Ravenscraig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ravenscraig
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.jpg) Ravenscraig Sports Facility, 2016. |
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 Ravenscraig
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| OS grid reference | NS756563 |
| • Edinburgh | 41 mi (66 km) |
| • London | 393 mi (632 km) |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MOTHERWELL |
| Postcode district | ML1 |
| Dialling code | 01698 |
| Police | Strathclyde |
| Fire | Strathclyde |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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| Website | [1] |
Ravenscraig is a town and historic village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It's about 2 miles (3 km) east of Motherwell. Ravenscraig was once home to the Ravenscraig steelworks, which was the biggest hot strip steel mill in western Europe! It closed in 1992 and has mostly been taken down.
For over twenty years, the land was empty and unused. But in the 2010s, work began to build new homes and services. This big project was helped by companies like Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd, Scottish Enterprise, and Tata Steel Europe.
Contents
Where is Ravenscraig?
Ravenscraig is in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It sits between the towns of Wishaw and Motherwell. It's also near the villages of Carfin and Newarthill. Together, over 120,000 people live in this area.
Ravenscraig is very close to major motorways. It's only about a ten-minute drive from the M74 and M8 motorways. These roads connect to Glasgow and Edinburgh, which are Scotland's two largest cities. A railway line also runs right through the area.
Ravenscraig's Past
The name Ravenscraig comes from a nearby cliff called Ravenscraig. This means "Raven's Cliff" or "Cliff of the Ravens." It's located in the valley of the North Calder Water. Maps from 1859 already show this name.
Before World War II, a company called Colvilles was the biggest steel maker in the UK. In 1954, they decided to build a huge new steelworks at Ravenscraig. This turned a green field into a massive industrial site.
By 1957, many parts of the steelworks were built. These included ovens for making coke, a plant to get useful things from by-products, a blast furnace, and an open hearth melting shop. By 1959, a special mill for making steel strips was finished.
The Ravenscraig steelworks closed in 1992. This meant the end of large-scale steel making in Scotland. About 770 people lost their jobs directly. Another 10,000 jobs were also affected because they were linked to the steelworks.
Ravenscraig Today
Before it was rebuilt, Ravenscraig was one of the biggest unused sites in Europe. It was over 1,125 acres (4.55 km²) in size. That's like 700 football pitches or twice the size of Monaco!
Over several years, many new housing areas have been built on the old site. These are connected by new roads that lead to Carfin. One of the first and biggest buildings was a huge sports facility. It's one of the largest in Scotland and has space for many different sports.
There are also plans to clean up the South Calder Water river in the area. It was affected by the old factories and chemicals. New trees have been planted to help local wildlife, like deer, foxes, and various birds.
As of 2021, thousands of new homes have been built. There are also several pubs. The project is still ongoing. On March 22, 2022, a new park and playground called The Craig was opened by Anne, Princess Royal.
Building a New Ravenscraig
After many years of planning, Ravenscraig began to be "regenerated" or rebuilt. Three main groups worked together: Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd, Scottish Enterprise, and Tata Steel. This project is one of the biggest rebuilding efforts in Europe, covering 400 acres (1.6 km²).
Ravenscraig will have many new things, including:
- 3,500 new homes
- A new town centre with shops and fun places
- Spaces for businesses and factories
- Large park areas
- A new transport system
- A new sports centre
- A new college campus
- Two new schools
- A hotel
Part of the plan was to create new homes for the animals already living there. These include deer, foxes, hares, otters, badgers, and watervoles. Many types of butterflies and birds, like waders and song thrushes, also live there. Experts were hired to make sure the wildlife was protected during construction.
The new sports complex cost £29 million and opened in October 2010. It was used as a training camp for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It also hosted the 2011 International Children's Games.
Discussions and Plans
The plans for Ravenscraig caused some discussion. Local people and businesses worried about the new shops. They feared that new shopping areas might harm jobs and businesses in nearby towns like Motherwell and Wishaw. However, the leader of North Lanarkshire Council, Jim McCabe, disagreed.
Ravenscraig Today's Progress
The first big step was the new Motherwell College, which was completed first. It was built to attract over 20,000 students. The new sports centre also opened on October 4, 2010.
Next, homes began to be built in an area called Phoenix Park. This area will eventually have 850 new homes. Some of these were finished by 2012.
Funding was also approved for the second phase of construction. This phase includes the shopping facilities and was planned to start around mid-2012.
A new dual carriageway (a road with two lanes in each direction) was approved. It will connect the new town to the M8 and M74 motorways. This road will also go through Motherwell and Carfin.
In September 2012, the first building of a new BRE Innovation Park opened. This park was planned to have ten energy-efficient buildings.
Progress on the development slowed down because of economic reasons. A new plan was approved in 2019. It reduced the amount of retail space and didn't include a new railway station in the short term. The project is expected to be completed around 2045.
Getting Around Ravenscraig
As part of the rebuilding, transport in Ravenscraig will get much better. There will be a new transport hub where you can catch buses to Glasgow and Lanark. It will be easy to use public transport throughout the area.
There are also plans for a new railway station. The Argyle Line already goes through the area. This means trains could easily travel to big stations like Glasgow Central from Ravenscraig. However, this station hasn't been built yet.
In the future, the Greenlink Cycle Path might be extended. This would connect Ravenscraig directly to Strathclyde Country Park for cyclists. A new bus service, the 92, is also planned for 2023. It will link Ravenscraig with Motherwell.
Motherwell Football Club
Motherwell Football Club, the local professional football team, might move to Ravenscraig. They have been playing at their current home, Fir Park, for 113 years. In 2008, the club's manager, Mark McGhee, said they had talked about building a new stadium on the site. While it seemed possible, a move to Ravenscraig won't happen very soon.
Location Grid
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Carfin/Newarthill | |
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| Motherwell |  |
Wishaw | ||
 Ravenscraig  |
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| Netherton/Muirhouse |
