Ecclesmachan
Ecclesmachan
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 Cottages in Ecclesmachan |
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 Ecclesmachan
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| Ecclesmachan shown within West Lothian | |
| OS grid reference | NT057736 |
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| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BROXBURN |
| Postcode district | EH52 |
| Dialling code | 01506 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Ecclesmachan (Gaelic: Eaglais Mhachain) (Cumbric: Eglwys Machan) (NT058736) is a village in West Lothian. It lies just north of Uphall on the B8046 road. As at 2001, the population of the civil parish of Ecclesmachan was 529 and was 811 in 1991.
The name means 'church of Saint Machan', and is its form is thought to show that a church was present in the area in Sub-Roman times. However, it is not clear whether the name was coined in Gaelic or in the earlier Celtic language Cumbric.
The church was once under the care of the Templars via Torphichen receptory and in fact the graveyard contains several examples of Templar symbology.
The medieval church is almost entirely rebuilt but two arched doorways dating from c. 1200 survive. A date of 1710 is inscribed on one lintel. The most recent major remodelling dates from 1908 and was undertaken by John Honeyman. Stained glass in the interior is by Ballantine & Son
The new cemetery lies in a hollow at the foot of a fairly steep lane opposite the Church. It contains a large number of war graves given the small size of the village and many of the unmarked graves (566) contain the unclaimed bodies of patients who died at the nearby Bangour Village Hospital.
In Ecclesmachan there is a village hall, the hall is usually used at Christmas and Galaday times. The hall is also used for OAP and Toddler clubs. Inside the hall there is a plaque that is dedicated to the war heroes that fought in World War I. There is a cemetery near the hall where some of the war heroes are buried.
Ecclesmachan is best known for its countryside views, one being the Binny Craig. One of Ecclesmachans attractions is the bomb hole, it is near the Binny Craig. The bomb was meant to hit the Forth Bridge. This was during World War II.
The village is home to Oatridge Agricultural College (built in 1972). It is also home to the Scottish National Equestrian Centre (SNEC)
At least six quarries encircled the village at one time, producing stone of exceptional quality and particularly suited to carving. It has a high bitumen content, further attracting dirt, making it well-suited to Gothic structures where a darkening of the material is appropriate. Its most noteworthy use is on the Scott Monument on Princes Street in Edinburgh.
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Wikipedia