New Lanark - Scotland
Designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.
New Lanark (www.newlanark.org/) is a small and beautifully restored 18th-century cotton mill village set in a stunning Scottish village where the social pioneer Robert Owen moulded a model industrial community in the early 19th century.
Robert Owen was the mill manager from 1800-1825, and in that time he transformed life in New Lanark with ideas that were at least 100 years ahead of their time. Some 2,500 people lived in New Lanark, many from the poorhouses of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Under Owen, child labour and corporal punishment were abolished, and villagers were provided with decent homes, schools and evening classes, free healthcare and affordable food.
New Lanark is still a living community, and the village is in the care of an independent charity. The village is the gateway to the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve, which is home to over 100 species of birds. Here you can enjoy beautiful riverside walks and follow in the footsteps of many artists such as Wordsworth and Turner.
Exploring the village today, it's easy to see how people lived and worked in Owen's day. New Lanark has been carefully restored as a living, working community where you can explore the fascinating history of New Lanark and Robert Owen.
The name of New Lanark is synonymous with that of Robert Owen and his social philosophy in matters such as progressive education, factory reform, humane working practices, international cooperation, and garden cities, which was to have a profound influence on social developments throughout the 19th century and beyond.
Must see & do:
- New Lanark Visitor Centre - The Visitor Centre features the exciting 'New Millennium Experience'. Meet Harmony - your guide from year 2200 and enjoy a magical journey across the frontiers of time.
- Craignethan Castle - The Castle dates back to the 16th century and features a caponier (a vaulted stone chamber for artillery) unique in Britain.
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