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HISTORY

HISTORY

A Canal across Scotland was first thought of in the days of Charles II but there was a familiar cry of no money available.

On 24th September 1726 surveyor Alexander Gordon was hired to survey a route for the canal. In his report the only main obstacles that had to be over come was the Dullator Bog and the river Kelvin.

Work began at Grangemouth in 1768 under the guidance of engineer John Smeaton, also famous for the Eddystone Lighthouse. By 1773 the Forth and Clyde Canal , which was big enough for ocean-going vessels, had reached Kirkintilloch.

Glasgow merchants very quickly decided they wanted a branch into the city. This would give them an passage to the North Sea. By this time head engineer John Smeaton was no longer in charge, Robert Mackell took over, he guided the construction of the canal to the Old Basin in Hamiltonhill (head office of British Waterways). Work also was being done in the opposite direction, and the canal was allowed to descend down the magnificent flight of lock gates and pass over the Kelvin gorge. When built, the Kelvin Aqueduct at 400 foot long was the largest structure of it’s kind. The lock gates and the Kelvin Aqueduct are together the finest canal features in Britain.

Engineers:

History

  • 1768 Work started on 10 June
  • 1773 Opened to Kirkintilloch
  • 1777 Opened to Glasgow (Old Basin, Hamiltonhill)
  • 1777 and 1785 No work done between this time
  • 1790 Opened to Bowling and extended south to Port Dundas
  • 1868 Bought by the Caledonian Railway
  • 1963 Closed to navigation on January 1st Presently owned and operated by British Waterways. Although work began in 1768 under the guidance of the engineer John Smeaton it was 22 years before the Forth & Clyde Canal was completed, including the 4 mile branch in Glasgow. Later, as with other canals, trade began to decline in the face of competition from the railways. Canal cruises boosted the Canal's popularity earlier this century, but the last pleasure boat - the Gypsy Queen - made her final voyage in 1939. Trade continued to decline after this until, in 1963, the Canal was closed to navigation. Features The Luggie Aqueduct was a prototype for the Kelvin and a revolutionary milestone in civil engineering. Restored mills at Speirs Wharf, Port Dundas, are impressive reminders of what the Canal once meant to Glasgow. Claims to Fame The Charlotte Dundas, the world's first practical steamboat, conducted trials on the Canal in 1802. The Vulcan, Scotland's first iron boat, was built for canal passenger service in 1818. The first vehicular ferries were pioneered on the Canal, carrying loaded carts and railway wagons. The Saxon, built at Hays Boatyard in kirintilloch, featured as the puffer Vital Spark in the TV series Para Handy. Scenes from our industrial past cluster along the Canal. Sawmills, shipyards, iron foundries and many other industries prospered here. Local coal and iron ore were once transported by horse-drawn barges on the Canal. Many such industries have long gone, but their legacy can still be seen. The Antonine Wall The Canal follows the valleys of the River Kelvin and the Bonny Water cross Central Scotland, as does the Antonine Wall. Built by the Romans in the 2nd Century AD to keep out the wild nothern tribes, the wall ran for 37 miles across the narrowest part of Britain, weaving a similar route to the Canal but keeping more to the higher ground. Built of turf, it was constructed on top of a stone base. A 40 foot wide ditch protected the front of the Wall and a military road lay behind. The remains of these structures bear long-standing testimony to the skills of Roman Engineers. Some of the best preserved stretches can be seen near the Canal between Falkirk and Kirkintilloch. The Covenanters The history of the area around Kilsyth is closely linked to the 'Covenanters' and their violent religous struggles in the mid 17th Century. Local place names like Slaughhter Howe and Bullet Knowe are grim reminders. The Canal crosses boggy ground near here and a complete, preserved soldier on horseback, presumably fleeing from battle, was exposed during the original construction work. Many earlier Roman artefacts were discovered along the whole length of the Canal during its construction. The quayside buildings at Speirs Wharf were built between 1850 and 1970 and originally housed the grain mills and a sugar refinery. Later they were used as bonded warehouses by Scottish Grain Distilleries and are now converted into luxury flats and offices.

    The Georgian building at the end was built in 1812
    and was home to the Canal Company Offices

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