Make Your Way Lanark

Make Your Way in Lanark along the Closer Than You Think, Threshold, Motte and Bailey, Field-ward Bound and Biscuit Crumb Trails. The Make Your Way digital trails can give you the opportunity to explore your local area online, and then go out and find all the details and beauty of the Clyde and Avon Valley for yourself. These Lanark trails take in gorgeous views, particular details, and from wide paths to narrow lanes, they offer a variety of ways and walks. 

Explore points of heritage using the numbered Heritage Points in the MYW maps, referenced in the descriptions below. 

Download and print paper maps by clicking the links under 'Related Resources'.

Closer Than You Think Trail

Total distance: 2.5km

This route darts between the busy High Street and hidden historic closes, passing many of Lanark’s landmarks - past and present.

• 1. Start at Hyndford Road and head down Ladyacre Road towards the High Street.
  

  Walking towards the top of High Street, you can cut down South Vennel to avoid the traffic, and connect back onto High Street through Saddler's Mews.
• 2. You can cross back and forth from High Street to the North and South Vennels through many Closes.
  

  These closes were often named for the most significant person who lived there at the time, and were often renamed a number of times. Sometimes the close was named for an event or use as well, as with Bull's Close where the town bull was kept.
• 3. Explore the Closes!
  

  Each close has its own distinct feel as Make Your Way artist Daniele Sambo discovered. You can read more about his work below.
• 4. Follow the Closes to a range of Heritage Points.
  

  This central part of Lanark is rich with historic points including: The Tolbooth (Heritage Point 22), the Clydesdale Inn, built in 1793 (Heritage Point 15), and the Cross Keys Close (Heritage Point 23), just near Shirley's Close, pictured here. Playwright, Robert McLellan, was a frequent visitor to Lanark in his childhood and set one of his plays partly in the Cross Keys Inn, which was on Cross Keys Close.
• 5. Turn right onto Hope Street heading towards Lanark Library and the former site of Lanark Prison.
  

  Passing the site of the former Lanark Prison (Heritage Point 17) and Lanark Library, Hope Street gives a real sense of the historic feel that characterises the town.
• 6. Before the former St. Kentigern's Church, take a left connecting to Jerviswood Road. Go along the Glebe to Wheatpark Road.
  

  From here, The Close Trail links up to the Round the Houses Trail.

Biscuit Crumb Trail

Total distance: 1.9km

This short trail takes about half an hour to 40 minutes to walk, heading out of town in the direction of the Caldwellside Industrial Estate and Border Biscuits.

Field-ward Bound Trail

Total distance: 3.2km

Following paths which regularly trace the now invisible lines of former field boundaries through this extensive residential area; this trail presents lovely views and cosy pathways. 

• 1. Start at the top of High Street and walk up St. Leonard Street going past Lanark Memorial Hall.
  

  Lanark Memorial Hall (Heritage Point 37) was built in 1926, in memory of 235 men who died in WWII.
• 2. Walk up St. Leonard’s Street for 2-5 minutes then take a left up a lane between houses. This leads directly to Kildare Park.
  

  The area has different interpretations around its original name as either Gallow Hill or Galla Hill, clearly having two very different origins. Make Your Way explored this idea of different strands of history with pupils at Lanark Primary School, which sits next to the park. From here, connect to Rhyber Avenue and explore the paths through the estate that lead back round to the other side of Rhyber Avenue.
• 3. From Rhyber Avenue go straight ahead along a fence sided lane between houses, crossing St. Leonard Street and on to Smyllum Road and Robert Owen Primary School.
  

  Crossing over St. Leonard Street spot the distinctive architecture of Lanark Water Tower on the skyline (Heritage Point 52).
• 4. Smyllum Road connects via Skye Walk, passing a playing field, to Thomas Taylor Avenue and Lanark Train Station.
  

  This section of the trail also takes in Lanark Leisure Centre and Lanark Health Centre. Mind the grassy embankment coming down from the playing field into the car park of the Leisure Centre. At the bottom of Skye Walk you can join onto the Biscuit Crumb Trail.

Threshold Trail

Total distance: 2.8km

A network of pavements and paths through housing estates and the green patches of land between them. Heritage clues present themselves in the form of old architecture and gateposts hidden between newer developments.

• 1. Start at Rhyber Avenue, at the top of Kildare Park.
  

  The small patch of woodland, now belonging to Lanark Primary School, appears from old ordnance survey maps to have been in existence in this small form since at least the late 19th Century.
• 2. Take a left onto Cleghorn Avenue, right on Braedale Road. Go right on to Bellefield Road.
  

  Bellefield Road heads straight out of Lanark to Cleghorn Glen. Chapland Road, off Bellefield Road, links to the loop around the houses which takes in Mousebank Road (Heritage Point 6), one of the original roads of Lanark (pictured above).
• 3. Go left along Chapland Road. From here go either direction on Waterloo Road to loop round the houses, walking on Wheatlandside or Wheatland Drive.
  

  The views from Mousebank Road, as it exits residential areas, lead out over the fields and brilliant views. The loop around the residential area connects along Howacre and then right into Nemphlat Hill, marking the start of the former road leading to Baronald (Heritage Point 4). Parallel to this street, on Lockhart Drive, is the site of the former William Smillie Memorial Hospital (Heritage Point 3). It was built in 1897 and operated as a maternity hospital.

Motte and Bailey Trail

Total distance: 3.4km

Cuts through quiet residential streets and stunning parkland overlooking the Clyde Valley. Connects to significant medieval heritage features such as the former Lanark Castle.

Make Your Way was an arts, heritage and active travel project focussing on the communities of Carluke, Glassford, Lanark, Larkhall and Stonehouse, 2016-17. The project was funded by Heritage Lottery Fund supported Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership and Smarter Choices Smarter Places grant, and delivered by icecream architecture and SYSTRA.