Calderbank

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Calderbank is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, near the town of Airdrie.

[edit] Etymology

The village's name is of a doubtful etymology. The first part of the name refers to the river Calder that flows through the village: however the second element is unknown. Some sources suggest the second element is from Old English benc "bench". A record of the name from 1182 as Celdrebec suggests this.

[edit] History

The village is famous for being the birthplace of the Vulcan, the world's first iron boat, which sailed from Calderbanks Iron Works to the River Clyde and plied the Scottish canals first with passengers and then with cargoes of iron and coal. Iron from the Calderbanks works was used to build the Queen Mary cruise liner.

Calderbank was the site of early Christian settlement, by monks from Newbattle Abbey in the Borders. This gave the local area the name of Monklands.