An Instant Timeline

For those in a hurry - 800 years in one page

For an NLS Scottish overview, click here:

2011

1233

1178 Abbey is founded & is given the freedom to found a burgh, build a harbour & hold a weekly market. 1194 A wooden pier exists. 1233 The Abbey is complete. 1250 Spedalfield hospice founded. 1320 The Declaration of Arbroath - an underlining of Scottish independence. 1331 First mention of Marketgate. 1350 English sea raiders leave the Abbey badly fire damaged. 1394 The Abbot's harbour is built at Danger Point. 1445 A number of the town's core streets are named as 'crofts or thoroughfares'. 1446 The Battle of Arbroath between the Ogilvies & Lindsays. 1457 The Brothock Burn is dammed to form the Mawkin Pool. 1517 Aberbrothock is described as a town of 'about 200 hearths'. 1529 By this date Ladybridge has been constructed. 1580 The Parish Church is built at Kirk Wynd. 1590 Post reformation, the Abbey's status is gone & it's stone is now being used for town building. 1599 King James V1s charter confirms Aberbrothock as a royal burgh. 1608 The Abbey is formally 'dissolved'. 1653 Almerlieclose House is built. Newgate House is also built sometime this century. 1663 The Fraser Family arrive in the town. 1682 Arbroath is trading with Holland, Sweden, Prussia & France. 1706 Most of the harbour is destroyed in a great storm. 1724 Arbroath's first Provost is John Lamb. 1725- A new harbour is constructed. St Mary's Chapel is demolished to accomodate this. 1738 A coarse linen is first made from yarn in the town. Linen thread manufacture will prosper for almost 50 years. 1742 Arbroath is trading with Baltic ports & bringing flax back to it's harbour. 1750- The town's boatbuilding increases in importance. 1772 St John's Wesleyan Church is built. 1783 The harbour area is attacked by a French Privateer. Little damage is done. 1790 Arbroath is the main sailcloth producer in Scotland. 1795 Francis Webster & Sons (flax producers) is established in Arbroath. 1799 Auchmithie fisher families are being offered incentives to relocate to Arbroath's safer harbour. 1803 The Town House is built, containing a courtroom, meeting rooms & a large elegant hall. A Lifeboat Station is established. 1806 James Watt inaugurates Brothock Mill as the first steam mill in Arbroath. 1808 The foundation stone of the Bell Rock Lighthouse is laid. 1813 The Signal Tower is completed. 1815 Conservation work begins on the Abbey. The Trades Hall is erected. A savings bank opens in the town. 1817 Seaforth House is built. The town this year produces 2 million yards of Osnaburg & brown linen. 1821 The Academy (later the Library) is built. 1823 James Keith opens a tinsmith business. It will grow into a leading maker of heating, ventilating & hydraulic equipment. 1826 Thirty Three shoemakers are trading in the High Street area. Gas is first supplied to the town. 1827 A patent slipway is laid at the harbour. 1832 Frasers is established. Douglas Fraser & Sons will produce jute mill machinery. 1838 The town's first railway station opens near the Signal Tower. The Arbroath Herald is first published. 1839 The Arbroath & Forfar Railway opens. 1840 Brothock Bridge is built. 1842 The Arbroath Guide is published. 1843 The 'Disruption' of this year leads to the opening of Free Churches. 1845 Arbroath Infirmary opens. 1849 Corsars become the town's first fully operational power loom factory. 1850 Hospitalfield House is extended by Patrick Allan-Fraser. Arbroath has 150 registered vessels. 1854 Arbroath's three tanneries are producing 500 skins per week. 1855 The Corn Exchange is built. 1856 The largest ship ever built in Arbroath, the 800 ton 'Neville', is launched. 1857 The Dundee & Arbroath Railway is completed. The town boasts ten churches. 1871 The Nolt Loan water supply is turned on. 1871 (-1877) The harbour is reconstructed. 1878 Arbroath FC is founded. 21,187 tons of coal is unloaded at the town's harbour this year. 1880 The Arbroath-Montrose Railway is opened. 1881 The town's population peaks at 24,475. The Guildry building is erected. 1884 The Mortuary Chapel is built in the Western Cemetery. 1885 Arbroath FC beat Bon Accord 36-0, an unbeaten world record. The Water Tower is constructed. 1887 Lochlands Cricket Ground is laid out. 1893 Keiths are the first company in Scotland to reduce the working day to 8 hours with no reduction in wages. 1896 The present Parish Church is built at Kirk Square. 1897 Victoria Park opens. 1898 The Public Library opens in Hill Terrace. 1900 Keith & Blackman amalgamate. 1901 Russian flax crop fails - 9 Arbroath mills close & 1,500 jobs lost. 1906 The Elliot train disaster. 1908 A new water supply (from Noran Water) is now operational, making the Water Tower redundant. 1911 The present railway station opens in Keptie Street. 1912 The Olympia Cinema opens (in the former Corn Exchange). 1915 The Public Baths open in Marketgate. 1918 The Webster Hall is gifted to the town. 1920 Most Auchmithie fisher folk now live in Arbroath around the Fit O The Toun. 1921 The Arbroath Cinema opens in High Street. The War Memorial is erected. 1925 The current Gayfield football park is laid out. 1928 Forfarshire becomes Angus. 1930 The Picture House opens in High Street. 1931 Almerlieclose House is demolished. 1932 Springfield Park opens. 1933 The White Hart Hotel at the Kirk Square/High Street corner is sold to F W Woolworth who open in September. 1934 The Seaforth Hotel opens. The Bathing Pool opens. 1935 Kerr's Miniature Railway runs for the first time. Kings Drive & Queens Drive construction starts. 1937 Land around Keptie Pond is gifted to the town as a public park. West Links Paddling Pool opens. The Marine Ballroom opens. 1938 The Condor opens as a Fleet Air Arm facility. 1940 The New Palace Theatre is built in James Street. HMS Condor is commissioned. 1946 Prefabricated houses (the Prefabs) are being built at Cairnie. 1947 Arbroath's first Abbey Pageant takes place. 1948 The first houses in the Hayshead scheme are built. 1950 Benedict Road & St Murdochs Crescent are built. 1951 The Stone of Destiny, missing from Westminster, pops up at Arbroath Abbey. Gayfield has a record attendance of 13,510. 1952 Television is watched in Arbroath for the first time. Lamley Terrace & Gedy Place are built. 1953 The Arbroath Lifeboat disaster. Six die when the 'Robert Lindsay' capsizes. 1954 The Red Lion caravan site opens. Hayshead School opens. 1955 60,000 people use Kerr's Miniature Railway this summer. Gerrards Boatyard opens. The last passenger train Arbr. to Forfar. 1956 Angus College is established. 1959 Last steam train arrives at Arbroath. New Fire Sta. at Ponderlaw opens. Olympia Cinema closes. Arbr. FC reach 1st Division. 1960 St Vigeans Pictish Museum opens. Yule's newsagents open in High Street. 1961 Metal Box Factory starts production. Harbour rail line closes. Westway constr. begins. Maternity Wing at Infirmary opens. Demolition clears part of Millgate Loan for the new telephone exchange. Grampian TV start broadcasting to Arbroath. 1962 Westway is completed. 1963 Abbey Theatre is founded. Pitch 'n' Putt opens in Springfield Park. Houses are being built on both sides of Westway. 1964 Wardmill Bleachfield closes. 1965 Traction engine 'Jinglin' Geordie' retires. Arbroath's last gas street lamp is extinguished in Long Row off Guthrie Port. 1966 Keith & Blackman's foundry is demolished. Mackays Boatbuilders established. Braemar Knitwear opens at Elliot. 1967 Ladyloan Church demolished. Arbroath to Forfar rail line closes. Elliot Junction Station closes. 1968 GEC Woods take over Keith & Blackman. The Charles Avenue housing scheme construction begins. Arbroath FC win promotion to Scottish 1st Division. 1969 Ladyloan demolition in progress to make way for the new dual carriageway from Dundee Road to Grant Road. Shanks is taken over by Giddings & Lewis Fraser. Vandona (Bell Rock) Restaurant opens on Ladyloan. Black Shed fishmarket opens. 1970 Briggs asphalt works at Elliot closes. Webster Theatre opens. 1971 HMS Conder becomes RM Condor. 1973 Parkhouse School in Lordburn is demolished. Part of High Street pedestrianised. 1-way traffic system introduced. New dual carriageway (Dundee Road to Grant Road) opens. Silverwells Garden Centre opens. 1974 Ladyloan Primary School opens at Millgate Loan. Picture House closes. Signal Tower opens as Arbr Museum. 1st traffic lights Keptie St. 1975 Last 'Arbroath printed' Herald. Braemar Knitwear closes. Pleasureland opens. Tayside Region formed - Angus is 'dissolved'. 1976 Halliburton open at Elliot. 1977 Catherine Street Railway Station closes. 1978 Arbroath Guide ceases publication. 1980 Radio North Angus broadcasts from Arbroath Infirmary. 1981 'The Old Brewhouse' opens as a restaurant. Burnside Drive Bus Station opens. The Bathing Pool closes. 1982 The sold off section of the Bathing Pool opens as 'Smokeys' Night Club. 1983 Marine Ballroom closes. 1984 Jim Reid & Foundry Bar Band members record the album 'I Saw The Wild Geese Flee'. Abbeygate Shopping Centre opens. 1985 New High School opens at Keptie Rd. GEC Woods close. John M Henderson open. Presto's open at Gravesend. Public Baths close. 1986 Pringle open at Elliot. Marketgate given new layout. Lifeboat Station boathouse extension built. New car park laid out alongside inner harbour. 1987 Bell Rock Lighthouse is automated. Town's first cashpoint machine opens at Halifax BS, High Street. Mackintosh Structures open. 1990 Parish Church closes on amalgamation with Abbey Church. 1991 Red Lion new facilities complex built. Saltire Centre built. Safeway move into Gravesend premises. 1992 The 'Palace' building is demolished. 1993 The last two thirds of the Bathing Pool is demolished. H.O.P.E. Garden Trust established. 1994 West Links refurbished. Angus is politically re-established. 1995 Gerrards Boatyard closes. Miniature Formula 1 opens. Road Train starts. 1996 C.A.F.E. Project starts. Alma building is now homes. Angus Business Centre opens in Keptie Road. 1997 Fishing boat 'Whitehaven' lost - 4 die. First Sea Fest. Danger Point bridge replaced. 1998 New post office opens in Abbeygate Shopping Centre. 1999 Andy Stewart Court sheltered housing opens. 2000 First phase of Focus/McDonalds development is complete. 2001 Abbey Visitor Centre opens. 'Corn Exchange' opens as pub/restr. Robt Bruce/Bernard de Linton statues erected in West Common. 2002 Condor Marines in Afghanistan. Old established firm DT Wilson (furniture) close. 2003 Work on dualling A92 Arbroath-Dundee Road begins. 2004 Harbour Gates installed. Smokies name protected. Marina pontoons installed. Herald has news on page 1. First Seafront Spectacular. 2005 Inshore Lifeboat in service. Old sailcloth store restored. Pageant filmed & DVD produced Dualled A92 Arbroath-Dundee opens. 2006 Work begins on Harbour Visitor Centre. Cliffburn Community Park opens. First Tutties in the Park Day. Seaforth destroyed by fire. 2007 Mayfield Terrace regeneration begins. Jill Kerr takes over Kerr's Miniature Railway. The Harbour Visitor Centre opens. 2008 Webster Theatre re-opens after 22 months refurbishment. The 'Linies' housing development (off Millgate) rises. Wm. Glover sails Atlantic solo. 2009 Construction begins on 4.9 hectare housing development site at Cliffburn. Jim Reid, folk singer/songwriter & Foundry Bar Band member dies. 2010 Arbroath Bus Station improved. Movies return to Arbroath courtesy of Webster Theatre. Westway Retail Park adds KFC. 2011 Bicentenary of Bell Rock Lighthouse, celebrated in many events throughout the year. Arbr FC win first league ch'ship since being founded in 1878. 2012 West Links new playpark opens.

A Scottish Timeline

' The Trybe '

reproduced with
permission

1775 to 1815 are the Arbroath weavers prosperous years

The boat building years

The peak fishing years

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