Cobbinshaw North, the Oldest of the Two Cobbinshaw villages, was built to house the workers who operated the reservoir there. The Cobbinshaw reservoir was indeed built as an abundant water supply for the Union Canal over 20 miles away at Broxburn . It was situated high in the hills to ensure an abundance of water pressure needed to operate the canals lock system.

Of course, the arrival of the steam age made the canals pretty much redundant but by this time the Industrial revolution had started to take off and Shale mining was becoming popular in the area. Cobbinshaw Shale Pits 1 & 2 were sunk nearby and a newer village, Cobbinshaw South was constructed by the Pits.

When the reservoir finally ceased to operate to feed the canal, many of the residents of |North Cobbinshaw sought work at the colliery and eventually the village was abandoned with residents moving to the nearby, newer village of Cobbinshaw South.