Great Britain and Ireland

Meetings

Second Tueday of the month in the Moorings Hotel, Motherwell. No meetings July and August.

About the area

Larkhall is situated 4 miles south of Hamilton and is on the edge of the Clyde Valley. It nestles between two rivers, the Clyde and the Avon.

The population is approximately16,000 and while having modern Industrial Estates within its boundary, it also functions as a dormitory town for Glasgow and neighbouring towns.

There is a mixture of private and Council housing ranging from Weavers Cottages to modern style buildings, giving a varied character to the towns appearance.

In the early days hand loom weaving was the specialised occupation. In the 1790s they had 100 looms at work and in the 1840s there were 462 weavers, being 42% of the population.

The most crucial factor in the development of Larkhall was the discovery of the "Black Diamond" - Coal. Research discovered that Larkhall sat on a rich coal seam. Before the year 1900 there were at least 40 working mines in and around Larkhall. Now there are none.

In 1939 an Industrial Estate was started and firms such as Atco, Hunter -Douglas and Daks Simpson came to the town giving employment to the many inhabitants.

On the outskirts of town we have the picturesque Clyde-Side with its fruit growing and many Garden Centres where we can spend a most enjoyable afternoon.

We also have within a short distance the famous Chatelherault Country Park where at its centre stands the magnificent Chatelherault Hunting Lodge built and used by the 5th Duke of Hamilton.

Larkhall is now a thriving town with amenities such as Golf Course, Bowling Greens, Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool