Polkemmet

Sell photos on photrade | By Hillandglen

The Baillie family connection with Polkemmet stems from 1620, when they purchased land from a Mr Andrew Shaw. The family originally came from Lanarkshire, and according to "Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage", they were descended from the Baillies of Jervistoune, who were cadets of the Baillies of Lamingtoune. There is also a suggestion that the name derives from Balliol, and if so, could provide a link to the Scottish King, John Balliol (1292 - 96).

The family appear to have flourished in the area, and their social dominance in the parish, at the end of the 18th Century was illustrated by the provision, in the old parish church, of a loft or balcony, with its own separate entrance for the Baillie family and their servants, while the rest of the populace filled the ground floor pews. A further example of the family's dominance, is in 1883 Assessment roll which shows the Baillie family rates to the parish fund, were five times greater than that of any other landowner in the parish.

It's interesting to note that the family subscribed to the concept of "noblesse oblige" and played a significant roll in the affairs of the local community, with the head of the family attending, in person, all the meetings of the heritors of Whitburn parish until the middle of the 19th Century.

Probably the best remembered members of the familly locally, are Sir William and Lady Baillie, who were responsible for the establishment of the Lady Baillie Sabbath School in Whitburn, and the Baillie Institute in Whitburn, Blackburn and Harthill. These institutes were the forerunners of modern day community centres.

The estate during the 19th Century seemed to be flourishing, and the 1871 census shows that Polkemmet house was a substantial building of 39 rooms, with a total of 11 domestic servants "living in", either in the house itself or in the adjacent buildings.

During the early part of the 20th Century, we see a gradual estrangement from the family home. In 1947, with the death of Sir Adrain Baillie, and his interment in the family mausoleum, which stands in a prominent position in the grounds of the estate, the family connection with Polkemmet seems to have been severed.

In the early part of the 20th Century, the Baillie family provided a bowling green, tennis courts and a golf course on the estate for family use. This was the first connection that the estate had with recreation, and the story is told that talented local players were often invited along to the estate to play.

During the Second World War, the house and estate were utilised for the war effort, with an army camp being built in the grounds. After the war, the mansion house was used as a home for the Trefoil school. This organisation was largely part of the Girl Guide movement, and its function was to provide a residential country school for physically handicapped children. The then Princess Elizabeth, opened the school in September, 1945.

An impression of what the house and grounds were like at that time, can be gained through the eyes of the school staff...

"When we turned off the dreary road on the day of our arrival, we entered a domain which, compared with the country around, might have been (and indeed was, by someone) described as 'like fairyland'. The drive twisted down the brae to the bridge over the Almond, and we saw green lawns shaded by green trees, sloping gently down to the banks of the stream and, opposite, crowning the slope, the long, low pleasant house that was to be our home."

In 1951 the Trefoil School moved to a new location, and the house and grounds became the home for the Scottish Police College. In 1960, the Police College moved to Tullieallan Castle in Kincardine, and, once again, Polkemmet was left without a role.

By this time, the owner of the estate was the National Coal Board, and it seems clear that the Board's main interest was in the coal seems which lay beneath the estate, and not in the house and grounds. During the 1960's, the mansion was demolished, and sadly, no trace now remains.

The estate had suffered from many years of neglect, and had lost much of its former glory, before being taken over by Lothian District Council in 1978, with assistance from the Countryside Commission for Scotland, who gave a grant of 75% of the purchase price.

Given the circumstances, West Lothian District Council decided to embark upon an ambitious programme of site development and rehabilitation, to try and restore some of the former glory. Much of the work was carried out by young people on YOP and STEP schemes, funded by the Manpower Services Commission.

The remaining buildings, to the West of the mansion house site, had been offices, staff accomodation and other facilities, such as stables, tack room, horse-driven mill, fodder store and a space to keep carriages covered. It was decided to convert these to a modern Visitor Centre, and on 26th June, 1981, Polkemmet Country Park was officially opened by Councillor Bert Gamble, J.P.

HILLANDGLEN