Fauldhouse
Fauldhouse (Fauldhoose; Falas) is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is about halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The nearest towns to Fauldhouse are Whitburn and Livingston. Other neighbouring villages include Longridge, Shotts and Stoneyburn. At approximately 750 feet above sea level, Fauldhouse is one of the highest villages in West Lothian.
Settlements and farms within Fauldhouse have existed since, at least, the Middle Ages, and was known until the 19th century by the names Falas, Fallas, Fawlhous and Falhous. The first written mention of Fauldhouse was in 1523. The seventeenth century Dutch mapmaker Willem Blaeu features Fauldhouse as Falas on two maps in his Atlas Novus of Scotland, and there are families with the surname Fallas. The name Fallas or Fauldhouse has been translated as "house on the fold", "house in the field", or "house on unploughed (fallow) land". However, the name may be older than the Middle Ages, and might even be derived from the Brythonic or Welsh-type language once spoken in the Lothian region. Historically, Fauldhouse was in the parish of Livingston but in 1730 it was transferred to Whitburn.
Fauldhouse is a former mining community. A mine existed in the area as early as 1790. However, the community developed extensively from the 1830s following discovery of coal and iron resources, in particular the discovery of an extractable slatery ironstone. Focusing initially around three smaller settlements (Crofthead, Drybridge and Greenburn), the village eventually grew and combined as one settlement, following new mines and the coming of the railway in 1845 (transportation of mine workings) and a second line in 1869. Some twenty mines were in operation around Fauldhouse, with the last closing in 1974. Nearby significant local mines and quarries (now closed) included:
* The Greenburn Pit (iron ore).
* Crofthead Quarry and mines (sandstone and iron ore), below the area now marked by Quarry road. Crofthead also included a brick works. Operations ceased in 1909 and the area was used as a rubbish dump by West Lothian County Council before returned to private ownership.
* Fauldhousehills and Fallahills quarries (sandstone).
* Braehead quarries (sandstone, coal and other minerals).
* Shotts road colliery, established between 1864 and 1899.
* Bridge-end colliery (coal).
* Eastfield collieries (coal and iron ore).
Settlements and farms within Fauldhouse have existed since, at least, the Middle Ages, and was known until the 19th century by the names Falas, Fallas, Fawlhous and Falhous. The first written mention of Fauldhouse was in 1523. The seventeenth century Dutch mapmaker Willem Blaeu features Fauldhouse as Falas on two maps in his Atlas Novus of Scotland, and there are families with the surname Fallas. The name Fallas or Fauldhouse has been translated as "house on the fold", "house in the field", or "house on unploughed (fallow) land". However, the name may be older than the Middle Ages, and might even be derived from the Brythonic or Welsh-type language once spoken in the Lothian region. Historically, Fauldhouse was in the parish of Livingston but in 1730 it was transferred to Whitburn.
Fauldhouse is a former mining community. A mine existed in the area as early as 1790. However, the community developed extensively from the 1830s following discovery of coal and iron resources, in particular the discovery of an extractable slatery ironstone. Focusing initially around three smaller settlements (Crofthead, Drybridge and Greenburn), the village eventually grew and combined as one settlement, following new mines and the coming of the railway in 1845 (transportation of mine workings) and a second line in 1869. Some twenty mines were in operation around Fauldhouse, with the last closing in 1974. Nearby significant local mines and quarries (now closed) included:
* The Greenburn Pit (iron ore).
* Crofthead Quarry and mines (sandstone and iron ore), below the area now marked by Quarry road. Crofthead also included a brick works. Operations ceased in 1909 and the area was used as a rubbish dump by West Lothian County Council before returned to private ownership.
* Fauldhousehills and Fallahills quarries (sandstone).
* Braehead quarries (sandstone, coal and other minerals).
* Shotts road colliery, established between 1864 and 1899.
* Bridge-end colliery (coal).
* Eastfield collieries (coal and iron ore).
Map - Fauldhouse
Map
Country - United_Kingdom
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| Flag of the United Kingdom | |
The United Kingdom has evolved from a series of annexations, unions and separations of constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. Its union in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which formally adopted that name in 1927. The nearby Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the UK, being Crown Dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation. There are also 14 British Overseas Territories, the last remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and a third of the world's population, and was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP | Pound sterling | £ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| GD | Gaelic language |
| CY | Welsh language |