Avonbridge
{{about|the village of Avonbridge in Scotland|the railway bridge in Bristol|Avon Bridge|the thoroughbred racehorse|Avonbridge (horse)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name = Avonbridge
| gaelic_name = Drochaid na h-Aibhne
| scots_name =
| local_name = Bridge of the River
| country = Scotland
| population = {{Scottish locality populations|name|POP=Avonbridge}}
| population_ref = ({{United Kingdom statistics year|ScotSettlement}}){{Scotland settlement population citation}}
| area_total_sq_mi = 0.11
| os_grid_reference = NS911726
| edinburgh_distance = {{convert|21.5|mi|abbr=on}} E
| london_distance = {{convert|340|mi|abbr=on}} SSE
| map_alt = Avonbridge is in the south of the Falkirk council area in the Central Belt of the Scottish mainland.
| label_position = left
| coordinates = {{coord|55.934|-03.744|display=inline,title}}
| post_town = FALKIRK
| postcode_area = FK
| postcode_district = FK1 2
| dial_code = 01324
| hide_services = yes
| constituency_westminster = East Falkirk
and Linlithgow
| civil_parish = Slamannan
| civil_parish1 = Muiravonside
| unitary_scotland = Falkirk
| lieutenancy_scotland = Stirling and Falkirk
| constituency_scottish_parliament = Falkirk East
| website = [http://www.falkirk.gov.uk falkirk.gov.uk]
| static_image_name = Avonbridge.jpg
| static_image_width =
| static_image_caption = The centre of Avonbridge, with a war memorial in the foreground
| static_image_alt = A war memorial along a street with houses and cars
}}
Avonbridge ({{langx|gd|Drochaid na h-Aibhne}}) [https://www.faclair.com/ViewEntry.aspx?ID=D22FAC65BA2DAF1A022036F43048E6FA Drochaid na h-Aibhne] www.faclair.com Retrieved 2023-03-05 is a small village which lies within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The village is {{convert|4.8|mi|km|1}} south-southeast of the town of Falkirk. Avonbridge sits just inside the council boundary line between Falkirk and West Lothian councils.
The village lies at the junction of the B8028 and B825 roads and is a bridging point over the River Avon, hence the name Avonbridge. At the time of the 2011 census, a population of 652 residents was recorded.[http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/council-democracy/statistics-census/docs/census/2011/6%20Settlement%20Population%20and%20Household%20Estimates.pdf?v=201406020914Settlement Population and Household Estimates 2011] www.falkirk.gov.uk Retrieved 2017-04-13
History
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Avonbridge was home to small scale open cast coal mining.[http://www.falkirklocalhistorysociety.co.uk/home/index.php?id=60 Falkirk Local History Society], Avonbridge. Retrieved 2011-04-13 The village also had a brickworks in the mid twentieth century, "Avonbridge Brickworks", but today no longer exists.
Nowadays the village is largely residential although Avonbridge is the base of operations for "Stevenson Brothers" a haulage company, whose bright orange heavy goods vehicles transport goods across the United Kingdom.
Toponymy
The name Avonbridge derives from the fact that the village crosses a river. The affix "avon" is often found in the Celtic language which denotes the presence of a river,[http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesA-B.pdf Iain Mac an Tàilleir 2003] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923125128/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesA-B.pdf |date=September 23, 2011 }} www.scottish.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-02 in this case the River Avon. This is found in Scottish Gaelic as "abhainn/a river," with genitive "aibhne/of a river." Drochaid na h-Aibhne literally means Bridge of the River.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Avonbridge}}
- [http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/279389/details/avonbridge+craigbank+quarry/ Canmore - Avonbridge, Craigbank Quarry site record]
- [http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/279388/details/avonbridge+craigend+quarry/ Canmore - Avonbridge, Craigend Quarry site record]
- [http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/146104/contribution/avonbridge+brickworks/FNLnf_27953/ Canmore - Avonbridge Brickworks site record]
- [http://www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk/avonbridge/ Scottish Brick History - Avonbridge]
{{Falkirk Towns & Villages}}
{{Authority control}}