Editing Strathaven (section)

==History==
[[File:Strathaven Town Mill.JPG|thumb|left|The Town Mill and Miller's house]]
[[File:Strathaven Public Hall - geograph.org.uk - 3537789.jpg|thumb|left|[[Strathaven Public Hall]]]]
[[File:Town Mill detail, Strathaven.JPG|thumb|Detail of the advertisement on the town mill]]
A [[Roman Britain|Roman]] road passes close by, on the south side of the [[Avon Water]]; it led to the Roman fort at [[Loudoun Hill]] near [[Darvel]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Bronze Oil Lamp, Loudon Hill, Ayrshire |url=https://vimeo.com/141915952 |access-date=7 July 2018}}</ref> The origins of [[Strathaven Castle]] are obscure, but it is believed to have been held by the Bairds until after the end of the [[Wars of Scottish Independence]] in 1357. It then passed to [[William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas]] in 1370.<ref>{{canmore|desc=Strathaven, Stonehouse Road, Avondale Castle|num=45636|access-date=6 October 2022}}</ref>

The settlement within the lands of Strathaven became a [[burgh of barony]] in 1450.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townhistory421.html |title=Strathaven|work=Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland |first=Francis H. |last=Groome |publisher=Thomas C. Jack|location=Edinburgh|year=1885}}</ref> The centre of the town is occupied by the market square, formerly a grassed common, and still known as Common Green, or just 'The Green'. Linking the town and the castle is the old 'Boo Backit Brig' ('bow-backed bridge'), a small arched bridge.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|desc=Strathaven Boo-backed Bridge|num=LB1293|access-date=6 October 2022}}</ref>

The Old Parish Church, with its landmark spire, was built in 1772, and was the place of worship of the [[Duke of Hamilton|Dukes of Hamilton]], who had a section of the church reserved for them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/avendale-old-parish-church-strathaven/|title=Avendale Old Parish Church, Strathaven|publisher=Scottish Churches Trust| access-date=6 October 2022}}</ref>

The town played a significant part in the [[Radical War]] of 1820, when [[James Wilson (Scottish Revolutionary)|James Wilson]] led a band of radicals on a march to Glasgow, to join a rumoured general uprising, which never actually happened. Wilson was hanged for treason.<ref name=craig>{{cite web|url=https://www.maggiecraig.co.uk/2020/08/30/scotlands-radical-martyrs-james-purlie-wilson/|title=Scotland's Radical Martyrs – James 'Purlie' Wilson|date=30 August 2020|first=Maggie|last=Craig|access-date=6 October 2022}}</ref>

Its most famous 'modern' resident was the singer, Sir [[Harry Lauder]] (1870–1950) whose mansion, Lauder Ha', or Hall, remains in the town's Lethame neighbourhood, the estate's entrance leading from the road to Kilmarnock. Sir Harry spent the Second World War years there, and died in February 1950.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/feb/27/from-the-archives |title=From the archives. Sir Harry Lauder dies |work=The Guardian |date=27 February 2009 |access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref>

[[Dungavel House]] on the outskirts of Strathaven was the place where German Deputy Führer, [[Rudolf Hess]], originally intended to land on the evening of 10 May 1941 in a misguided attempt to seek peace talks with [[Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton|the Duke of Hamilton]]. However bad weather and poor navigation resulted in Hess having to land at Floors Farm in [[Eaglesham]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/scotsman-200-hess-lands-help-britain-overthrow-nazi-tyranny-1452223|title=Scotsman 200: Hess lands to 'help Britain overthrow Nazi tyranny'|date=8 April 2017|newspaper=The Scotsman| access-date=6 October 2022}}</ref>

In 2002, Strathaven was granted the title of Scotland's First Fairtrade Town<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=4434&mode=html|title=Official Report|first=Official|last=Report|date=24 January 2014|website=www.parliament.scot}}</ref> (jointly with Aberfeldy) under the leadership of Paulo Quadros, chair of the first Fairtrade group in Scotland.<ref name="auto"/>