New Lanark is an 18th-century Mill Village and UNESCO World Heritage site about 25 miles (40km) southeast of Glasgow. An easy drive from Appletree Self Catering Cottage Loch Lomond the site can be reached by car in less than 90 minutes.
On entering New Lanark village, we were struck by the size and majesty of the impressive 18th-century tenements and mill buildings. Laid out with broad streets, New Lanark is regarded as an early example of a planned settlement and is one of only six UNESCO sites in Scotland, the others being St. Kilda, Forth Bridge, Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh New Town and the Antonine Wall.
We walked down through the iron gates to the Institute Building where we bought tickets which granted us entry to various buildings on the site and an ‘educational ride’.
The recently restored village was founded in 1785 by cotton mill builder and self-made ‘Burgher Gentry’ of Glasgow, David Dale, in a brief partnership with the famous inventor of water-driven cotton mills and entrepreneur Richard Arkwright, credited as the “father of the modern industrial factory system”
Shortly after the construction of the mill village, Dale sold up to a partnership which included Robert Owen, David Dale’s son-in-law, a utopian socialist and philanthropist.
Owen became Manager of the mill ran the mill and village as a successful business and notably provided superior living and welfare conditions for his workforce, which at its zenith numbered 2,500 persons. Owen provided free universal healthcare, education for the children (who also worked in the mill(!)) and an infant nursery. Later in life, he moved to the United States where he attempted to further develop his ideals.
Leaving the ticket office, we crossed a glass bridge to Mill Building no. 3 and entered the Educational Ride, a motorised bench for two, suspended from a rail. The trip took us through various scenes and tableaux described through the eyes of a young girl from the early 19th century. A mannequin and hologram from the ride are shown here. After the 12-minute ride, we disembarked and made our way down through a vast room filled with various pieces of ancient machinery, including a massive spinning machine which is often set in motion for visitors.
Apart from the spinner, the machine room had many other items of interesting equipment although none were connected to the main drive shaft. It must have been a hugely noisy working environment in which to spend your life. Machine-induced deafness was a common problem.
At the far end of the room, was a lift which took us up to the roof garden of Mill No2.
The beautifully maintained rooftop patio with a central fountain, from which we admired the panoramic views over the village and up the river Clyde, gave us a sneak preview of some of the Falls of Clyde which we would visit later.
From the roof, our tour continued back downstairs and through the restaurant / café to the gift shop then back outside where we walked across to the former schoolhouse. The bright spacious schoolrooms were scattered with occasional artefacts from the past.
Next, we crossed the road opposite the Institute to view a re-created tenement living room and other aspects of a mill worker's life. Workers and their families all lived in a single room or a room and kitchen. Free electric light was provided early on as electricity was generated on-site. However, toilets and running water did not arrive until much later, in the 1930s
From the tenement, we walked along the road to inspect the cosy elegant luxury of Robert Owen’s (mill manager) former house. Opulent for its time, it gives a clear vision of the huge contrast in living conditions between the workers and the manager.
The mills worked up until 1968. After closure, the buildings fell into disrepair and in 1974 the New Lanark Trust was formed to prevent demolition.
Since then, the buildings have been restored. In addition to the visitable heritage buildings there are several private dwellings contained within the stone tenements and a large hotel has been developed in Mill Building No. 1.
The effect of the restoration is hugely impressive. The village attracts 400,000 visitors per year.
The site of the village was chosen for its proximity to the only waterfalls on the River Clyde. A dam was built just upstream of the village and the water, taken through various lades, was used to drive waterwheels which powered the mill machinery.
Having explored New Lanark Village, we set off along the footpath beside the river to explore the Falls of Clyde (see next blog). More details about New Lanark can be found at the website: https://newlanark.org