New Lanark: Pushing the Boundaries (New Lanark World Heritage Village)

Member Name: GuruOnAMountain

Product:	New Lanark World Heritage Village
Date:	25/08/04 (141 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The history of New Lanark is very interesting., Relatively fair ticket prices., Hotel and youth hostel on site.

Disadvantages: Will only keep you busy for a few hours if you don't go the walk by the falls of Clyde., Might be a bit boring for children., There isn't many other visitor attractions in the surrounding area.

New Lanark is a village which is relatively small, but quaint. It has a school house and some mills and a few crampt houses. Doesn't sound like much, does it? I'll agree, to us, it sounds like nothing out of the ordinary, but try and imagine yourself living in the 1800s when young children were forced to work from a young age, often engaged in dangerous and even life threatening tasks. Working hours were long, people often lived in squallor and there was no such thing as sick pay.

Now, think about New Lanark again and consider that it was a working mill in the 1800s ran by the revolutionary Robert Owen. Owen was the first man to really take great strides forward in changing things for the better. He provided his mill workers with decent accomodation and insisted that they kept it in good condition for their own health and safety. He insisted that children were educated up until at least the age of 10, and he even provided a nursery for younger children so their mothers could return to work. Education was not just dull and colourless, either. He wanted the children to be educated in music, dancing and art as well as reading, writing and maths. He cut working hours and gave breaks. He also established a fund to provide doctors and wages for those too sick to work. He also provided a village store for the inhabitants of the village, and this was what inspired the creators of the Co-Op stores.

It's actually quite breathtaking when you think about it, and frightening to consider that New Lanark was neglected for many years and we almost never had the chance to enjoy it. However, it was saved, and is now a World Heritage Village set in beautiful surroundings.

A Visitor Centre is open there where you can learn all about the work of Robert Owen and get a glimpse of life for the people who lived there in th
e past. The old schoolhouse is open and there is displays to see there, and there is a working mill in part of the visitor centre. The village store is still here, too, and still sells old-fashioned goods. I had great fun satisfying my sweet tooth after having a glance at all the old fashioned sweeties on sale! The mill also has a shop which sells woolen goods made in the village, as well as sweets, clothes, toys, Scottish themed souveniers etc. There is also an Edinburgh Woolen Mill shop and a small cafe in the main building of Mill 3. Let's not forget the workers' houses that they have on display, and the display in Robert Owen's house.

If you wander down the path from Mill 3 there is some small craft shops that are open on occassion such as a potter's shop. There is also a small wildlife shop and some picnic tables from which you can view the falls of the Clyde. There is also a very scenic woodland walk along the falls of Clyde that the more energetic of us can take.

One of the mills has been converted into a hotel, so you can even choose to stay here for a few nights and visit the village and the surrounding area in more depth. There is also a youth hostel on the site.

What makes the village even more special is the fact that people are living here once again. Some of the buildings were sold as 'empty shells' to allow people to design their own apartments, and this proved to be quite popular.

The Visitor Centre is open daily from 11am-5pm and the prices are as follows:

Adults £5.95
Concessions
(Senior Citizens, Children, Students) £3.95
Family of 4
(2 Adults & 2 Children) £16.95
Family of 6
(2 Adults & 4 Children) £19.95

Be aware, though, that although there is parking down at the actual village, visitors
are disuaded from using this since the village is a residential area in itself now and the house owners' do need parking facilities. There is a large car park at the top of a path leading down to the village, but this is rather steep so you would be best to phone prior to your visit if you have mobility problems.

I would recommend New Lanark to any potential visitor. It is amazing that one man could care so much for his workers and have so much dedication to bringing about change as Robert Owen did.

Check out www.newlanark.org for more information.
Capital letters courtesy of: http://www.chuckleweb.co.uk/fixit.php

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