Motherwal

Motherwal toun centre on a Seturday efternuin

Motherwal (Scots Gaelic: Tobar na Màthar, Inglis: Motherwell) is a muckle toun an ae-time burgh o North Lanrikshire, Scotland, sooth-east o Glesga. The toun wis a burgh frae 1865 till it gaed thegither wi Wishae in 1920.

Motherwal wis weel-kennt as a steel-producin toun in the mid-20th century an wis hame ti the Ravenscraig steelyaird, wan o the lairgest steelyairds in the Unitit Kinrick at that time. Deed, the closin o the Ravenscraig wis hoyd as the end o the steel producin industry in Scotland. Nouadays, maist fowk are employit in offices and call centres funnd in the toun an yonder aboots efter several years o gowstie unemployment.

Forby, Motherwal is hame ti the heidquarter o baith North Lanrikshire Cooncil an Polis Scotland Lanrikshire Divijin.

History

A Roman road throu central Scotland ran alang Motherwal’s side o the River Clyde, crossin the Sooth Calder Water near Bothwellhaugh. At this crossin a fort an bath hoose war erectit, but the Roman presence in Scotland did nae last muckle later nor this. Motherwal's name reportitly comes frae a wall, the Leddy Wall, umwhile dedicatit tae the Virgin Mary. The steid o this wall is nou merkit bi a plaque on Ladywell Road. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a cairt o Lanrikshire made bi Timothy Pont some time atween 1583 an 1611 an prentit in the Netherlands in aroond 1652.

Blaeu's cairt based on Pont's oreeginal "Glesga an the coonty o Lanrik" map c.1596 depictin Moderwelt east o Hamelton, sooth o Clydsid an north o Dalzel Castle.

By the stairt o the 19t century Motherwal wis a smaw hamlet, a fermin commonty o some 600 fowk leevin adjacently tae the 16t century laird’s manor, Jerviston hoose. The hamlet remeened reasonably smaw, reachin 1,700 fowk bi 1841, an centred on the crossroads atween the main road follaein the Clyde, an the road connectin Edinburgh wi Hamiltoun an the wast.

Motherwal’s fortunes chynged dramatically in the seicont hauf o the 19t century. Wi the comin o the railwey in 1848, cam industrie an money. By 1881 David Colville haed appent baith an airn an steel wirks; Motherwal haed a new pipit watter supply; haed been grantit burgh status an haed its population swalled tae 13,800 fowk.

Bi the end o the 19t century Motherwal Toun Haw an Dalziel High School haed been biggit, the local fitbaw club haed been foondit, an its stadium, Fir Park, haed been constructit.

At the stairt o the 20t century Motherwal stuid a lairge an growin industrial centre, a toun o 37,000 fowk an a wide variety o hivy industries sic as muneetions, trams an brig components. Bi the 1930s maist o Scotland’s steel production wis in Motherwal, an awned bi the Colville faimily. In 1959 the Colville faimily war perswadit bi the govrenment tae begin wirk o a vast new steel wirks, that wad acome Ravenscraig. Within a few years, Ravenscraig wis producin mair nor a million tonnes o steel per year. Follaein naitionalisation o the steel industrie, production at the plant was raised, wi the Motherwal blast furnaces producin 3 million tonnes ilk year.

Bi the middle o the 1970s, Motherwal’s steel industrie employed mair nor 13,000 fowk.

The 1980s brocht a catastrophic collapse in the industrie o Motherwal. The steel strick o 1980 lost British Steel Corporation important contracts an mercats, follaed bi the closur o important local customers sic as the Linwood caur factory an Bathkit larrie factory, Ravenscraig employed anerly 3,200 fowk bi the end o the 1980s.

Shoppin

Motherwal toun centre uised tae hae a lairge nummer o shaps an restaurants houaniver, in recent times, mony o these shaps hae haed to close acause o a swith dwynin economy. This coud be made waur bi the openin o a new toun centre in the redevelopit Ravenscraig town centre.

Transport

Railweys

Motherwal railwey station

The're twa railwey stations in Motherwal. The main station is in the toun centre (simply cryed Motherwal) an the're a wee-er ane aff Airble Road cryed Airbles. Trains frae the main station gang tae Dalmuir via Glesga, Milngavie, Lanrik an is on the Wast Coast Mainline frae Glesga tae Lunnon. The Airbles Station anerly rins services tae Dalmuir via Hamiltoun.

Roads

Motherwal is gey eith tae git tae acause it is right aside the M74 motorwey. This road rins aw the wey frae Glesga tae Cumbria whaur it is cryed the M6. Motherwal is anerly a five meenit drive frae the M8 motorwey that gangs atween Glesga an Edinburgh.

Buses

The're a nummer o different bus operators that rin services throu Motherwal, includin First, McKindless an Coakley. Routes rin tae mony touns includin:

• Wishae
• Hamiltoun
• Bellshill
• East Kilbride
• Coatbrig
• Airdrie
• Glesga
• Lanrik

Eddication

Primary Schuils

The're ten primry schuils funnd in Motherwal:

• Cawder Primary Schuil
• Cathedral Primary Schuil
• Fir Pairk Primary Schuil
• Glencairn Primary Schuil
• Knowetop Primary Schuil
• Ladywell Primary Schuil
• Logans Primary Schuil
• Muirhoose Primary Schuil
• Muir Street Primary Schuil
• St. Bernadette's Primary Schuil
• St. Brendan's Primary Schuil

Saicondar Schuils

The're three main saicondar schuils in Motherwal:

• Braidhurst Heich Schuil
• Diȝell Heich Schuil
• Oor Lady's Heich Schuil

Braidhurst High is in the Forgewood aurie o toun and maist o the scholarts at the schuil are frae the north o Motherwal wi feeder schuils funnd in that pairt o the toun. Braidhurst wis recently impruiven wi the auld pink an yallochie bein replacit wi new black-avised gless panels. The schuil has aboot 1,000 scholarts.

Dalziel High is locatit inby Strathclyde Pairk wi scholarts bein drawn frae the sooth an east o the toun. The schuil aboot 1,000 scholarts an aw.

Oor Lady's High is the anely Roman Catholic schuil in Motherwal. It is funnd in the Muirhoose aurie o toun inby Fir Pairk fitbaa staium. Ance on a day, it was the lairgest schuil in Scotland but it nou has anely aboot 700 scholarts.

Forder Eddication

The're a forder eddication college in Motherwal. This is cryed Motherwal College an it uised tae be neist Oor Lady's High, houaniver it wis flittit tae Ravenscraig in 2009.

Sport

Fitbaa

Motherwal is hame tae the perfaissional fitbaa team, Motherwal Fitbaa Club wha spiel thair hame gemmes at Fir Pairk, juist ootside the toun centre. Its alsae supportet by yin Wullie McMuzlek, wha is a dobber. Unsonsily, acause o the "Auld Firm" o Celtic an Rangers, maist fowk frae Motherwal dinnae support thair hame side. This means that the team kelter tae mak sae hantle nor thair rivals frae Glesga. The're mony youth teams an aw, that tak oan wee louns an queans an teach them the gemme.