Family: A visit to New Lanark

Published on Sunday 17 January 2010 11:01

A mile south of Lanark lies the hidden village of New Lanark, once home to 18th-century cotton mills, and now a World Heritage site, with a hotel and a number of private houses.

Accompanied by our nieces (aged 11 and 16) my wife and I walked down the steep road, admiring the gleaming sandstone buildings that contrast with the surrounding woodland and the Falls of the Clyde.

Armed with our "passports" for the various mill buildings dotted around the village, we headed to the museum. Original exhibits and video montages bring the stories of those who worked at the mill to life. Children aged just ten would collect discarded cotton from under the moving machinery. Eleven-year-old Brogan found it hard to imagine climbing under at all.

In The Annie McLeod Experience, we took a ride through time with the ghost of mill girl Annie as she told her story and that of her family who lived and worked in New Lanark.

Mill manager Robert Owen, named by Tony Blair as one of his all-time heroes, is known the world over for his advanced attitude to educating his employees, and it was his school that we visited next. At the large sandstone steps leading up to the imposing door, I could imagine the school master ringing his bell, and the children rushing to line up in front of him.

Inside the classroom there are rows of pews with slate and chalk at each station. Maps of the world adorn the walls, beside illustrations of exotic animals and birds. Petticoats for girls and togas for boys hang at the door. The girls quickly put on the uniforms and took their seats.

Fully immersed in the role of headmaster, I soon had everyone sitting up straight. I was barking questions from algebra to geography when suddenly, to much amusement from the girls, the doors at the back of the classroom swung open and the lady from the ticket office marched in.

"You're doing it all wrong, I've been watching you on the CCTV," she shouted. "Your petticoats are back to front," she informed the girls (pictured, below).

To my horror I turned to see the camera in the corner, a warning to any would-be embarrassing uncles or dads.

We made a hasty exit and found sanctuary in the beautiful rooftop garden. Stunning 360-degree views of the village amaze everyone and the girls enjoyed the explorer's quiz around the greenery.

With plenty more still to see in New Lanark, including the nature walk along the river to the Falls of Clyde we will surely be back now we have discovered this glimpse of the past.

New Lanark (www. newlanark.org, 01555 661345) is around an hour from Glasgow (M74/A72) and Edinburgh (A70), tickets 6.95 for adults and 5.95 for children/concessions. For more information about Lanarkshire visit www.visitlanarkshire.com

&#149 This article first appeared in The Scotsman, 16 January, 2010