Short History |
 |
Bothwellhaugh was built in the mid 1880s and early 1900s to house the miners working at the Hamilton Palace Colliery. It was from it that the village derived its more familiar name, the "Palace" (pronounced Pailis). The houses were the property of the mine owners until nationalisation in 1947, when they became the property of the NCB. The village became one of the largest mining communities in the Lanarkshire coalfields and had a population of around 3000. It was very much a one sided village with virtually all of the residences on the north side of the main through road (SeeMap). On the south side of the road were open fields down to the River Clyde and on across to Hamilton to the south and Bothwell to the west. (See Picture 7). This gave the village a most pleasing outlook and contributed in very great measure to the attractiveness of the location. The dwellings were dominated to the north by the colliery railway and the very large "bing" or waste tip which also contributed to the character of the village. Village life had a strong sense of community and folks shared the joys and privations of the times. The closure of the colliery in 1959 and problems with some of the dwellings led to the final closure of the village in 1965. Those privileged to live there have never forgotten the Palace and still regret its passing. Thanks are due to the Bothwellhaugh Ex-Residents Committee, formed in 1977, who have done much to keep its memory alive. |
|