Burnbank facts for kids
Burnbank is a community located in the town of Hamilton, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It used to be a separate mining village but later became part of Hamilton.
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Where is Burnbank?
Burnbank is now a neighbourhood within Hamilton. It is part of the South Lanarkshire Council area. Burnbank is surrounded by other areas like Hillhouse and Udston to the south. Whitehill is to the north, and Blantyre is to the west. A small stream called the Park Burn marks the boundary with Blantyre.
The name Burnbank comes from a stream called the Wellschaw Burn. This stream flows through the eastern parts of Burnbank. It is mostly hidden underground now. Long ago, this stream joined the River Clyde within Burnbank.
Burnbank is part of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West area for the UK Parliament. For the Scottish Parliament, it is part of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
Burnbank's Past
Burnbank was once mostly countryside with many trees. These trees helped supply the lace industry in Burnbank and Hamilton. The Duchess of Hamilton, Elizabeth Campbell, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon, supported this industry.
Later, during the Industrial Revolution, Burnbank changed a lot. It became a mining village because of the coal mines.
By the 1870s, Burnbank had grown very big. Its citizens wanted it to become its own town, called a Burgh. The nearby town of Hamilton did not want this to happen. So, in 1878, a special law was passed. This law, called the Burgh of Hamilton Act, made Burnbank part of Hamilton. This stopped Burnbank from becoming its own separate town.
Work and Industry
Before the 1800s, farming and making lace were important jobs in Burnbank.
Burnbank became well known for its coal mines, or "pits." Mine owners built special houses called "pit rows" for their workers. A famous builder named Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet built many of these houses. This helped him start his very successful construction company.
A very sad event happened in 1887 at the Udston Colliery. This was the Udston mining disaster. Seventy-three miners died in a gas explosion. It is one of Scotland's worst coal mining disasters.
Over the years, many mines in Burnbank closed down. Greenfield Colliery, for example, closed permanently in 1935.
During the Second World War, Burnbank was hit by a bomb from a German plane. The bomb fell on some apartment buildings.
Besides mining, other factories operated in Burnbank. The Stevenson Carpet Factory was one of them. The famous football manager Jock Stein had his first job there in 1935. There was also a railway wagon cleaning works.
People and Immigration
Since the 1800s, people from many different places have come to live in Burnbank.
Some people moved from other parts of Scotland. This happened during the Highland Clearances, when many people had to leave their homes in the Highlands.
Many people also came from Ireland. They arrived between the mid-1800s and mid-1900s. Most of them came to work in the coal mines and other heavy industries.
People from Italy also settled in Burnbank. Many of these Italian Scots opened ice-cream shops. These shops later became fish and chip shops. They also sold ice cream from carts, which became known as "tally vans."
Later, people from Poland and the Baltic states moved to Burnbank. Some came between the World Wars to work in mining. Others came to escape war and occupation. More people from Poland and Central Europe have moved here since the 1990s.
In recent decades, people from British India have also come to Burnbank. Like the Italians, many of them started businesses in the food industry.
Getting Around
Burnbank once had its own railway station called Greenfield Station. It opened in 1878 and closed in 1952. The railway line was mainly used to carry coal from the mines to factories. Today, trains still run through the area on the Argyle Line. The closest train station now is Hamilton West.
Trams also used to run in Burnbank in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Bus services have been important for Burnbank. Today, buses operated by First Glasgow connect Burnbank to other areas.
Places of Worship
Burnbank has mostly been a Christian area. The main churches are the Church of Scotland and the Roman Catholic Church.
The Church of Scotland has two churches in Burnbank. One of them, Gilmour and Whitehill Parish Church, has a square tower. It was supposed to have a tall spire, but it was never built. This was because the ground underneath was weakened by coal mines. People worried the weight of the spire would make the tower collapse.
The other Church of Scotland building is now a Coptic Orthodox church.
The Roman Catholic parish of St Cuthbert's was started in 1893. The church building was built in 1908. It was a very active church for many years. Polish priests held services for the Polish community. From 2011 to 2021, it was also home to the Syro-Malabar Catholic community. Sadly, St Cuthbert's church closed in 2022 and was taken down in 2023.
Community Services and Schools
Burnbank has a public library. It is located in the old Victorian Police Station building, which was built in 1894. This building is now part of the Burnbank Centre.
Burnbank has two primary schools: St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary and Glenlee Primary. There is also a secondary school, St John Ogilvie High School. This school is in Burnbank but serves a wider area, including Blantyre.
There used to be other schools, like Dykehead Primary School and Greenfield School. These schools have since closed or been redeveloped.
Shops and Fun
Burnbank has several shops. There is a small Co-operative grocery store, a post office, a butcher, and a bakery. You can also find newsagents and several pubs. The last bank branch in Burnbank closed in the early 2000s.
In the past, Burnbank also had a large fancy goods store and shops selling flowers and sewing supplies.
There was once a cinema in Burnbank called the Plaza. It later became a Bingo Hall before it was taken down.
The center of Burnbank was updated in the 1970s. Part of it was made into a walking-only area.
The largest part of Burnbank is Udston. It was built in the 1950s on land that used to be a coal mine. It has many streets and roads.
Famous People from Burnbank
Many notable people have connections to Burnbank:
- Harry Lauder: A famous Scottish entertainer. He worked in mines in the Hamilton area, including Burnbank, before becoming a stage star.
- Robert (Concrete Bob) McAlpine: He founded a major British construction company. His first building business was in Burnbank. He was known for building railways and concrete structures, like the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.
- Jock Stein: A legendary football player and manager. He was born in Burnbank. He managed Celtic FC and won the European Cup with them in 1967. He also managed the Scotland national team.
- Jim Bett: A football player who played for many clubs and earned 26 caps for Scotland.
- Willie Savage: A long-serving football player for Queen of the South F.C.
- Walter McGowan: A World Flyweight Boxing Champion in the 1960s. He was born in Burnbank and trained there.
- Reverend Scott J Brown CBE: A high-ranking chaplain in the Royal Navy. His parents were both born in Burnbank.
- Garry Lee McCallum: The founder of the history website Historic Hamilton. He grew up in Burnbank.
