The Square, Torphichen

The Square, Torphichen

The Square forms the central focus of Torphichen. (The "ch" is pronounced "ck" by the way.) The B792 main road runs straight through the picture and from Bathgate (left) to Linlithgow (right). You can see the bus stop that goes to the two towns (line 31: Bathgate and Livingston, line 449: Linlithgow) and is vital if you don't have your own vehicle as there is only a small post office with a mini shop in Torphichen (on the right outside of the picture) there. The three houses across the street are called "Rock Cottages" and the one on the left was where my good friend John lived for the last year and a half. Now I spent three nights there to attend his funeral service. The traditional village pub "Torphichen Inn" can be seen relatively centrally in the picture. In the red telephone box on the street corner there is no longer a telephone, but a defibrillator to save lives, since the nearest hospital in Livingston is about thirty minutes away, even with blue lights on; as I know from my own experience. The house at 8 The Square, behind the "Jubilee Well" (memorial fountain) hides more than meets the eye. It was previously used as a holiday home and is for sale. That was a first panoramic view of this "main square" of the historic town of Torpichen.

This shot, as well as the following five pictures, were taken within twenty minutes with my previous smartphone, a Huawei P8 light, while I was waiting for the other participants in the funeral service. There are only quick snapshots to bridge the waiting time. The exif data shows 11:38 am on 9/13/2022, but I hadn't changed the time and the long shadows make an hour earlier more likely.

Panorama from two exposures.


The Square bildet den zentralen Mittelpunkt von Torphichen. (Das "ch" wird übrigens wie "ck" ausgesprochen.) Die Hauptstraße B792 führt quer durch's Bild und von Bathgate (links) nach Linlithgow (rechts). Man erkennt die Bushaltestelle, die in die beiden Orte führt (Linie 31: Bathgate und Livingston, Linie 449: Linlithgow) und lebenswichtig ist, wenn man kein eigenes Fahtzeug besitzt, da es in Torphichen nur ein kleines Post Office mit einem Mini Shop (rechts außerhalb des Bildes) gibt. Die drei Häuser auf der gegenüberliegenden Straßenseite heißen "Rock Cottages" und in dem linken lebte mein guter Freund John während seiner letzten anderthalb Jahre. Nun verbrachte ich dort drei Nächte, um an seiner Trauerfeier teilzunehmen. Relativ zentral im Bild erkennt man den traditionellen Dorf Pub "Torphichen Inn". In der roten Telefonbox an der Straßenecke befindet sich kein Telefon mehr, sondern ein Defibrilator um Leben zu retten, da das nächste Krankenhaus in Livingston ist selbst mit Blaulicht zirka dreißig Minuten entfernt; wie ich aus eigener Erfahrung weiß. Das Haus 8 The Square, hinter dem "Jubilee Well" (Gedächtnisbrunnen) verbirgt mehr, als man auf den ersten Blick glaubt. Es wurde bisher wohl als Ferienhaus genutzt und steht zum Verkauf. Das war ein erster Rundblick über diesen "Hauptplatz" des historischen Ortes Torpichen.

Diese Aufnahme, sowie die folgenden fünf Bilder, wurden innerhalb von zwanzig Minuten mit meinem früheren Smartphone, einem Huawei P8 light aufgenommen, während ich auf die anderen Teilnehmer der Trauerfeier wartete. Es sind nur schnelle Schnappschüsse um die Wartezeit zu überbrücken. Die Exif-Daten zeigen 11:38 Uhr am 13.09.2022, aber ich hatte die Zeit nicht umgestellt und die langen Schatten machen eine Stunde früher wahrscheinlicher.

Panorama aus zwei Aufnahmen.


Defilibrator: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/call-network-defibrillators-across-west-28152268
"A network of life-saving defibrillators across West Lothian must be created to address a “healthcare crisis” of needless deaths from heart attacks in the community, councillors have agreed."

8 The Square property: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/property/uprn/200004116426/
https://hallidayhomes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Brochure-8-The-Square-1.pdf
Video Tour: https://www.onthemarket.com/details/11229566/#/videotours/1
Sold: "8 The Square, Torphichen - SOLD at closing date 14. January 2022"

Jubilee Well: https://myplacescotland.org.uk/awards_entry/a-tale-of-two-wells-linked-by-a-masonic-coin-restoration-of-the-jubilee-well-torphichen-west-lothian/
"Torphichen is perhaps best known for its famous Preceptory related to the Knights Hospitallers of St John. The well was originally built in 1852 to supply water to the village, and was renovated for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1896 for a cost of £37.00; when it was given the distinctive name. The octagonal well was built in red sandstone ashlar blocks with a cast cement roof where a large cast-iron standard pole is fixed at the centre. There is a painted plaque of Queen Victoria fixed and inset into one side and a small painted cast iron lion’s head fountain near the base of an adjacent side. It was the main source of water for the village. However, over time, it fell into disuse. A new finial roof design that was considered by the local community and a Maltese cross, reflecting links to the nearby Preceptory, was selected. A local company, Architectural Conservation Limited, won the contract and restoration work, along with installation of a new burnished steel roof, were undertaken over a 6 week period from September – October 2016. During early work on the bottom of the well, a masonic coin was found and traced to a Linlithgow Lodge from the late 19th century, uniting the two well restoration projects that were underway simultaneously. The coin and an explanation of its history was placed within the time capsule placed within the restored well. All seven classes at Torphichen Primary School were involved in a project to provide written and art material for a time capsule comparing life in the village in 2016 with what they imagined it would be in 2116. The sealed canister was lodged inside the well by pupils from Primary 6 and Primary 7 and West Lothian’s Provost at a short ceremony in November 2016."

https://canmore.org.uk/site/47950/torphichen-the-square-jubilee-well