Wishaw: Parks, Nature and History

The area figures show a clear difference in size: Belhaven Park covers 4.5 hectares, while Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park covers 100 hectares. This makes Greenhead Moss more than twenty times as large. But area alone is just one point of reference; the two green spaces also differ in their planting, facilities and habitats.

Parks and nature

Belhaven Park features ornamental trees, shrubs and flower beds. Its facilities include a children’s playground and a skate park. If you are focusing on landscaped green spaces during your stay, these features can help you decide whether the park is a good fit. Please check the condition of the playground and skate park before your visit if either facility is important to your plans.

Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park includes ponds, wildflower meadows, a remnant peat bog, and both old and new woodland. The area provides habitats for mammals, insects and birds. For nature enthusiasts, its particular appeal lies in its range: water, open meadows, peat bog and woodland create different landscape types within a single area. Most paths are paved and accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs. Check path conditions before your visit if they are important to your plans; conditions can change. Perchy Pond in the park was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1989; the rest of the park followed in 2013.

Building and local history

Wishaw Old Parish Church was built from 1837 as a chapel of ease and opened in 1840. The dates distinguish the start of construction from the opening, giving the historical account a clear chronology. The church is the oldest surviving building in Wishaw and the town’s most important landmark. Its building history and role in the townscape can therefore be considered together. For travellers interested in the history of individual buildings, it offers a clearly defined subject.

Wishaw Golf Course also adds to the local history, but from a different perspective. It was a nine-hole course on three fields between Sunnyside and the Caledonian Railway. The former course can be understood through its layout and location. Unlike the church, the focus here is not the history of a surviving building, but the site’s former use as a golf course. Building history and sporting history thus offer two different perspectives on Wishaw.

Trip-planning themes

When planning your trip, consider whether you would rather explore the different landscapes and path features of the nature area, or discover the area’s architectural and sporting history. Area, path conditions and dates provide different points of reference. If you are looking for a hotel in Wishaw, you can use your travel interests to decide on the focus of your stay.

Discover more destinations: Airdrie, Stepps, Gartcosh, Cumbernauld, Cleland, Caldercruix, Kilsyth, Motherwell

For the regional travel overview: North Lanarkshire.