New Lanark

New Lanark is a village located at the edge of the Clyde, with approximately two kilometers of the Royal Burgh of Lanark, in the South Lanarkshire in Scotland. It was founded in 1786 by David Dale (1739-1806), which made there build cotton factories and residences for the workmen. Flagstone chooses this place to benefit from the hydraulic power offered by the river. Under the direction of Flagstone then of his/her son-in-law philantrope and socialist reformist, Robert Owen (1771-1858), the factories thrived and New Lanark became an example of Utopian socialism.

The factories of New Lanark continued to function until 1968. After one period of decline, New Lanark Conservation Trust was founded in 1975 in order to prevent the demolition of the village. Today, the majority of the buildings were restored and the village became an important tourist attraction. It one of the four sites of Scotland is also recognized like world heritage by UNESCO.

History

The cotton factories of New Lanark were built in 1786. David Dale was one of the coil-made men of Glasgow which, like its congeneric, had a country house to Cambuslang, not far from the Falls of Clyde, put in painting by many artists such as Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851). A stopping was built above New Lanark and the water of the river redirected to supply the machines of the factories. Water crossed initially a tunnel, then an open conduit called lade . It is only into 1929 that the last wheel with water was replaced by a water turbine. A new turbine for summer has installed and is always used to feed the tourist areas of the village in electricity.

In 1799, Dale sold the factories to his/her son-in-law, Robert Owen, who continued the philanthropic approach of his father-in-law with respect to the factory work and became thus a Socialist influential reformist. New Lanark, with its programmes of catch in social contribution, became a symbol of its utopian socialism (also called Owenisme).

New Lanark counted approximately 2.500 inhabitants, the majority resulting from public residences arranged for the poor (or poorhouses ) in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Although the work conditions of the factories were not most difficult by far, Owen did not find them satisfactory and decided to improve the situation of the workers. It paid an special attention to the needs for the 500 children living and working in the factories, and made open in 1816 the first school of Great Britain for infants.

The quality of the residences of the village improved gradually. In the middle of the 19th century, an whole family could place in only one part, but between this period and the beginning of the 20th century, the families could gradually have several parts. It is however only from 1933 that the residences were equipped with sinks and cool water taps. During this same year, the old communal toilets located outside were replaced by toilets inside the apartment buildings.

As from 1898, the owners of the village provided free electricity to all the residences, but to supply just enough a weak bulb in each part. The current was shut off at 10 p.m. each evening, except saturdays when the inhabitants profited one overtime. In 1955, New Lanark was connected to the national electrical communication.

The factories thrived on the commercial plan, but the partners of Owen complained about the additional expenditure caused by its social programs. Refusing a return to the old methods, Owen repurchased the shares of its partners.

New Lanark was celebrated through all Europe, and of many aristocrats, statesmen and reformists the factories visited. They were deafened by the discovery of an industrial environment clean, healthy, having a labor force satisfied and energetic, the whole forming a viable commercial project. The philosophy of Owen went against the currents of thought of the time, but he managed to show that it was not necessary for an industrial company to treat his workmen without care to be lucrative. Owen could present to its visitors the excellent quality of the residences of the village and comfort brought, as well as the accounts proving the profitability of the factories.

In addition to being related to the social reforms, these factories also symbolize the Industrial revolution which took place in Great Britain during and 19th centuries and changed the face of the world basically.

In 1825, the control of New Lanark passed to the Walker family. Walker undertook the management of the village until 1881, when this last was sold in Birkmyre and Sommerville. They preserved the property of the village, initially themselves then through the companies which succeeded to them, until the closing of the factories in 1968.

After closing, the inhabitants started to leave the village, and the buildings worsened. In 1975, New Lanark Conservation Trust was founded in order to prevent the demolition of the village. Today, the majority of the buildings were restored and the village became an important tourist attraction.

Current location

One estimates at 400.000 people the number of visitors each year. The importance of New Lanark was recognized by the UNESCO, which declared it like one of the four sites Scot pertaining to the world heritage, the three others being Edinburgh, Skara Brae and Saint-Kilda.

Among the residences, alone Mantilla Row and Double Row were not restored. Part of the work of restoration was undertaken by New Lanark Association and New Lanark Conservation Trust. Braxfield Row and the major part Row Length was restored by private owners who repurchased the dilapidated houses and restored them to make private residences of them. The current population of the village is estimated at approximately 200 inhabitants.

In addition to the 20 private properties of the village, 45 properties belong and are managed by New Lanark Association, which is a recognized residential association. The factories, the hotel and the majority of the not-residential buildings belong and are managed by New Lanark Conservation Trust.

Buildings

Braxfield Row (built about 1790): A line of ten houses, of which nine rise out of four stages and one on five. All these houses are inhabited by owners.
Long Row (built about 1790): A line of fourteen houses, rising all on three stages. Ten of them are inhabited by owners, and four by tenants.
Caithness Row (built in 1792): A line of houses on three stages, transformed into apartments of hiring. Caithness is a district Highlands, and the place owes its name with a group of workers come from Highlands and recruited to work in the factories.
Double Row (built about 1795): A line of five coupled houses two to two ( back-to-back houses ), currently dilapidated.
Mantilla Row (built about 1795): This line of three houses was demolished when its structure presented risks of safety. New a retaining foundations and wall were posed, but the line was not rebuilt.
Wee Row (built about 1795): A line of houses transformed into inn of youth, managed by Scottish Youth Hostels Association.

New Buildings (built in 1798): A building including the bell-tower of the village and rising on four stages transformed into apartments of hiring.
Nursery Buildings (built in 1809): A building of three stages, sheltering the orphan children formerly working in the factories, and transformed today into apartments of hiring.

Millet Number One (built in 1789): This factory became dilapidated and was rebuilt to become New Lanark Mill Hotel.
Millet Number Two (built in 1788): This factory is used today at tourist ends.
Millet Number Three (built in 1824): This factory is used today at tourist ends. It also has a turbine feeding various parts of the village in electricity.
Waterhouses: A line of buildings rising on one or two stages, located near the Millet Number One and converted into apartments of holidays.
Millet Number Furnace: This factory was destroyed in 1883 at the time of a fire and was not rebuilt.

Church Village (built in 1898): The church of the village, used today at social ends.
Institute for the Formation off Character (built in 1816): Literally the Institute for the formation of the character, a building on four stages used today at tourist and commercial purposes.
Engine House (built in 1881): A building attached to the Institute and sheltering a restored steam engine.
School (built in 1817): A building on three stages become a museum today. It is about the first Scottish school for the children of the working class.
Mechanics Workshop (built in 1817): The workshop, a building on three stages formerly used by the craftsmen who manufactured and maintained the machines the factories.
Dyeworks: Buildings being used for dyeing, sheltering today shops and a center for the visitors.
Gasworks (built little before 1851): A gas works equipped with a tower octagonal and converted into shop.
Owens House (built in 1790): The residence of Robert Owen, transformed today into museum.
Flagstones House (built in 1790): The residence of David Dales, occupied today by a publisher.
Lade Millet: The drain built in order to redirect the water of Clyde for the power supply of the machines of the factories.
Graveyard: The cemetery, located on the hill being above New Lanark, between the village and the carpark for the visitors. Most of the first inhabitants are buried at this place.

To visit New Lanark

A large free carpark is located outside the village. Only the handicapped visitors are authorized to park itself in the village. A service of bus is ensured since Lanark, two away kilometers. Lanark has a station with departures every half-hour for Glasgow.

The village lays out of a three-star hotel (New Lanark Mill Hotel, held and managed by New Lanark Conservation Trust), of a certain number of apartments of holidays (Waterhouses) placed at the disposal by the hotel, and of an inn of youth managed by Scottish Youth Hostels Association. One can also find restaurants and shops through the village, as well as a center for the visitors.

Clyde Walkway is an alley pedestrian which passes through the village.

Gallery of images

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