Bonnybridge ( gd, Drochaid a'Bhuinne; sco, Bonniebrig) is a village in the
Falkirk council area
Falkirk (; sco, Fawkirk; gd, An Eaglais Bhreac) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas of Scotland. It was formed on 1 April 1996 by way of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 from the exact boundaries of Falkirk District, one ...
of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. It is west of
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
, north-east of
Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld (; gd, Comar nan Allt, meeting of the streams) is a large town in the historic county of Dunbartonshire and council area of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the tenth most-populous locality in Scotland and the most populated t ...
and south-southwest of
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
. The village is situated near the
Bonny Water Bonny may refer to:
People
*Anne Bonny (1702–c. 1782), notorious woman pirate
*Bonny Sengupta, Indian Bengali Film Actor
*Bonny Barry (born 1960), Australian politician
*Bonny Hicks (1968–1997), model and writer
*Jan Bonny (born 1979), German ...
which runs through the town and lies north of the
Forth and Clyde Canal
The Forth and Clyde Canal is a canal opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland; it provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. This allo ...
. To the south-east of Bonnybridge is a well-preserved section of the
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall, known to the Romans as ''Vallum Antonini'', was a turf fortification on stone foundations, built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. Built some twe ...
, and the remnants of
Rough Castle Fort
Rough Castle Fort is a Roman fort on the Antonine Wall roughly 2 kilometres south east of Bonnybridge near Tamfourhill in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. It is owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
Context
The Antonine Wall dates from ...
, the most complete of the surviving
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
forts
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
of the wall.
According to the
2001 Census, the population stands at 6,870 residents.
[Comparative Population Profile: Bonnybridge Locality](_blank)
, www.scrol.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-13 However, the Bonnybridge settlement area, which includes
Banknock
Banknock ( gd, Baile nan Cnoc) is a village within the Falkirk council area in Central Scotland. The village is west-southwest of Falkirk, east-northeast of Kilsyth and north-northeast of Cumbernauld.
Banknock is located on the Bonny Water, ...
,
Denny,
Dunipace
Dunipace is a village in the west of the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is south of Stirling and north-west of Falkirk. The village is situated on the north bank of the River Carron and adjoins the town of Denny, to the south of ...
and
Haggs
Haggs is a small village in the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is situated south-west of Bonnybridge, north-northeast of Kilsyth and south-southwest of Denny, on the east side of the M80 motorway which separates it from Bankno ...
has a total population of around 24,370.
History
![Bonnybridge from the air (geograph 5629467)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Bonnybridge_from_the_air_%28geograph_5629467%29.jpg)
Bonnybridge developed greatly during the
industrial revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
in the nineteenth century. Significant industries that were established include
paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...
ing,
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
ing,
chemical
A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wi ...
manufacturing,
refractory brick
In materials science, a refractory material or refractory is a material that is resistant to decomposition by heat, pressure, or chemical attack, and retains strength and form at high temperatures. Refractories are polycrystalline, polyphase, ...
manufacture and
whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...
distill
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heating ...
ing. Particularly important for Bonnybridge was the establishment of several
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
foundries
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
including the famous Smith and Wellstood Foundry, which was important in introducing the American metal heating stoves to Europe under the '
Esse stoves
ESSE is a United Kingdom brand of heating appliances, notable for having been, in the early 19th century, the first to bring the North American type of enclosed heating stoves to Europe.
History
In the 1830s, as a teenager, James Smith left Scot ...
' brand. The output from these foundries was transported via the
Forth & Clyde Canal
The Forth and Clyde Canal is a canal opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland; it provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. This allowe ...
to local markets, and also to
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
for export. Bonnybridge was also particularly well served by rail, with the
Glasgow to Edinburgh,
Kilsyth and Bonnybridge and the
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
to
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
lines both nearby. With the canal and rail links Bonnybridge became a centre for industrial production.
![Bonnybridge Town Centre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Bonnybridge_Town_Centre.jpg)
Education
The town has three
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
s: Bonnybridge Primary School, Antonine Primary School and St. Joseph's R.C. Primary School. The former two are catchment primaries for
Denny High School
Denny High School in Scotland is a non-denominational public secondary school. The school was opened in 1959, and moved to a new building in February 2009. The new school contains a gymnasium, swimming pool and drama studio. The school serves a ...
and the latter is within the catchment area of
St. Mungo's High School.
Notable people
*
Ruth Connell
Ruth Connell (born 20 April 1979) is a Scottish theatre, television and film actress, and producer. She is also a former professional dancer and choreographer. Connell is known for her recurring role as Rowena in the CW series '' Supernatural'' ...
, theatre, television and film actress and producer
*
Calum Stevenson
Calum Stevenson (born 1997) is a Scottish people, Scottish contemporary artist.
Stevenson graduated with a BA(Hons) in Fine Arts from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in 2019 and went on to graduate from Glasgow School of Art with ...
Portrait Artist of the Year 2021
See also
*
List of places in Falkirk council area
''Map of places in Falkirk council area compiled from this list'':See the list of places in Scotland for places in other counties.
The article is a list of links for any town, village, hamlet, castle, golf course, historic house, hillfort, lightho ...
References
External links
Falkirk Local History Society – BonnybridgeSt Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, BonnybridgeReinstate Bonnybridge Railway Station
{{Authority control
Villages in Falkirk (council area)