The Bell Tower

A lovely sunny morning so I decided to walk down to New Lanark and took this shot of the Bell Tower from the path down from the car park. You can see the Roof Garden at the top of Mill Two in the background.

Like most of New Lanark, the bell has an interesting history. It is inscribed "Hagarston, Washington County, Lutheran Congregation, Glasgow - Maryland 1786." A ship bound for America with Highlander emigrants was damaged in very bad weather and limped into Greenock. David Dale, the founder of New Lanark, persuaded them to come and work in his mills and the bell they were taking to the new world came too.

Dale was appalled at the mass emigration from Scotland to the US and did much to prevent it. He built houses and gave jobs to many Highlanders, and one of the streets in the village is named Caithness Row. He also built mills at the aptly named Spinningdale in Sutherland, of which little now remain.

The Bell Tower and bell were recently restored and the bell is rung on New Year's Eve to bring in the New Year, and can now be rung on other special occasions, such as a new baby in the village!

Walked back up the hill, had my hair cut and now thinking about a trip to the tip with garden rubbish and an old printer from the office!