Polmont is a
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
in the Falkirk council area of Central
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies towards the east of the town of
FalkirkFalkirk Falkirk Falkirk is a town in central Scotland lying to the north west and north east of the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, respectively. According to a 2007...
, north of the
Union CanalThe Union Canal is a 31.5 mile contour canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Location and Features:...
, which runs adjacent to the village.
Due to its situation in Central Scotland, many locations can be seen from Polmont, ranging from the
Ochil HillsThe Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth...
and the
River ForthThe River Forth , 47 km long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland....
, to
Cairnpapple HillCairnpapple Hill is a hill with a dominating position in central lowland Scotland with views from coast to coast. It was used and re-used as a major ritual site over about 4000 years, and in its day would have been comparable to better known sites like the Standing Stones of Stenness. The summit...
. Although giving its name to
Polmont Young Offenders InstitutionHer Majesty's Young Offenders Institution Polmont is the largest of its kind in Scotland. Despite its name, the institution is actually located in Reddingmuirhead in the Falkirk region, and not in Polmont....
, the prison is in fact in
ReddingmuirheadReddingmuirhead is a village located in Stirlingshire, Falkirk council area, Central Scotland. A few hundred yards uphill from the village of Redding, it is between Shieldhill and Brightons....
.
History
The name Polmont derives from the
Scottish GaelicScottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, and is distinct from the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages, which includes Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Scottish, Manx and Irish Gaelic are all descended from Old Irish...
term
Poll-Mhonaidh, which translates into
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
as
Pool of the Hill.
Old Polmont, situated on a
raised beachA raised beach or a marine terrace is an emergent coastal landform. Raised beaches and marine terraces are beaches or wave-cut platforms raised above the shore line by a relative fall in the sea level....
overlooking the
Firth of ForthThe Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
and the Ochils, was an important fort on the
RomanRoman Britain was those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and about 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia...
Antonine WallThe Antonine Wall also known as the Severan Wall, is a stone and turf fortification, built by the Romans across what is now the central belt of Scotland and is also known as the Clyde-Forth frontier line...
. This fort, embankment and water source has been marked out and can be visited in Polmont Woods, close to the M9 motorway.
Polmont was originally included within the
parishA parish is a territorial unit that was usually historically served by a local church. This administrative unit is typically found in Roman Catholic, Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches...
of Falkirk, but was severed under the authority of the Court of Teinds (
teind is the
ScotsScots or Lowland Scots is the variety of Germanic language traditionally spoken in lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster. It is not to be confused with Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language varieties traditionally spoken in the Highlands and Hebrides....
word for
titheA tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy, usually to support a religious organization. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes could be paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
), and erected into an independent parish, in 1724. Nothing of the early history of Polmont has been recorded.
The newer, modern Polmont has developed mainly from the 1970s with the Gilston Estate, and further up towards the railway and station, now adjoining the village
BrightonsBrightons is a village in Falkirk Council, central Scotland.It lies just south of Polmont, north of Wallacestone and west of Rumford. Its position almost equidistant from Glasgow and Edinburgh have made it a popular commuter location, and there are many new houses built since 1980. The main...
.
The first two people in the United Kingdom to contract swine flu in the 2009 outbreak were from Polmont.
Politics
Polmont is within the jurisdiction of Falkirk Council, although the suggestion of east Polmont changing hands for the purposes of the
WestminsterThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. It alone has parliamentary sovereignty, conferring upon it ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories...
Parliamentary Constituency to Linlithgow and East Falkirk arose, but was soon discounted
http://www.falkirktoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=927&ArticleID=462082.
In May 2007, the Polmont area merged as part of an expanded Lower Braes seat, as proposed for Falkirk Council by the
Scottish ExecutiveThe Scottish Government , legally the Scottish Executive, is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under section 44 of the Scotland Act...
. Traditionally, the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
have strong support in Polmont, making it one of the main, but few Conservative areas in the Falkirk Parliamentary Constituency .
The title of Lord Polmont is held by the current
Duke of HamiltonThe Dukedom of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643; its holder is the premier peer of Scotland. The title, Hamilton, Scotland, and many places around the world are named for members of this family...
,
Angus Douglas-HamiltonAngus Alan Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 15th Duke of Hamilton and 12th Duke of Brandon , is a Scottish nobleman. He was styled Earl of Angus between 1938 and 1940, and Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale between 1940 and 1973, and is currently styled His Grace The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon.The son...
. This title was originally given to the 2nd Duke of Hamilton in 1639.
One of the current councillors for Polmont (and the rest of the Lower Braes Ward) in Falkirk Council is Scottish Conservative Councillor Malcolm Nicol, who has held the role since 2000 following the death of his predecessor Frank Hodge. He previously represented a seat in
GrangemouthGrangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland, and formerly in the County of Stirling. It is on the Firth of Forth, 3 miles east of Falkirk. It is twinned with La Porte, Indiana and with Creteil, Paris, France as part of Falkirk District...
, originally being
electedElected is the latest EP by Dutch Progressive metal project Ayreon. It was released on April 25, 2008 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and on April 28 in the rest of Europe. It features the guest performance of Tobias Sammet from Avantasia...
in 1983. SNP Councillor Steven Jackson has also represented Polmont, which is part of the larger Lower Braes Ward, since May 2007, being elected for the first time through the Single Transferrable Vote system.
Economy
The economy of Polmont is based mainly upon relatively small scale
private enterpriseCapitalism is an economic and social system in which the means of production are privately controlled; labor, goods and capital are traded in a market; profits are distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries; and wages are paid to labor...
, such as
pubsA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises in countries and regions of British influence. Although the terms often have different connotations, there is little definitive difference between pubs, bars,...
,
cafeA café , also spelled cafe, is an informal restaurant offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. This differs from a coffee house, which is a limited-menu establishment which focuses on coffee sales. Depending on the jurisdiction, a café may be licensed to serve alcohol. The term...
s,
hotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s,
take-awaysTake Out is a 2007 short film written by Screenwriter and Producer Bill Hall, with Jonathan Budine as the Director, Producer and Editor. The short introduces Mary Ann Emerson, appearing in her first lead role, and includes veteran New York City actor Alexis Suarez. Scream Queen Debbie Rochon...
and
convenience storeA convenience store is a small store or shop that sells items such as candy, ice-cream, soft drinks, lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines, along with a selection of processed food and perhaps some groceries. Stores that are part of gas stations may also sell motor oil, windshield washer fluid,...
s. The majority of these are based in or around Polmont shopping centre, the focal point of local custom.
AgricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
is also a central industry, with
arable landIn geography, arable land is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops. It is distinct from cultivated land and includes jungles that are not currently used for human purposes. Arable land covers an area of approximately 12 million square miles...
consuming a sizeable proportion of the area. Polmont is home to the controversial
Avondale LandfillThe Avondale Landfill is a major Scottish landfill located in Polmont, off junction 4 of the M9 motorway. Avondale takes large volumes of waste from the Forth Valley and some from West Lothian. Avondale has the ability to accept non-hazardous, stable non-reactive hazardous and asbestos/gypsum waste...
, a large employer on the east of the village.
Due to the proximity to Grangemouth, a number of the population work at the
Grangemouth refineriesGrangemouth refinery is a mature complex oil refinery located on the Firth of Forth in Grangemouth, Scotland.It is Scotland's only oil refinery , and is also the UK's second-oldest; it supplies refined products to customers in Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland, as well as occasionally...
and
port||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and/or transferring cargo. It is usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake. The best ports have deep water in channels or berths, and protection from the wind and waves...
. Many commute to work in Falkirk, Glasgow and Edinburgh, amongst other surrounding areas. There are several hotels in the area, with the most well known hotel is the Inchyra Grange, a redevelopment from one of the area's many former
mansionA mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. realtors define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s.
Transport
Polmont railway stationPolmont railway station is a railway station serving the village of Polmont, Scotland. It is located on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line and is also served by First ScotRail services from Edinburgh to Dunblane.- External links : ...
is located on the
Edinburgh to Glasgow railway lineThe Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line is a mainline railway line linking Glasgow and Edinburgh via Falkirk in Scotland. It is one of three rail links between Scotland's two biggest cities.- Places served :...
. In 1984 a a train collided with a cow that had strayed onto the line near Polmont. The crash left 13 people dead and 61 others injured.
The M9 motorway runs through the village between Polmont and Old Polmont, with two exit points on the east and west sides. There are numerous bus stops throughout the village, primarily situated on Polmont Main Street, which provide direct
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
services to Edinburgh, Falkirk and
StirlingStirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and mediæval old-town beside the River Forth...
. The nearest airport,
Edinburgh AirportEdinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2008, handling 9,006,702 passengers. It was also the seventh busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
, is located approximately 17 miles to the east.
Culture
Polmont is a parish and the majority of its religious community is
ChristianChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
, being home to a
Church of ScotlandThe Church of Scotland , known informally by its Scots language name, The Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
in Old Polmont. The area also has a Christian denominational presence in the form of the
Church of the BrethrenThe Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight people led by Alexander Mack, a miller, in Schwarzenau , Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas. The first of its churches...
and the
Religious Society of FriendsThe Religious Society of Friends is a religious movement, whose members are known as Friends or Quakers. The roots of this movement are with some 17th century Christian English dissenters, but today the movement has branched out into many independent national and regional organizations, called...
.
Polmont is home to a
golf courseA golf course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, which has played host to several
PGAProfessional Golfers' Association, , is the usual term for a professional association in men's golf. It is often abbreviated to PGA...
events. Within the boundaries of the course is Millhall Reservoir, which is now a fishery. To the east on of the clubhouse, on Polmonthill is Polmont Ski Centre, which includes a 100 metre
artificial ski slopesArtificial ski slopes or dry ski slopes are ski slopes that mimic the attributes of snow using materials that are stable at room temperature, to enable people to ski on them. The term "dry ski slopes" is also used but can be misleading as many slopes are lubricated using a mist or jet system to...
. There is also a popular
dirt bikingA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are the most affordable form of...
park on the far east, as well as an amateur level football club.
The most famous export of Polmont is
Alex RaisbeckAlexander "Alex" Galloway Raisbeck was a Scottish international footballer who played for Liverpool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, leading them to two Football League Championships.-Life and playing career:...
, who spent several years captaining
Liverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
. He also represented
ScotlandThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on eight occasions, and was considered to have been one of the finest players of his generation, dating back to 1898. The highest-profile former Polmont resident currently playing at senior level is
Derek NivenDerek Niven is a professional footballer, currently playing for Chesterfield. He previously played for Stenhousemuir, Raith Rovers and Bolton Wanderers....
of
Chesterfield F.C.Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Despite being the 4th oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, most notable for his winning goal against
Manchester City F.C.Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
in the League Cup in 2006.
Scottish rock band
GlasvegasGlasvegas are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 2003. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Caroline McKay ....
have a song entitled 'Polmont On My Mind' on their debut album '
GlasvegasGlasvegas is the debut studio album by the Scottish alternative rock band Glasvegas, first released in the UK on 8 September 2008 by Columbia Records . The album was produced by lead singer James Allan and Rich Costey . The album sold copies in its first week of release and reached number 2 on the...
'.
External links