Newmains

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Newmains
Newmains shown within Scotland
Population	5329 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	NS820558
Council area	North Lanarkshire
Lieutenancy area	Lanarkshire
Constituent country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WISHAW
Postcode district	ML2
Dialling code	01698
Police	Strathclyde
Fire	Strathclyde
Ambulance	Scottish
European Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Motherwell and Wishaw
Scottish Parliament	Airdrie and Shotts Central Scotland
List of places: UK • Scotland

Coordinates: 55°46′55″N 3°52′59″W / 55.78181, -3.88303

Newmains is a small village and former mining community on the eastern edge of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland some 18 miles south-east of Glasgow.

Although it is legally a "Town Centre" within its own right, it is often considered to be a part of Wishaw for administrative purposes.

[edit] Industry

The village is no longer home to any indigenous industry. However, it was initially built by Lord Belhaven in the 19th Century to house the workers of his nearby Coltness Ironworks. Built as a "dry" town, his clean-cut, sober workers were known as some of the most productive in the Glasgow Iron and Steel Company.

The Coltness works survived until very recently as a railway sleeper manufacturing facility for Tarmac, but were demolished in 2004.

The village has an open cast coal mining facility nearby and also a bus depot of the McKindless Group.

[edit] Shopping

In December 2007, a new ASDA superstore opened in the village. This is the first major supermarket chain to open a store in the village, although for many years the area has been served well by SPAR and SCOTMID.

The main shopping area, Manse Road, has been in decline for many years, as residents prefer to shop in nearby Wishaw or Motherwell. It is now home to only a few local merchants and with the opening of ASDA in December it will only be a matter of time before they are forced to close.

Subway, the international sandwich chain, are due to open another franchise in this area.

[edit] Transport

Buses are the only form of public transport in Newmains. These services are provided by First Glasgow and McKindless and provide a fast and frequent link to Wishaw, Motherwell, Hamilton, Blantyre and Glasgow.

The town is located on the junctions of the A71 and the A73 which provides very good road links to most parts of Scotland.

The Coltness branch from the West Coast Main Line at Garriongill terminates near the village, but is used only for the transport of coal from a nearby open cast mining facility.