Strathaven
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Strathaven (pronounced: Stra'ven [ˈstɹeɪvn̩], meaning: valley of the Avon) is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
[edit] Location
The town is located on the edge of the valley of the Avon Water, around 9 miles from Hamilton, and 23 miles from Glasgow. The A71, which connects Edinburgh and Kilmarnock passes through the town. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 7, 875. Strathaven has one secondary school - Strathaven Academy - and three primary schools - Kirkland Park Primary, Wester Overton Primary, and St Patrick's Primary. It also has a grass airfield about two miles to the north west, on Lethame Road.
[edit] History
Strathaven has a long history as a market town. A Roman road passes close by, on the south side of the Avon Water, which led to the Roman fort at Loudoun Hill near Darvel. The origins of Strathaven Castle are obscure, but it is believed to have been built around 1350 by the Bairds, on a bend of the Powmillon Burn. Today it is a ruin, with a single tower and sections of wall remaining beside the A71.
Strathaven became a Burgh of barony in 1450, and still retains its traditional character despite the growth of more modern housing satisfying the needs of commuters to Glasgow. The centre of the town is occupied by the market square, formerly a grassed common, and still known as Common Green, or just 'The Green'. Linking the town and the castle is the old 'Boo Backit Brig' ('bow-backed bridge'), a small arched bridge. The Old Parish Church, with its landmark spire, was built in 1772, and was patronised by the Dukes of Hamilton.
The town prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries as a weaving town, although there were many merchants living here too. The town played a significant part in the Radical War of 1820, when James Wilson led a band of radicals on a march to Glasgow, to join a rumoured general uprising which never actually happened. Wilson was hanged for treason, and in 1846 a memorial was built in his honour in the town cemetery. The history of Strathaven is now documented in the town's John Hastie Museum.
Its most famous 'modern' resident was Sir Harry Lauder (1870-1950) whose mansion, Lauder Ha', or Hall, was just above the town on the road to Kilmarnock. Sir Harry spent the Second World War years there, and died in February 1950. The family retained the property until Death Duties of 65% forced a sale in the late 1960s. It remains a private residence.
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