Lesmahagow

Lesmahagow is a small town on the edge of moorland, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. Lesmahagow was also a Civil Parish. It is also known as Abbey Green or the Gow. EtymologyThe name means "Enclosure of St Machutus". The saint was born in Wales and may originally have been known as "Mahagw" prior to emigrating to Brittany where he became known by the Latinised form of the name and also as "St Malo". It is also possible that the first syllable may mean "garden" rather than "monastery", although Mac an Tailleir believes the former was altered from the latter in Gaelic. ReligionThe town has two Church of Scotland congregations, namely Lesmahagow Old Parish Church and Abbeygreen Church. There is also an Evangelical Hall on the main street and the Roman Catholic residents are served by Our Lady and St John's in the neighbouring village of Blackwood, 3mi away. Lesmahagow Priory, founded by Benedictine monks in 1144, no longer stands but its foundations were excavated in 1978 and can be seen next to the Old Parish Church off Church Square. The Scottish branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness operates from Lesmahagow.

Lesmahagow is a small town on the edge of moorland, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. Lesmahagow was also a Civil Parish. It is also known as Abbey Green or the Gow. EtymologyThe name means "Enclosure of St Machutus". The saint was born in Wales and may originally have been known as "Mahagw" prior to emigrating to Brittany where he became known by the Latinised form of the name and also as "St Malo". It is also possible that the first syllable may mean "garden" rather than "monastery", although Mac an Tailleir believes the former was altered from the latter in Gaelic. ReligionThe town has two Church of Scotland congregations, namely Lesmahagow Old Parish Church and Abbeygreen Church. There is also an Evangelical Hall on the main street and the Roman Catholic residents are served by Our Lady and St John's in the neighbouring village of Blackwood, 3mi away. Lesmahagow Priory, founded by Benedictine monks in 1144, no longer stands but its foundations were excavated in 1978 and can be seen next to the Old Parish Church off Church Square. The Scottish branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness operates from Lesmahagow.