# Addiewell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Addiewell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Addiewell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiewell > Source revision: 1291517666 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} {{Use British English|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox UK place | country = Scotland | static_image_name = Addiewell and Loganlea Memorial Garden - geograph.org.uk - 721867.jpg | static_image_caption = Entrance to the Addiewell and Loganlea Memorial Garden | coordinates = {{coord|55.845|-3.614|display=inline,title}} | official_name = Addiewell | gaelic_name = Tobar Adaidh | scots_name = Aidieswall | label_position = | population = {{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Addiewell}} | population_ref = ({{Scottish settlement population citation|year}}){{Scottish settlement population citation}} | os_grid_reference = NS989625 | civil_parish = [West Calder](/source/West_Calder) | lieutenancy_scotland = [West Lothian](/source/West_Lothian) | unitary_scotland = [West Lothian](/source/West_Lothian) | constituency_westminster = [Livingston](/source/Livingston_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) | constituency_scottish_parliament = [Almond Valley](/source/Almond_Valley_(Scottish_Parliament_constituency)) | post_town = WEST CALDER | postcode_district = EH55 | postcode_area = EH | dial_code = 01501 }} '''Addiewell''' ({{langx|sco|Aidieswall}},[http://www.scots-online.org/dictionary/read.asp?letter=A&CurPage=10 The Online Scots Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708054328/http://www.scots-online.org/dictionary/read.asp?letter=A&CurPage=10 |date=8 July 2010 }}. {{langx|gd|Tobar Adaidh}})[http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/component/content/article/2999-list-of-railway-station-names.html List of railway station names in English, Scots and Gaelic] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122064223/http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/component/content/article/2999-list-of-railway-station-names.html |date=January 22, 2013 }} - NewsNetScotland is a former mining village in the [Scottish](/source/Scotland) council area of [West Lothian](/source/West_Lothian). Historically it lies within the County of [Midlothian](/source/Midlothian). A new prison, [HMP Addiewell](/source/HMP_Addiewell), opened in 2008. There are two separate districts, Addiebrownhill and [Loganlea](/source/Loganlea%2C_West_Lothian). Addiewell is near Stoneyburn and West Calder. ==History== In 1852 [James Young](/source/James_Young_(Scottish_chemist)) left [Manchester](/source/Manchester) to return to live in Scotland. On return he bought the [United States](/source/United_States)-registered [patent](/source/patent) for the production of [paraffin oil](/source/Kerosene) by distillation of coal, known as the [oil shale industry](/source/oil_shale_industry). Both the US and UK patents were subsequently upheld in both countries in a series of lawsuits, and other producers were obliged to pay him royalties. After his patents expired in 1864, in 1865 Young bought out his business partners at the [Bathgate](/source/Bathgate)-based chemical works, and choose to build a larger factory at Addiewell, due to its location on the [Breich](/source/Breich) river. After agreeing purchase of {{convert|70|acre}} {{convert|1|mi}} west from the village of [West Calder](/source/West_Calder),{{cite web|url=http://scottishmining.co.uk/398.html|title=The Industries of Scotland: Their Rise, Progress and Present Condition|author=David Bremner|year=1869|access-date=2012-06-09}} Young needed to develop a [model village](/source/model_village) for his workers. Finding clay beneath the soil, he built a [brickworks](/source/brickworks), allowing him to greatly reduce construction costs. Laid out on the principles set out by [Cadbury](/source/Cadbury) at [Bournville](/source/Bournville), and developed mainly between 1865 and 1870, a public school was built with accommodation for 327 children.{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=22349|title=Addiewell|publisher=visionofbritain.org.uk|access-date=2012-06-09}} Young named a number of the streets after his heroes, namely: [Humphry Davy](/source/Humphry_Davy); [Michael Faraday](/source/Michael_Faraday); [David Livingstone](/source/David_Livingstone); [Robert Stephenson](/source/Robert_Stephenson); and [James Watt](/source/James_Watt).{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishshale.co.uk/GazVillages/AddiewellVillage.html|title=Addiewell|publisher=scottishshale.co.uk|access-date=2012-06-09|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032352/http://www.scottishshale.co.uk/GazVillages/AddiewellVillage.html|url-status=dead}} However, he operated the village on the principles the developers of the [South Wales Coalfield](/source/South_Wales_Coalfield), where by workers were paid in a local currency to ensure that their wages were spent within the village, and that the men did not over drink alcohol. There is one church, namely St Thomas the Apostle Church{{cite web |url=http://www.rcscotland.com/Parish_Detail/Default.asp?PID%3D1028S |access-date=2012-06-12 |url-status=dead |title=Archived copy |archive-date=26 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426201256/http://www.rcscotland.com/Parish_Detail/Default.asp?PID=1028S }} (of the [Roman Catholic Church](/source/Roman_Catholic_Church)). This was designed by [Reginald Fairlie](/source/Reginald_Fairlie) in 1923.''Buildings of Scotland: Lothian''; by Colin McWilliam The former [Church of Scotland](/source/Church_of_Scotland) was founded as a mission church in 1871 and raised to a [quoad sacra](/source/quoad_sacra) church linked to [West Calder](/source/West_Calder) parish in 1882.''Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae''; by Hew scott It is now used as a warehouse by the owner of one of the village shops. ===Addiewell chemical works=== Employing 700 workers, Young found that the heavily polluted river could not be used for production purposes, and so was forced to drive his own water wells. At peak production, the plant consumed annually: *{{convert|526000000|impgal|GL|2|abbr=off}} of water *{{convert|73210|LT|t|abbr=off}} of coal, used also to power the {{convert|280|hp|kW|adj=on}} steam engines *{{convert|134000|LT|t}} of [bituminous shale](/source/bituminous_shale) *{{convert|2940|LT|t}} of [sulphuric acid](/source/sulphuric_acid) *{{convert|628|LT|t}} of [caustic soda](/source/caustic_soda) In output, it produced: *{{convert|2285400|impgal|L|abbr=on}} of [illuminating oil](/source/Coal_oil) *{{convert|172000|impgal|L|abbr=on}} of [lubricating oil](/source/lubricating_oil) *{{convert|120000|impgal|L|abbr=on}} of [naphtha](/source/naphtha) *{{convert|1300|LT|t}} of paraffin *{{convert|585|LT|t}} of [ammonium sulfate](/source/ammonium_sulfate), a [fertilizer](/source/fertilizer) The plant burnt its own liquid waste, the coal ash was used to repair local roads, while the {{convert|11000|LT}} of shale waste was disposed by conveyor belt to local waste heaps. Due to the volume of materials required to enable the works, Young in part sponsored the [Caledonian Railway](/source/Caledonian_Railway)'s [Cleland and Midcalder Line](/source/Cleland_and_Midcalder_Line). In 1866 Young sold the company to Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company.{{cite book | last = Russell | first = Loris S. | title = A Heritage of Light: Lamps and Lighting in the Early Canadian Home | publisher = University of Toronto Press | year = 2003 | isbn = 0-8020-3765-8}} Although the nearby [Woodmuir colliery](/source/Woodmuir_colliery) had supplied coal to the works, its workforce was excluded from living in the village until Young sold the company. When the reserves of [torbanite](/source/torbanite) eventually gave out, the company moved on to pioneer the exploitation of West Lothian's [oil shale](/source/oil_shale) deposits, the only workable deposits in Europe outside [Russia](/source/Russia), if not so rich in oil as torbanite. By the 1900s nearly 2 million tons of shale were being extracted annually across West Lothian, employing 4,000 men. The refinery closed in 1921, the associated candle works in 1923. The reduction in workers brought about the demolition of some of the early housing. The paraffin works were due to close pre-[World War II](/source/World_War_II), but were saved by the onset of hostilities by virtue of reducing imports. After the paraffin works closed in 1956, the site remained derelict until the last buildings were cleared in 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishshale.co.uk/GazWorks/AddiewellChemicalWorks.html|title=Addiewell Chemical Works|publisher=scottishshale.co.uk|access-date=2012-06-09|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232646/http://www.scottishshale.co.uk/GazWorks/AddiewellChemicalWorks.html|url-status=dead}} ==Present== right|thumb|Addiewell post office Addiewell has a combined school, comprising St Thomas' RC and Addiewell Primary and an on site community centre, constructed to complement the schools and provide a function hall for all local groups. Addiewell has three shops, one pub and a community facility/softplay/gym called The Pitstop. The local football team is called Loganlea United. The prison, built to hold up to 800 maximum security prisoners on the site of the former chemical works, opened in December 2008. ==Representation== Addiewell is part of the [Livingston](/source/Livingston_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) [UK Parliament constituency](/source/UK_Parliament_constituency) in which [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) (MP) [Gregor Poynton](/source/Gregor_Poynton) is the MP.{{cite web |url=https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/82669/General-Election-Results-2024/ |title=General Election Results 2024 |publisher=West Lothian Council |access-date=8 July 2024}} Addiewell is part of the [Almond Valley](/source/Almond_Valley_(Scottish_Parliament_constituency)) constituency in the [Scottish Parliament](/source/Scottish_Parliament), represented by the locally raised [Angela Constance](/source/Angela_Constance) of the [Scottish National Party](/source/Scottish_National_Party). ==Transport== Developed as part of the [Caledonian Railway](/source/Caledonian_Railway)'s [Cleland and Midcalder Line](/source/Cleland_and_Midcalder_Line), [Addiewell railway station](/source/Addiewell_railway_station) is now on the [Shotts Line](/source/Shotts_Line) from [Glasgow Central](/source/Glasgow_Central_railway_station) to [Edinburgh Waverley](/source/Edinburgh_Waverley_railway_station). With an hourly service in each direction, it has recently been upgraded to support the new prison. ==People from Addiewell== *[Angela Constance](/source/Angela_Constance) - SNP politician, MSP *[John Hanlon](/source/John_Hanlon_(footballer)) - footballer *[Paddy Crossan](/source/Paddy_Crossan) - footballer *[Jimmy McGuigan](/source/Jimmy_McGuigan) - footballer *[Elizabeth Craig](/source/Elizabeth_Craig_(writer)) - journalist & Home Economist ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * Alistair Findlay (2010) ''Shale Voices'' Luath Press Ltd ({{ISBN|978-1906307110}}) - memoir of the shale oil industry {{West Lothian settlements}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNluByV21yc Video footage of Addiewell railway station] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxO-HnwfvGA Video footage of the Old Addiewell Village and Shale Oil Works] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101229201400/http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townfirst772.html Addiewell] at [Gazetteer for Scotland](/source/Gazetteer_for_Scotland) {{authority control}} Category:Villages in West Lothian Category:Model villages Category:Mining communities in Scotland --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Addiewell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiewell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiewell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.