Cotton industry in utopian town - New Lanark 429
What and Why
The story of New Lanark definitely transcends tourism.
The cotton mills in the small town were founded in 1786 CE by David Dale. The mills used the recently developed water-powered cotton spinning machinery. Dale sold the mills, lands and village in the early 19th century CE for GBP £60,000 to a partnership that included his son-in-law Robert Owen. Owen, who became the mill manager in 1800 CE, was an industrialist who carried on his father-in-law's philanthropic approach to industrial working and who subsequently became an influential social reformer. New Lanark, with its superb social and welfare programmes, epitomised his Utopian socialism or Owenism. The mills were well maintained and most importantly the workers' welfare and well-being were taken good care of, which was unheard of during the time. During that time, most labours work in very harsh and unsafe conditions and there was never mention of labour's welfare.
The town and mills are important historically through their connexion with Owenism, but also because of their role in the developing industrial revolution in the United Kingdom and their place in the history of urban planning. At its peak, some 2,500 people lived and worked at New Lanark, many from the poorhouses of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
New Lanark became celebrated throughout Europe, attracting many foreign statesmen visiting the mills. These visitors were astonished to find a clean, healthy industrial environment combined with a happy, vibrant workforce and a prosperous business venture. It also served as a reminder that the creation of wealth did not automatically imply the compromise of welfare and environment. No children until the age of 10 were supposed to work. Owen was able to show visitors the village's excellent housing and amenities, free medical care for all and child-education, and the accounts showing the profitability of the mills. Eventually this social and work reforms opened the way for a social revolution, which eventually led to establishment of labour laws, labour protection and labour unions.
It must also be reported the community slowly declined after Owen died, as the systems were heavily reliant on Owen himself.
This site shows a lot of parallels with the later blogged Saltaire in Bradford, which was run in similar ethos.
Toponymy
The name is believed to come from the Cumbric lanerc meaning 'clear space'.
See
The entire site is now a museum and the first thing to see is the still-working water mill drum. As a matter of fact the very reason for the location of the mill is to capitalise on the hydropower available from the nearby running river.
The museum offers a very good guided tour that explains the entire history of the mill.
The cotton mill.
Getting There and Around
The place is remotely located, drive, although the town is also served by the national train at Lanark station. The guided tour fee is £5.50. Plan and spend half a day there.
UNESCO Inscription
New Lanark is a small 18th- century village set in a sublime Scottish landscape where the philanthropist and Utopian idealist Robert Owen moulded a model industrial community in the early 19th century. The imposing cotton mill buildings, the spacious and well-designed workers' housing, and the dignified educational institute and school still testify to Owen's humanism.
References
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