Fauldhouse

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Fauldhouse
Scottish Gaelic: Falas
Scots: Fauldhoose
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Fauldhouse is located in West Lothian
Fauldhouse
Fauldhouse
 Fauldhouse shown within West Lothian
Population 4,730 (2004 est) [1]
OS grid reference NS929606
Council area West Lothian
Lieutenancy area West Lothian
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Bathgate
Postcode district EH47
Dialling code 01501
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Scottish Parliament Almond Valley
List of places
UK
Scotland

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Fauldhouse (Scots: Fauldhoose ,[1] Scottish Gaelic: Falas)[2] is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is about halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

History

Fauldhouse is known since the Middle Ages, and was known until the 19th century by the names "Falas" or latterly "Fallas."[citation needed] The seventeenth century Dutch mapmaker Willem Blaeu features Fauldhouse as "Falas" on two maps in his Atlas Novus of Scotland. There are families with the surname Fallas, who obviously had ancestors who came from Fauldhouse. The name Fallas or Fauldhouse has been translated as "house on the fold", "house in the field", or "house on unploughed (fallow) land".[citation needed] However, the name may be older than the Middle Ages and might even be derived from the Brythonic or Welsh-type language once spoken in the Lothian region.[citation needed]

A desolate location on the edge of a moorland, the decline in its mining and other industries and a general reputation for being quite tough have made it a rather neglected place in recent times, though relatively cheap property prices and its proximity to the two major Scottish cities are now stimulating signs of regeneration.[citation needed] The population is currently increasing with hundreds of homes being built.[citation needed]

Facilities

To the south of Fauldhouse is the 18 hole Greenburn Golf Club which was founded in 1892, but which has been on its present site for around 50 years. Trains run through the course over a viaduct. The village also has two primary schools, Falla Hill and St John the Baptist RC, which have both been expanding over recent years. The local high school for Falla Hill is Whitburn Academy and for St John the Baptist, St Kentigern's Academy in Blackburn.

Fauldhouse once boasted a cinema but it was closed many years ago.[citation needed]

Neighbouring villages include Longridge, Shotts and Stoneyburn. The nearest town to Fauldhouse is Whitburn followed by Livingston.

The church of St.John the Baptist was the first Roman Catholic parish in West Lothian, in the year 1873.[citation needed]

The town is served by Fauldhouse railway station, on the Shotts Line between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

People

Stephen Greenhorn, who wrote River City and Marchlands, is from Fauldhouse. In 2013 Greenhorn adapted his musical Sunshine on Leith for the big screen. The film was shot in Glasgow and Edinburgh in late 2012 and stars Peter Mullan and Jane Horrocks, and is directed by Dexter Fletcher.

John McLaren, who won the title Scottish Junior Cross Country Champion in 1954 and then retained the title. In 1955 McLaren won the English title as well. He represented Scotland six times throughout his career.[3]


Sports

Football Team

The local football team is Fauldhouse United who play in Eastern Region and won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1946.

In 2001, the Fauldhouse Foxes BC was formed, later being known as Fauldhouse FCA. They now operate with teams ranging from Under 9 up to Under 19. The Under 13s won the Scottish Cup in 2011 beating Syngenta Juveniles 3-0 in the final.

Golf

To the south of Fauldhouse is the 18 hole Greenburn Golf Course which was founded in 1892, but which has been on its present site for around 50 years. Trains run through the course over a viaduct.

Cricket

The local cricket club is Fauldhouse Victoria. They were established in 1855 and are one of the oldest clubs in Scotland.[citation needed] The 1st team play in the East of Scotland Division 1.

Swimming

There is a swimming club in Fauldhouse called the Fauldhouse Penguins. They are a successful team and are part of the swimming development programme in West Lothian called Swim West Lothian or SWL for short.

References

  1. The Online Scots Dictionary
  2. List of railway station names in English, Scots and Gaelic – NewsNetScotland
  3. 1956 International Cross Country Championships

See also

External links