Westwood


West Lothian

An industrial location on the left bank of the Breich Water in West Lothian, Westwood lies a half-mile (1 km) northwest of West Calder. The site of a substantial mansion in the 19th C., which was owned by the Stewart family, the surrounding estate was developed in the 1860s following the shale oil boom. The short-lived Westwood Paraffin Works produced oil for lighting and heating, and the Westwood Row was built to house the workers. The Westwood Oil Works was established during the Second World War as the last gasp of the industry, ensuring a secure supply of home-produced oil. This closed in 1962, leaving the iconic Five Sisters bing and buildings which now form part of the Five Sisters Business Park. Freeport Village, a retail outlet centre, was developed to the west of the bing in the mid-1990s but lost out to the larger retail developments in nearby Livingston and now lies abandoned.


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