Livingston, West Lothian: Difference between revisions

Livingston is first mentioned in an early 12th-century charter as ''Villa Levingi'' (Leving's town).<ref name="Hendrie">{{cite book |title= The History of Livingston | author= William F Hendrie |date= Jan 1989 |isbn= 978-0950216638}}</ref> In 1128, [[David I of Scotland|David I]] granted the newly founded [[Holyrood Abbey|Abbey of Holyrood]] control of the church at Livingston and its income in a charter that was witnessed by ''Turstani filii Levingi'' (Thurstan son of Leving).<ref name="old_parish">[http://www.livoldpar.org.uk Livingston Old Parish] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307151442/http://www.livoldpar.org.uk/ |date=2012-03-07 }}.</ref> He built a fortified tower (Livingston Peel) which no longer survives. The settlement that grew up around it became known as Levingstoun, Layingston, and eventually fixed at Livingston. The Leving family controlled the area until dying out in 1512. From 1512 until 1671 the tower house was occupied by the [[Lord Elibank|Murrays of Elibank]]. In 1670, the [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh|Edinburgh botanic garden]] was founded by Dr. [[Robert Sibbald]] and Dr. [[Andrew Balfour (botanist)|Andrew Balfour]] using the plant collection from the Elibank private gardens of [[Patrick Murray, 1st Lord Elibank#Patrick Murray, 2nd Lord Elibank|Sir Patrick Murray, 2nd Lord Elibank]], following his death in September 1671.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SV4CAAAAIAAJ&q=patrick+murray%2C+baron+livingstone&pg=PA28|title=Notes & Queries|first=William|last=White|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1889}}</ref> In the late 17th century, the Peel was demolished and replaced by a house called Livingston Place. The estate eventually passed from the Murray family to the Cunningham family and it was eventually acquired by the [[Archibald Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery|Earl of Rosebery]] in 1828 and demolished in 1840.<ref name="Hendrie"/> The area of the former gardens and house is now a local garden and park, named Peel park.<ref name=Konect1>{{cite web |url=https://www.konect.scot/post/the-laird-o-livingston-s-legacy | title=The Laird O Livingston's Legacy | access-date=14 March 2021| work=Konect Magazine}}</ref> The formal layout and planting in the park reflect the historic gardens, and a new peel mound and moat was recreated to reflect the earlier history.<ref name=PeelPark>{{cite web |url=https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/media/40663/Peel-Park-Report/pdf/Peel_Park_report_final_070420.pdf?m=637218638633170000 | title=Peel Park Final Report | access-date=14 March 2021 | publisher=West Lothian Council }}</ref>

By 1898, the main Livingston village was recorded as having several houses, a mill, a [[Church of Scotland]] church, a United Free church,<!-- two years too early to have been a church of the [[United Free Church of Scotland]] --> a school, and a coaching inn.<ref name="Hendrie"/> The oldest church, Livingston Old Kirk, in its current form, dates from 1732 and is an example of plain Presbetryrian architecture from the Georgian period.<ref name=HS3>{{cite web |url=http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB7409 | title=Livingston Village, Livingston Parish Church | access-date=25 November 2020 | publisher=Historic Scotland}}</ref> It stands on the site of a pre-Reformation church which appears to have stood on the site from {{circa|1350|1650}}.<ref name="Hendrie"/> The nearby coaching inn was built in 1760 and the poet [[Robert Burns]] is said to have been a guest.<ref name=VW>{{cite web |url=https://www.visitwestlothian.co.uk/accommodation/hotels/livingston-inn/ | title=Livingston Inn | access-date=25 November 2020 | publisher=Visit West Lothian}}</ref> The nearby Livingston Mill was also built around the same date, in 1770 although there is evidence that suggests there may have been a mill on the site since the 14th or 15th century.<ref name=Konect2>{{cite web |url=https://www.konect.scot/post/livingston-mill | title=Livingston Mill | access-date=26 November 2020 | work=Konect Magazine}}</ref> Around {{convert|1|mi|km|round=0.5|abbr=off|spell=in}} north of Livingston village, there was [[Livingston railway station|a railway station]] with a smaller settlement called Livingston Station which is now part of [[Deans, West Lothian|Deans]].<ref name="Hendrie"/><ref name=LivingstonStation>{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishshale.co.uk/GazVillages/LivingstonStationVillage.html | title=Livingston Station Village | access-date=25 November 2020 | publisher=Scottish Shale Oil}}</ref> Livingston station was built as a settlement to serve the workforce and their families of the nearby Deans Oil Works, owned by the Pumpherston Oil Company. Livingston Station had six streets with homes, as well as a store, a small church and a works institute.<ref name=LivingstonStation/> The original Livingston railway station was operated by the [[Edinburgh–Bathgate line|Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway]] and opened on 12 November 1849.<ref name="Butt">{{cite book |first=Raymond|last=Butt|author-link=Raymond Butt |title= The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present | publisher= Parkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd |date=1995|page=145}}</ref> [[British Railways]] closed the station on 1 November 1948 following the ending of passenger services on the line.<ref name="Butt"/> In the 1980s, a site was chosen for a new railway station on the line to the east of the original station and [[Livingston North station]] opened on 24 March 1986, concurrent with the re-introduction of passenger services.<ref name="Butt"/> The Livingston Village and Livingston Station settlements were both subsequently incorporated into Livingston new town in the 20th century.<ref name="Hendrie"/>

In 1984, a new railway station was built for the town on the [[Shotts Line]] called [[Livingston South railway station|Livingston South]] which was shortly followed by another station [[Livingston North railway station|Livingston North]] on the redeveloped [[Edinburgh to Bathgate Line]] in 1986.<ref name="Butt"/> These stations replaced the former [[Livingston railway station|Livingston]] and [[Newpark railway station|Newpark]] stations which had closed before the construction of the town.<ref name="Butt"/> In 1995 Livingston gained its professional football team, [[Livingston F.C.]]<ref name="Wills"/> The first team was essentially formed from the relocation of Meadowbank Thistle F.C. from Edinburgh.<ref name="Wills"/>