Gazetteer of Scotland

LESMAHAGOW


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LESMAHAGOW, town and parish in upper ward of Lanarkshire. The town stands on Nethan rivulet-, at terminus of branch railway, 13 miles south-east of Hamilton; is sometimes called Abbey-green, with reference to a monastery founded at it in 1140 on site of a Culdee cell ; figured much in the history of the Covenanters ; and has a post office with all departments designated of Lanarkshire, a railway station, 2 banking offices, Established, Free, and United Presbyterian churches, and 2 public schools. Pop. 1386. The parish contains also the villages of Kirkfieldbank, Kirkmuirhill, Crossford, Auchenheath, Turfholm, Boghead, Hazelbank, and New Trows. Its length is 11^ miles ; its greatest breadth 1\ miles ; its area 41,299 acres. Real property in 1880-81, 68,578. Pop. 9949. The surface is much diversified, and abounds in picturesque scenery. More than three-fourths of it have a mean elevation of about 500 feet above sea-level ; and the rest, situated in the west and the south-west, consists of fine pastoral uplands. The Clyde runs about 7f miles along the north-eastern boundary, and achieves there all its celebrated falls. Carboniferous rocks underlie a large portion of the surface, and yield a great output of pit coal, cannel coal, and lime-stone. The mansions are numerous ; and a grand antiquity is Craignethan Castle. A chapel-of-ease is at Kirkfieldbank, a Free church is at Crossford, and United Presbyterian churches are at Crossford and Kirkmuirhill. There are 11 schools for 1931 scholars, and 5 of these and enlargements for 1230 are new.