Welcome to Woodhall Faskine and Palacecraig Conservation Group

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These are ancient lands and ‘green’ since the ice rolled back over 7,000 years ago. Crogal’s Castle, a hill fort, guards the crossing of the North Calder Water south of Calderbank, where earthworks and ditches may be seen. In the 11th century Faskine was chosen by Cistercian monks from Newbattle Abbey in the Lothians for a hermitage – a place where they would be safe from invasion and war (‘fasgadh’is a shelter in Gaelic).  The monks were farmers who grew crops, raised sheep and gave the name ‘Monklands’ to the district.

By the 1600s, Woodhall had become a Hamilton property and noted for its trees. In 1711 the estate was bought by Daniel Campbell of Shawfield, a wealthy Glasgow merchant who had a splendid mansion in Palladian style built. Being an improving landowner, the old style ‘runrig’ strip cultivation was soon replaced by regular fields and hedgerows, with woods in geometric patterns. Later, a Lily Loch and a Walled Garden were created.

Soon coal and iron pits were dug and James Watt of steam engine fame designed the Monkland Canal that opened to Woodhall in 1794. It carried coal to Glasgow driving forward the use of steam power in industry there.  At Calderbank, there was local demand for coal from the iron, and later steel works. In 1830, the early Monkland & Kirkintilloch Railway opened from Palacecraig to take coal from a pit to the Forth & Clyde Canal for export to either Glasgow or Edinburgh. (The M&KR is the first line in the world to mention steam locomotives in its Act of 1826).

By the 1850s, the wealth creators at Woodhall had been replaced by the ‘big spenders’ and financial problems had to be faced. A trust took over, but in 1874 Alexander Whitelaw, an associate of Bairds of Gartsherrie, the noted ironmasters, purchased Woodhall for its minerals, especially coal. By the 1900s, fire and neglect had destroyed the grand mansion, but coalmining continued. Subsidence  then resulted in the removal of other structures of architectural merit in the 1930s. 

Since then, nature has recovered wonderfully, and its biodiversity is enhanced by active farming at Faskine and Palacecraig. Although areas have been lost to motorway construction, this green heartland with its twin arteries of the North Calder Water and the Monkland Canal is intact, and continues to bring health benefits to local people and visitors alike.

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Dr Ann Glen

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