Banknock

Banknock
Scottish Gaelic: Baile nan Cnoc

Canal bridge and lock on the Forth and Clyde Canal at Banknock
Banknock

 Banknock shown within the Falkirk council area
Area  0.28 sq mi (0.73 km2)
Population 2,529 [1] (2001 census)
    - Density  9,032 /sq mi (3,487 /km2)
OS grid reference NS783789
    - Edinburgh  29.8 mi (48.0 km) ESE 
    - London  348 mi (560 km) SSE 
Council area Falkirk
Lieutenancy area Stirling and Falkirk
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BONNYBRIDGE
Postcode district FK4 1
Dialling code 01324
Police Central Scotland
Fire Central Scotland
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament Falkirk
Scottish Parliament Central Scotland
Falkirk West
Website falkirk.gov.uk
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Banknock (Scottish Gaelic: Baile nan Cnoc) is a village within the Falkirk council area in Central Scotland. The village is 6.7 miles (10.8 km) west-southwest of Falkirk, 3.9 miles (6.3 km) east-northeast of Kilsyth and 3.0 miles (4.8 km) north-northeast of Cumbernauld.

Banknock is located on the Bonny Water, north of the Forth and Clyde canal and west of the A80 road near to the boundary of Falkirk and North Lanarkshire councils. At the time of the 2001 census, Banknock had a population of 2,529 residents.[1]

Contents

History

It once had a railway station on the Kilsyth to Bonnybridge Railway, a line which was built to serve the mines along the north side of the valley. Cannerton Pit was one of these mines and its spoil heap, locally called 'the Bing', was a local landmark. Upon the closure of the local mines, a brickworks was set up on the Cannerton site. Prior to the building of the railway, the Banknock mines were linked to the Forth & Clyde Canal by a wagon way which is still traceable today. This busy industrial site was once an important feature but is now disused. Another employer in the village was the foundry which was at the Coneypark end of the village and owned by the Dobson family who lived in what is now the Glenskirlie House Hotel. The Glenskirlie House Hotel has recently added a faux castle turret and it has become a popular venue for weddings.

Bankier Whisky Distillery closed in 1928, and was finally demolished in 1981.[2]

The part of the village where the Kilsyth Road crosses the Bush Burn was named Hollandbush and it was the centre of the village with a Post Office, Co-operative shops and a licensed grocers shop registered as Andrew Brown & Son. Banknock was particularly busy on Sundays due to the strict post-war licensing laws which dictated that only bona fide travellers may imbibe liquor on Sundays, and Kilsyth people would travel outwith their own environs in order to qualify.

Banknock Today

Banknock is split into two very distinct areas, Coneypark which is a small housing scheme west of the village, and the main housing scheme which is in the centre.

Local Schools

The only school in Banknock is Bankier Primary School - which has been awarded three Green Flags for its efforts to recycle and reuse waste. Secondary school pupils attend Denny High School, the nearest secondary school. Catholic pupils attend St. Patrick's Primary School and St Modan's High School for primary and secondary education respectively.

See also

References

External links