Ecclesmachan (
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
: ''Eaglais Mhachain'') (
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
: ''Eglwys Machan'') (NT058736) is an historic village in
West Lothian
West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geographically by the A ...
.
It lies just north of
Uphall
Uphall ( sco, Uphauch, gd, Ubhalaidh) is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is a swiftly growing village in a conurbation with Broxburn to the east, Dechmont to the west and the major town of Livingston to the south west. Uphall is 30 mil ...
on the B8046 road. The village is notable for its medieval origin parish church. As at
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
, the population of the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
of Ecclesmachan was 529 and was 811 in
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
.
History
![Ecclesmachan Church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Ecclesmachan_Church.jpg)
The name means 'church of
Saint Machan', and is its form is thought to show that a church was present in the area in
Sub-Roman times. However, it is not clear whether the name was coined in Gaelic or in the earlier Celtic language
Cumbric
Cumbric was a variety of the Common Brittonic language spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the ''Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North" in what is now the counties of Westmorland, Cumberland and northern Lancashire in Northern England and the souther ...
(Old Welsh).
Ecclesmachan parish church is medieval in origin and dates to the 13th century (consecrated in 1244), although it was extensively altered in the 18th century.
The Building is Category B listed and retains an arched
Norman style doorway.
The Church was extended in 1710 and again in 1908, with a porch added.
A date of 1710 is inscribed on one lintel.
[Buildings of Scotland: Lothian by Colin McWilliam] The most recent major remodelling dates from 1908 and was undertaken by
John Honeyman
John Honeyman (1729August 18, 1822) was an American spy and British informant for George Washington, primarily responsible for spreading disinformation and gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton.
...
. Stained glass in the interior is by
Ballantine & Son.
The church was once under the care of the Templars via Torphichen receptory and in fact the graveyard contains several examples of Templar symbology. The graveyard contains several elaborate pre-19th century stone gravestones, with depictions of skulls, angels and other carvings.
The adjacent mid 19th century L-shaped Manse house is intact and has some earlier structural parts.
Smiddy cottage in the village is a former
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
s converted into a home by Walter Wood that is Category C listed.
The village has a new cemetery which lies in a hollow at the foot of a fairly steep lane opposite the Church. It contains a large number of war graves given the small size of the village and many of the unmarked graves (566) contain the unclaimed bodies of patients who died at the nearby Bangour Village Hospital.
Binny House is an early 19th century Georgian mansion house on the southern edge of the village.
The building, as well as its doocot and gatehouses are Category B listed. The building is currently abandoned, however the adjacent former walled garden of the estate is in use as a garden centre named Binny Plants.
The estate was once owned by Thomson of Binny and a Category C listed memorial in the
Gothic revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style, dated 1873 is on the estate.
Ecclesmachan is best known for its countryside views, one being the Binny Craig. One of Ecclesmachans attractions is the bomb hole, it is near the Binny Craig. The bomb was meant to hit the Forth Bridge. This was during World War II.
Ecclesmachan had some improvements made in 2009; there was a refurbishment made to the garages after they were found to contain asbestos; West Lothian council paid to get the garages redone, and after 2–3 months the garages were finished. Other improvements included getting a Basketball net put in the local park and getting a Rugby field put up; the field it is in is closer to Oatridge College than to the village itself, but was made for the villagers to use.
The Old school and village hall
Around the 19th and 20th century, there was a school in Ecclesmachan. It was a highly populated school, as it was the only one in the Threemiletown area. Not much is known about the school, but a report by the H.M. Inspector on the Public School in Ecclesmachan stated; 'It has been long celebrated as one of the best schools for many miles around, and the large number of children attending it from other parishes, speaks for itself'. The report went on to describe the Schoolmaster (Mr Cunningham), as 'totally devoted to his work and makes his school his first work'. The school was closed in July 1951 by the local authority due to the roll being only 6 pupils. The schoolhouse was built 1840 and was subsequently enlarged by the architects
Honeyman, Keppie and MacKintosh.
The ‘Old school’ is now used as the village hall. The village hall was refurbished in 2011, improvements were made in the toilet facilities, the lighting and the hall itself. Inside the hall there is a plaque that is dedicated to the war heroes that fought in World War I. There is a cemetery near the hall where some of the war heroes are buried. The hall is usually used at Christmas and Galaday times. The hall is also used for OAP and Toddler clubs.
Economy
Ecclesmachan is home to Oatridge Agricultural College (built in 1972), a 283 hectare education facility.
The college is a campus of
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) was established in 2012 through the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges. The college offers courses in
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, land use, agricultural technology, veterinary nursing, as well as environmental and rural business management.
The village is also home to the Scottish National Equestrian Centre (SNEC) which opened in 2007.
There are regular Horse riding contests every weekend, and even through the week.
Binny Stone
At least six quarries encircled the village at one time, producing stone of good quality and particularly suited to carving. The stone contains bitumen giving it a freckled appearance. Its most noteworthy use is on the
Scott Monument
The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It is the second largest monument to a writer in the world after the José Martí monument in Havana. It stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, oppo ...
on
Princes Street in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
.
The main quarry, was located east of Binny House and employed up to 50 people in the mid 19th century.
Notable residents
Notable natives include the surgeon
Robert Liston
Robert Liston (28 October 1794 – 7 December 1847) was a British surgeon. Liston was noted for his speed and skill in an era prior to anaesthetics, when speed made a difference in terms of pain and survival. He was the first Professor of Cl ...
(whose father was a Minister of the Parish),
Jacobite poet
William Hamilton and
Stephen Mitchell (Tobacco manufacturer and philanthropist).
References
External links
ecclesmachan.org.uk - Local information and history
{{authority control
Villages in West Lothian