMorgan Freeman, as well as the highly successful graphic novelKickass which was adapted into the successful film of the same name in 2010. Coatbridge-bornDame Laurentia McLachlan was theBenedictine abbess of the Stanbrook Community whose correspondence withGeorge Bernard Shaw andSydney Cockerell was the subject of the filmThe Best of Friends.[45]
Coatbridge is also home to the annual Deep Fried Film Festival. Local filmmakers Duncan and Wilma Finnigan have been described byThe List as "the John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands of Coatbridge".[46]
Thomas McAleese (aliasDean Ford) was the lead singer ofThe Marmalade who had a UK number one single in 1969 with a cover ofThe Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and co-wrote "Reflections of My Life", Marmalade's biggest worldwide success. Coatbridge brothersGreg Kane andPat Kane are the bandHue and Cry. Coatbridge bornAlan Frew is the ex-pat lead singer ofCanadian groupGlass Tiger. "My Town" was written by Glass Tiger bandmates Alan Frew, Alan Connelly and Wayne Parker, as well as Jim Cregan, who co-wrote two of Rod Stewart's other hits. The song's lyrics are a tribute to Frew's hometown, Coatbridge, and Stewart was invited to record the song with Glass Tiger because of his Scottish ancestry.Cha Burns (deceased),Jimme O'Neill andJJ Gilmour ofThe Silencers are from Coatbridge. Coatbridge sistersFran and Anna were a famous duo on theScottish traditional music scene. Cousins Ted and Hugh McKenna, ofTear Gas and theSensational Alex Harvey Band, and Hugh's sister, Mae McKenna, a folk singer and renowned session singer, came from the Kirkshaws area of Coatbridge.
Coatbridge is especially noted for its historical links withIreland. This is largely due to large scale immigration into the town fromUlster (especially fromCounty Donegal) in the 19th century and throughout most of the 20th century. Indeed, the town has been called "little Ireland".[47][48][49]
The most obvious manifestation of these links can be seen in the annualSt Patrick's Day Festival. The festival is sponsored by theIrish Government andGuinness. The festival runs for over afortnight and includes lectures, film shows, dance/Gaelic football competitions and music performances. The festival is the largest Irish celebration in Scotland.[50][51][52]
The Coatbridge accent has been categorised as making less use of the Scots tongue and exhibiting a tendency to stress the "a" vowel differently from general Scots usage. Examples of this are seen in the pronunciation of the words stair ("sterr"), hair ("herr"), fair ("ferr") and chair ("cherr"). This different enunciation has been attributed to the impact of successive influxes of Ulster Catholic immigrants into Coatbridge.[53][54] However, the distinctiveness of the Coatbridge accent and pronunciation has diminished as the various surrounding populations (especially Glasgow) have mingled with that of Coatbridge.
Coatbridge's local football team isAlbion Rovers. Albion Rovers play in theLowland Football League having been relegated fromScottish League Two following the2022–23 season.Cliftonhill is where they play their home games. The "Wee Rovers" were founded in 1882 when two local Coatbridge clubs, Rovers and Albion, amalgamated to form the club bearing the name.[55]
Coatbridge CC a local amateur football club founded in 1976 became Scottish Champions in 1986 and again in 1988. Coatbridge CC became the first amateur football club to win the Scottish Cup and the West of Scotland cup in the same season.
Coatbridge Bowling Club (founded 1849) celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2024 and is the oldest sports club in the town. It is situated in Bowling Street, in the Blairhill area of Coatbridge.
The Coatbridge Indoor bowling club hosted theWorld Indoor Bowls Championships from 1979 until 1987.
Drumpellier Cricket Club has been in continuous existence for over 150 years and the club has a ground in theDrumpellier area.
Greyhound and speedway racing also took part in the town, using the Albion Rovers FC ground. Greyhound Racing began on 11 December 1931 and lasted until 1986.[56] The Edinburgh Monarchs rode there in 1968–69 (as the Coatbridge Monarchs) after losing their track atMeadowbank Stadium to the developers for the1970 Commonwealth Games.[57] Glasgow Tigers moved from Hampden Park to Coatbridge in 1973, and stayed there until June 1977, when they were forced out by thegreyhound racing.[58]
Coatbridge was the home of former boxer Bert Gilroy, Scotland's longest-reigning champion. Coatbridge is also home to the former WBO Super-featherweight, lightweight and light-welterweight world championRicky Burns. Walter Donaldson, former World Snooker champion, also hailed from Coatbridge.[59]
There are two golf courses: the municipal course borderingDrumpellier Country Park and the nearby private member's club Drumpellier Golf Course. Clare Queen, Scotland's number one female golfer on the women's European tour, is from Coatbridge.[60]
Coatbridge has asumo club, Clan Sumo.[61]
Coatbridge was givenburgh status in 1885, and was granted a coat of arms by theLord Lyon in 1892. The arms have a black field and on it a flaming tower to represent a blast furnace and Coatbridge's industrial tradition. The crest is a monk holding a stone in his left hand. The stone relates to the old parish of Monklands and the legend of the "aul' kirk stane".[62] The legend of the "aul' kirk stane" is that a pilgrim undertaking a penance from Glasgow carried a stone in the direction of Monklands. When he could carry the stone no further (or in another version of the legend, when an angel spoke to him) he laid the stone down. It was where the stone came to rest that he was to build a church. The church is the present-day Old Monkland Kirk, at which the alleged stone can still be seen.[26]
TheLatin mottoLaborare est orare translates as "to work is to pray", which originated in the writings ofSt Benedict and is commonly associated with theCistercian Order, whose monks came to Monklands in the 12th century.[16]
Coatbridge is represented by three tiers of elected government.North Lanarkshire Council, the unitarylocal authority for Coatbridge, is based atMotherwell, and is theexecutive,deliberative andlegislative body responsible forlocal governance. TheScottish Parliament is responsible fordevolved matters such aseducation,health andjustice,[63] whilereserved matters are dealt with by theParliament of the United Kingdom.
Up until 1975, Coatbridge had its own Burgh Council based atCoatbridge Town Hall. Between 1975 and 1996, Coatbridge was part ofMonklands District Council andStrathclyde Regional Council. During the campaign for the1994 by-election inMonklands East of 1994, there were accusations[64] of sectarianism and nepotism in favour of Coatbridge over neighbouring Airdrie by Monklands District Council (seeMonklandsgate for more information). The fact that all seventeenLabour councillors wereRoman Catholic led to Coatbridge being seen as a "Catholic town". Subsequent inquiries showed no evidence ofsectarianism, but allegations ofnepotism were shown to be true.[65]
Coatbridge is presently part of theburgh constituency ofCoatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, electing onemember of parliament (MP) to theHouse of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Before the constituency's creation in 2005, Coatbridge lay in theCoatbridge and Chryston constituency.Steven Bonnar of theScottish National Party has been the MP since the2019 general election. For the purposes of theScottish Parliament, Coatbridge forms part of theCoatbridge and Cryston constituency, which is represented byFulton MacGregor of theScottish National Party. Coatbridge is further represented by sevenregional MSPs from theCentral Scotland electoral region.[66] A small part of the eastern fringes of the town forms part of theAirdrie and Shotts constituency which is represented byAlex Neil in the Scottish Parliament andNeil Gray in the Westminster Parliament, both of theSNP.
Notable politicians from Coatbridge include:Baroness Liddell, a formermember of parliament (MP) who was formerly bothSecretary of State for Scotland and Britain'sHigh Commissioner inAustralia, andLord Reid, also a former MP who was the formerSecretary of State for Northern Ireland andHome Secretary. Lord Reid is a former chairman ofCeltic.
Since the most recent major reorganisation in 2006, Coatbridge is divided into threewards for local administrative purposes byNorth Lanarkshire Council, each electing three or four councillors:
| Coatbridge | North Lanarkshire | Scotland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 41,170 | 321,067 | 5,062,011 |
| Foreign born | 1.3% | 1.7% | 3.8% |
| Over 75 years old | 6.1% | 5.6% | 7.1% |
| Unemployed | 5.3% | 4.5% | 4.0% |
According to theUnited Kingdom Census 2001, thecensus locality of Coatbridge had a total resident population of 41,170, or 13% of the total of North Lanarkshire. This figure, combined with an area of 6.818 square miles (17.7 km2),[74] provides Coatbridge with apopulation density figure of 6,038 inhabitants per square mile (2,331/km2).
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1755 | 1,813 |
| 1831 | 9,580 |
| 1851 | 27,333 |
| 1901 | 36,991 |
| 1911 | 43,286 |
| 1921 | 43,909 |
| 1931 | 43,056 |
| 1951 | 47,685 |
| 1961 | 54,262 |
| 1971 | 51,493 |
| 1981 | 48,445 |
| 2001 | 41,170 |
Themedian ages of males and females living in Coatbridge were 35 and 38 years respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years in the whole of Scotland.[70] 34% were married, 6.1% werecohabiting couples, 14.7% were single parent families and 32.5% of households were made up of individuals.[77]
The place of birth of the town's residents was as follows: 98.7% United Kingdom (including 96% from Scotland), 0.32%Republic of Ireland, 0.30% from otherEuropean Union countries, and 0.72% from elsewhere in the world.[70] The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 39.3% in full-time employment, 9.4% in part-time employment, 3.6% self-employed, 5.3% unemployed, 2.5% students with jobs, 3.2% students without jobs, 13.4% retired, 5.7% looking after home or family, 12.0% permanently sick or disabled, and 5.7% economically inactive for other reasons.[72] Compared with the averagedemographics of Scotland, Coatbridge has low proportions of people born outside the United Kingdom, and people over 75 years of age.[70]
During the 19th century,Irish people began to arrive in large numbers in Coatbridge. The1851 UK Census recorded thatIrish people constituted 35.8% of the local population. A significant proportion of these immigrants wereProtestant, but the majority wereCatholic. By1901 UK Census, the percentage of Irish-born people in Coatbridge had fallen to around 15%, but remained the highest of all the major towns in Scotland.[78] In the2001 UK Census,Irish ethnicity was recorded at just over 1%, although just over half the population claimed their religious denomination asRoman Catholicism. In 1985, 56% of the population of Coatbridge wereRoman Catholic.[47]
In 2006, Coatbridge (along withPort Glasgow andClydebank) was identified as "the least Scottish town in Scotland" due to having the highest percentage of Irish names in the country. Reportedly more than 28% of adults in Coatbridge had names with Irish origins.[79][80]
Other immigrants to Coatbridge have included in the 1880s a small number ofLithuanians.[81] In 1905, part of a "wave" of immigrants fromMonte Cassino inItaly settled in Coatbridge. A small number ofPolish people had stayed in Coatbridge after a Polish tank regiment was stationed in the town during World War II.
21st century Coatbridge is the site ofScotland's inland container base; it was chosen as the site in part due to the proximity of various rail and motorway networks.[28] Makers of PA systems and loudspeakersTannoy Ltd. are headquartered in the town.Lees of Scotland is a local confectionery and bakery products company and are the manufacturers of the Lees Macaroon bar, and has been operating in Coatbridge since 1931.[82] William Lawson'sScotch Whisky distillery has been located in the town since 1967.[83] It was home to one of the firstB&Q Depots, which was closed in 2006 and moved to the new retail park. The oldest family business in Coatbridge and Airdrie is funeral directors Donald McLaren Ltd, which was founded in 1912.
In terms of housing, property prices in Coatbridge have undergone rapid growth since 2000. In 2005, house prices rose by 35%, reportedly the largest such increase in Scotland.[84]
Thebuilt environment around Coatbridge's town centre is a mixture of late 19th- and early 20th-centurysandstone buildings and late 20th-centuryprecast concrete shops. The leafy Blairhill and Dunbeth conservation areas to the west and north of the town centre comprisedetached,semi-detached andterraced sandstone residential buildings. The bulk of the remaining surrounding areas consist of various 20th-centurylocal authority housing buildings. Several high-rise flats dominate the skyline. Due to the decline of industries, several private housing estates have been built on reclaimed land.
In 2007, Coatbridge was awardedProspect architecture magazine's carbuncle award for being the 'most dismal town in Scotland'.[38] The town was also described by Scottish comedianFrankie Boyle as 'like Bladerunner... without the special effects'.[85]
Drumpellier Country Park is set around Lochend Loch (more commonly known to locals as 'Drumpellier Loch'). There are extensive woodlands, a visitor centre and a butterfly house.Monkland Canal runs through a section of the park.
The Time Capsule is a multi-purpose leisure centre containing a swimming pool, an adventure pool set in aprehistoric environment, an ice skating facility, sauna/steam room and a sports complex with gym halls and other facilities. The Showcase Leisure Park contains a 14-screen cinema, a 10-pin bowling complex and numerous restaurants.
Landmarks in Coatbridge include:
TheMonkland Canal (completed 1791[90]) was used in the 19th and 20th century to transport coal and iron toGlasgow. The town centre section of the canal was interred in pipe between Sikeside and Blair Road in the mid-1970s.[28] Some sections of the Monkland Canal can still be seen today between Townhead and Drumpellier. Coatbridge is adjacent to theM8 andM73 motorways. TheM74 motorway is also a short drive away. The major cities ofEdinburgh,Stirling and Glasgow are all within commuting distance.
Due to the number of rail lines running through Coatbridge, it was once dubbed the "Crewe of the North".[91] There are six railway stations on the four railway lines that bisect the town:Motherwell-Cumbernauld Line;Argyle Line;Whifflet Line; andNorth Clyde Line. The six stations within Coatbridge and on these lines are:Blairhill;Coatbridge Central;Coatbridge Sunnyside;Coatdyke;Kirkwood; andWhifflet.
Coatbridge has had additional passenger stations, such asLangloan and Calder Station (Greenend); these stations have been closed for many years.
McGill's Buses are responsible for most of the bus services in the town, after buying out most of the smaller local companies. The buses are all in Go Zone 8 on the McGill's network. The buses link all the major neighbourhoods with the 212 continuing on to Airdrie, Plains and Caldercruix.
.jpg)
The earliest map showing Coatbridge is byTimothy Pont, published inJohan Blaeu'sNether warde of Clyds-dail (1654). The districts of Dunpelder (Drumpellier), Gartsbary (Gartsherrie), Kanglon (Langloan), Kirkwood, Kirkshawes (Kirkshaws) and Wheetflet (Whifflet) are all evident.[92]
The present day neighbourhoods of Coatbridge are Barrowfield, Blairhill, Brownshill,Carnbroe, Cliftonhill, Cliftonville, Coatbank, Coatdyke, Cuparhead, Drumpellier, Dunbeth, Dundyvan, Espieside, Gartsherrie, Greenhill, Greenend, Kirkshaws, Kirkwood, Langloan, Old Monkland, Rosehall, Shawhead, Sikeside, Summerlee, Sunnyside, Townhead andWhifflet. The Blairhill and Dunbeth neighbourhoods are part of theBlairhill and Dunbeth conservation area.[93]
The Whitelaw Fountain (named in honour ofAlexander Whitelaw, an industrialist and MP) is situated in the town centre on the corner of Main Street and South Circular Road, but was formerly about 50 m west, at what is now the centre of a roundabout.[94]
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Coatbridge College was built as Scotland's first college in the 1860s. As Coatbridge has moved away from the traditional heavy industries the teaching focus has shifted from traditional industry courses towards commerce, care and the arts. After resisting previous mergers, it became a campus of the multi-siteNew College Lanarkshire in 2014.[95][96]
St Ambrose High School[97] (which opened a new building in 2013),St Andrew's High School[98] (which opened in 2006 following a merger of the defunct Columba H.S. and St Patrick's H.S.) andCoatbridge High School[99] (new building opened in 2008 on the site of St Patrick's previous campus – Coatbridge's old campus is now occupied by Greenhill Primary and Drumpark Primary) are the main secondary schools serving the town. The first two are Roman Catholic; it is one of few places in Scotland where the number of denominational schools is greater than non-denominational. St Ambrose was the subject of an HMI follow-up assessment visit in January 2009.[100] Sports journalist and broadcasterBob Crampsey was formerly headmaster of St Ambrose, prominent football refereeWillie Collum taught religious education at the school in the early 2000s, and singer/television presenterMichelle McManus is among the former pupils. Rosehall H.S. was a previous school in the town, whose pupils now typically attend Coatbridge.Coatbridge also has severalspecial needs schools including Pentland School (primary school), Portland High School,Drumpark School (now primary department only), Willowbank School (high school) andBuchanan High School.[100]
Coatbridge forms part of the Western water and sewerage regions of Scotland.Waste management is provided by the North Lanarkshire local authority. Water supplies are provided byScottish Water, agovernment-owned corporation of theScottish Government. Coatbridge'sdistribution network operator for electricity isScottish Power.[101] Coatbridge is served byMonklands Hospital, sited on the Airdrie side of the Coatbridge/Airdrie border. TheNHS board isNHS Lanarkshire.Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is thestatutoryfire and rescue service which operates in Coatbridge. Policing in Coatbridge is provided by thePolice Service of Scotland (Lanarkshire Division). TheStrathclyde Partnership for Transport, apublic body in Scotland, has direct operational responsibilities, such as supporting (and in some cases running) local bus services, and managing integrated ticketing in Coatbridge and other areas from the formerStrathclyde region.[102]Transport Scotland manages the local rail network.[102]
The local authority responsible for community-based service in Coatbridge isNorth Lanarkshire Council. The council provides local services related toeducation,social work, the environment,housing, road maintenance andleisure.[103]
Coatbridge istwinned with:[106]
The John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands of Coatbridge
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