1930s Auchinraith Row
On Friday 22nd February 1935, a report appeared in the local Motherwell Times, telling of a drive to tidy up Lanarkshire’s towns.
The Lanarkshire Slum Drive was initiated which saw Lanarkshire’s biggest demolition of residential dilapidated homes involving condemned proparties. It was approved by the County Council’s Committee. The districts covered were Strathaven, Shotts, Carluke, Douglas, Newarthill, Blantyre and Forth. Displaced families were to be rehoused in new schemes in the eight areas. Many of the properties demolished were several hundred years old. The scheme at the time cost nearly £10,000.
Amongst the homes affected in Blantyre, were more some rows. Although “only” built in 1874 -1875, it is possible, given that Auchinraith Pit had closed in 1931 that the Auchinraith Rows may have been included in the demolition programme. Pictured in the early 1930s with Auchinraith Primary School in the background.