Wilsontown Inn, Wilsontown

2 storey 3 bay house in coursed rubble with plain skews and surrounds to its openings. The pitched roof is in slate, whilst a detached row of roofless outbuildings stands to the left.

Used at various times as a store, shop and a public house, with the remains of two ranges of outhouses to either side, forming a courtyard. These buildings are all depicted on an 1826 map of the Wilsontown Estate, and all three are still roofed on the 2nd edition of the OS 25-inch map. This site has been identified as Wilsontown Store, which was built in 1808, Forrest's 1816 map of Lanarkshire, however, identifies it as an inn, and it is shown as a public house on the 1959 edition of the OS 1:2500 map. (RCAHMS)

Wilsontown was the second coke-fired ironworks in Scotland, and the first ironworks in Lanarkshire. Started by three brothers, Robert, John and William Wilson, the business later passed into the hands of William Dixon, who managed the works until it closed in 1842, the area then being coal mined until 1955 when the site was acquired for forestry use. At one point the village was populated by 2000 people. (Forestry Commission Scotland)

March 1991: External inspection reveals the house to stand empty, unsecured, and daubed with graffiti. The roof is now badly holed to the rear, and may collapse. July 1995: SCT receives information that there is some local interest in developing the house as a heritage centre. March 1998: Interest in the plan continues. SCT understands that South Lanarkshire planners are to contact Historic Scotland with a view to getting the property listed, and are also to contact the owner to enquire after his intentions. January 2001: Historic Scotland reports that the house is unlikely to be listed. The property is now a roofless shell and continues to deteriorate. September 2006:SCT is contacted by the owner of the land surrounding the farm house who report the following. The building was not built as a farmhouse but was built by the Wilsons between 1779 and 1810 and was known as Wilsontown Inn; a substantial 2 storey house with commodius offices. It latterly became a store and is known locally as the 'Old Store'.It is currently owned by a person now living in london although it is understood that the owner had intended to do up the property to live in.

March 2010: External inspection finds the building now a roofless shell in danger of further collapse. Forestry Commission Scotland has been researching the former Ironworks and in 2007 launched Wilsontown Ironworks Heritage Project. The project aims to recognise the importance of the industrial site and establish a new heritage destination that also provides an attractive location for people to walk and relax.

17 December 2013: External inspection finds no significant change from the previous site visit.