Gorebridge

Gorebridge is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland.

Gorebridge
Gorebridge Parish Church
Gorebridge is located in Midlothian
Gorebridge
Gorebridge
Location within Midlothian
Population8,040 (mid-2020 est.)[1]
OS grid referenceNT343616
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGorebridge
Postcode districtEH23
Dialling code01875
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Gorebridge has an annual Gala Day which always takes place on the 3rd Saturday in June. This is much like a town fair, with rides and games. The gala day has a tradition of picking a Town King and Queen from the primary schools.[2]

Gorebridge has four primary schools, Gorebridge Primary, Stobhill Primary, St Andrews RC Primary and Gore Glen Primary.[3] Greenhall High school used to serve the town but closed down in 1994. Local children attend nearby Newbattle Community High School, St David's RC High School[3] or Lasswade High School. There is a leisure centre, library[3] and Vogrie Country Park in Gorebridge.[4]

Gorebridge's local football team is Arniston Rangers who were founded in 1878 and play home games at Newbyres Park in the East of Scotland League First Division.[5]

Annette Crosbie, known to many as the long suffering wife of Victor Meldrew, played by fellow Scot Richard Wilson in the BBC comedy series One Foot in the Grave, is a former resident of Gorebridge.[6] The Reverend David Arnott, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2011–12, was minister at Gorebridge Parish Church in the 1970s.[7]

On 6 September 2015 Gorebridge saw the return of the Waverley Line with a new station built on the site of the original station. This gives rail access to the Borders and Edinburgh Waverley railway station.[8]

In the Gore Glen there is a shallow cave, named "The King's Cave". According to legend a thief used to steal cattle and hide in this nearby cave. It is not, as some think, named after Robert the Bruce, who was said to have hidden here after defeat at the hands of the English.[9] There are 29 listed buildings in Gorebridge including one Category B building (Harvieston Lodge), and two Category C buildings (Gorebridge old station and the Post Office).[3]

On 30 August 2020, police broke up a party of 300 people at the Mansion house of Kirkhill in Gorebridge and issued a fine to the organiser. Scottish Government rules during the coronavirus pandemic at the time were for a maximum of eight people from three households to meet inside at one time.[10]

In 2021, Gorebridge Leisure Centre was used as a mass vaccination centre during the coronavirus pandemic[11]

History

The village got its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk. It was the home of Stobsmill, Scotland's first gunpowder mill, at the Gore Water, that started operating in 1794[12] and closed in 1875.[13] In the 1860s century a coal mine called Emily Pit was opened, the village grew as miners came and a railway was built to take the coal from the mine.[13] The Emily Pit and Gore Pit (another coal mine) were together renamed the Arniston Colliery which closed in 1962.[14] The railway line was closed in 1969 and reopened in 2015.[15]

See also

References
  1. "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. "Gorebridge Gala Day". Midlothian Advertiser. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  3. "Gorebridge Neighbourhood Profile" (PDF). Midlothian Council. August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  4. McCafferty, Mark (2020). "Vogrie Country Park". Midlothian Council. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  5. "Arniston Rangers - Clubs". East of Scotland Football Association & League. 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. "Interview: Annette Crosbie, Hope Springs actress". Th Sotsman. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  7. "New moderator announced by Kirk". BBC News. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  8. "Borders Railway Year 1 Evaluation" (PDF). Transport Scotland. June 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  9. "King's Cave". Forestry and Land Scotland. 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  10. "Police probe after 300 people attend house party". BBC News. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  11. "Gorebridge Leisure Centre opens as mass vaccination centre". Midlothian Advertiser. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  12. "Stobsmill Gunpowder Works: An introduction". Gorebridge Community Development Trust. 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  13. "Explore the Esk - Gorebridge". Esk Valley Trust. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  14. Rees, Thomas (20 April 2010). "Arniston Colliery, Emily Pit". Canmore. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  15. "Gore Glen Woodland Park Leaflet - History past and present" (PDF). Midlothian Council. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
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