Donald's Quay

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Donald's Quay
River beacon on the railway wall - geograph.org.uk - 961147.jpg
Donald's Light at the site of the old quay
West Dunbartonshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Donald's Quay
Location within West Dunbartonshire
OS grid reference NS458730
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Police Scotland
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°55′31″N4°28′06″W / 55.925304°N 4.4683054°W / 55.925304; -4.4683054 Coordinates: 55°55′31″N4°28′06″W / 55.925304°N 4.4683054°W / 55.925304; -4.4683054

Donald's Quay was once the location of the northern terminus of the Erskine Ferry then run by Lord Blantyre of Erskine House that provided foot passengers with a crossing of the River Clyde, giving direct access between Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire. At some point in the early 19th century the northern terminus of the Erskine Ferry moved to a site closer to Old Kilpatrick and opposite the Ferry House at Erskine, before closure in 1971 when the Erskine Bridge was completed. [1] Donald's Quay once had an approximately 170-foot-long (52-metre) stone pier that was used by coal boats that transferred their loads into canal barges on the Forth & Clyde Canal at Ferrydyke Wharf and thereby avoided paying fees at the Bowling Basin. The quay was demolished during the construction of the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway in 1896.

Contents

Infrastructure

Roy's map of the mid 18th century marks the ferry as being in the Ferrydyke and Donald's Quay location without recording a name. Two sizeable buildings are shown amidst a group of trees; the canal is not marked as it was yet to be built. The Ferry House on the Erskine side is shown standing at the same location that it did when the ferry closed in 1971. [2]

The old Ferry House near Erskine. Erskine Ferry Lodge.jpeg
The old Ferry House near Erskine.

Thomas Telford planned to alter the Clyde until it was 490 feet (150 metres) wide at Donald's Quay. [3] A light tower was installed at Donald's Quay in 1849. [4] A photograph of it was displayed in St Louis in 1904. [5] The 1860 OS map shows a dwelling at Ferrydyke on the northern side of the canal that may have been associated with the canal. On the southern side a complex of buildings is shown consisting of the stables and the bridge and stable keepers' cottages with a substantial stone quay running out from the river bank at right angles to it. The end of the approximately 170-foot-long (52-metre) quay is slightly wider than the mid section and it leads to a lane that accesses the stables area directly as well as running up to the Ferrydyke Wharf on the canal above. Donald's Quay reached the open river allowing boats to call at all stages of the tides. At this date the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway had yet to be built. An enclosed area of land runs from the cottage/s a short distance to the east. [6]

In 1896 the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway opened its line between Old Kilpatrick and Bowling, West Dunbartonshire where it met with the Helensburgh line near Dumbarton East railway station. [7] The 1896 25 inch to the mile OS map shows Donald's Quay Light (fixed red and white) standing on a very short stone pier that is approached via a substantial footbridge over the new railway. The cottages and stables are still present and roofed. The Ferrydyke cottage on the northern canal side is no longer shown. [8]

In 1937 the stables complex and workers cottages are still present and a small extension has been added to one of them. [9] The late 18th century Ferrydyke bascule bridge (NS458731) [10] is one of the few remaining on the Forth & Clyde Canal and once carried the junction off the Old Portpatrick road to Donald's Quay, former site of the ferry to Erskine. [11]

The ruins of canal bridge and stable keepers' cottages (NS4587073042) stand near the Ferrydyke bridge next to the old stables that lie below the canal. [12]

History

The quay was named for Robert Donald, well known 'Tobacco Lord' and Lord Provost of Glasgow who acquired the nearby Mountblow estate (NS 4798 7222) in 1767 and built a mansion house there. Robert came from an old established Dumbartonshire family. [13] [14]

The presence of a Roman fort nearby at Old Kilpatrick and the presence of a bath house at Ferrydyke has led to speculation that a harbour of some sort may have existed in the area to service the fort itself and the requirements of the Antonine Wall infrastructure. [15] Bruce speculates that a ferry across the Clyde once existed here in Roman times. [16]

By 1896 the quay had been demolished due to the construction of the Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway that reclaimed an area of the River Clyde shoreline here as well as building over the quay where it emerged from the land. [17] The stables area was not effected by the railway and they remained in use providing horses to haul canal barges. [18]

The name 'Ferrydyke' given to the site records the onetime presence of a ferry as well as suggesting that this quay may have been part of the large numbers of artificial dykes that were built in an effort to deepen the River Clyde to permit passage to Glasgow docks by larger ships. Another explanation of the use of the word 'dyke' is that the site stands close to the termination of Graham's Dyke which was another name used for the Antonine Wall. [19] The small village of Ferry Dyke once existed here. [20]

The River Clyde could be forded at nearby Dumbuck and a well formed 'made' route has been identified of possibly Roman origins. This crossing ceased to be passable once dredging etc took place to deepen the channel. [21]

Workings details

Part of the old stables complex. Old stables, Donald's Quay and Ferrydyke, Old Kilpatrick, Scotland.jpg
Part of the old stables complex.

The original Erskine Ferry ran from Donald's Quay to the Ferry House at Erskine on a route that made use of the tides to assist the ferry prior to a chain being laid and finally powered vessels being introduced at a different site further up river. [22] By 1863 and probably somewhat earlier, Donald's Quay was no longer in use as a terminus for the Erskine Ferry. [23] The location of the quay close to the canal would have allowed passengers carried on canal boats to easily access the ferry.

Bruce records that a sandbank formed in the 18th century that interfered with the passage of the ferry and forced its removal to its final location up river to the east of the Erskine Bridge. [24]

The quay was used at one time for the unloading of coal that was then taken to barges waiting at the canal's Ferrydyke Wharf as this avoided the payment of fees at the Bowling Basin of the Forth & Clyde Canal.

The 1914 OS map shows for the first time a number of mooring posts running along the northern bank of the canal towards Lock 37 from Ferrydyke bascule bridge that were still present in 1937. [25]

The stables below Ferrydyke Bridge are of an unusual construction having a 'walled garden' style outward appearance with a large entrance door in keeping with that analogy. Internally some brickwork of a later date survives and to the west stands a building that is more typically stables-like. The variety of buildings present suggest other uses throughout their working life than purely stabling for horses.

The site today

Donald's Quay Light Buoy by the River Clyde - geograph.org.uk - 907609.jpg
Donald's Quay Light

Donald's Quay Light now stands at the approximate site of the end of Donald's Quay and is still in use as a navigation aid for shipping using the River Clyde. [26] The old stables and associated cottages are in a ruinous condition although substantial remains are extant. Two large stone pillars represent the remnants of the footbridge that the railway built to provide access to the Donald's Quay Light. The railway track has been lifted however the sea wall is still present and remains in good condition.

Micro-history

A distance Slab of the Twentieth Legion was found at Ferrydyke at some point before 1684 marking the western termination of the Antonine Wall. [27] A second distance slab was found here in 1758 and excavations have shown that a Roman bath house associated with the nearby Old Kilpatrick Roman fort also once stood at Ferrydyke. It has been suggested that a port serving the fort may once existed in the Old Kilpatrick area. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

Forth and Clyde Canal canal in West Dunbartonshire, United Kingdom

The Forth and Clyde Canal is a canal opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland; it provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. It is 35 miles (56 km) long and it runs from the River Carron at Grangemouth to the River Clyde at Bowling, and had an important basin at Port Dundas in Glasgow.

Dunbartonshire Historic county in Scotland

Dunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Perthshire to the north, Stirlingshire to the east, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire to the south, and Argyllshire to the west. The boundaries with Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire are split in two owing to the existence of an exclave around Cumbernauld.

Clydebank Human settlement in Scotland

Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, it borders the village of Old Kilpatrick to the west, and the Yoker and Drumchapel areas of the adjacent City of Glasgow immediately to the east. Depending on the definition of the town's boundaries, the suburban areas of Duntocher, Faifley and Hardgate either surround Clydebank to the north, or are its northern outskirts, with the Kilpatrick Hills beyond.

Erskine Post town in Renfrewshire, Scotland

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Inchinnan Human settlement in Scotland

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Bishopton, Renfrewshire Human settlement in Scotland

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Erskine Bridge Bridge over the River Clyde, Scotland

The Erskine Bridge is a multi span cable-stayed box girder bridge spanning the River Clyde in west central Scotland. The bridge connects West Dunbartonshire with Renfrewshire and can be used by all types of motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. As well as crossing the Clyde, the bridge also crosses the Forth and Clyde Canal and the North Clyde railway line. A small part of Kilpatrick railway station is situated underneath the bridge at the north side. The bridge is part of the A898 road. On completion the bridge replaced the Erskine to Old Kilpatrick ferry service.

River Cart river in Scotland

The River Cart is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine and Renfrew and opposite the town of Clydebank.

Old Kilpatrick Human settlement in Scotland

Old Kilpatrick, is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It has an estimated population of 4,820. It belonged to the parish of Old Kilpatrick which itself was only a few thousand people strong.

Bowling, West Dunbartonshire Human settlement in Scotland

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Dalmuir Human settlement in Scotland

Dalmuir is an area nine miles north-west of Glasgow, Scotland, on the western side of Clydebank, and part of West Dunbartonshire Council Area. The area was originally two separate villages with Dalmuir Shore joining with Clydebank in 1886 and Dalmuir Village in 1906, during a period of rapid industrialization and expansion. Dalmuir is bounded by the village of Old Kilpatrick to the west, the Mountblow and Parkhall housing schemes to the north, and the Clydebank town centre area to the east. To the south is the River Clyde.

Dumbarton Central railway station railway station in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK

Dumbarton Central railway station serves the town of Dumbarton in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. This station is on the West Highland Line and the North Clyde Line, 15 3⁄4 miles (25.3 km) northwest of Glasgow Queen Street.

The Lanarkshire and Dumbartonshire Railway was a railway company in Scotland. It was promoted independently but supported by the Caledonian Railway, and it was designed to connect Balloch and Dumbarton with central Glasgow, linking in heavy industry on the north bank of the River Clyde. From Dumbarton to Balloch the line would have closely duplicated an existing railway, and negotiation led to the latter being made jointly operated, and the L&DR terminated immediately east of Dumbarton, trains continuing on the joint section.

The Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway (C&DJR) was a Scottish railway opened in 1850 between Bowling and Balloch via Dumbarton. The company had intended to build to Glasgow but it could not raise the money.

Old Kilpatrick railway station railway station in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK

Old Kilpatrick railway station was located in the village of Old Kilpatrick, Scotland on the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Railway.

The Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway was independently sponsored to build along the north of the River Clyde. It opened in 1858, joining with an earlier local line serving Balloch. Both were taken over by the powerful North British Railway in 1865, and for some time the line was the main route in the area. As industry developed other lines were opened to serve it, and the line formed the core of a network in the area.

Erskine Ferry company in Glasgow City, Scotland, UK

Erskine Ferry sailed across the River Clyde from Erskine to Old Kilpatrick. The ferry was also referred to as East Ferry of Erskine as there was another ferry to Dumbarton a few miles down river, known as West Ferry. It is reputed to be the oldest ferry crossing of the Clyde. The crossing was part of the A740 route from Paisley to Old Kilpatrick. It was established in 1777 and replaced by the Erskine Bridge in 1971.

St Patricks Rock islet in Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK

St Patrick's Rock or St Patrick's Stone is located in the River Clyde (NS461724) close to the Erskine Bridge and the old Erskine Ferry on the Renfrewshire side of the river. It is reputedly the location from which the 16 year old Saint Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates whilst he was fishing. The rock is covered at high tide and it is also the location of a navigation light known as St Patrick's Light.

Rashielee Quay

The old Rashielee Quay or Rashielie Quay (NS471709) was located on the old Lands of North Barr, situated on the south bank of the River Clyde in the Parish of Inchinnan, between Bodinbo Island and Park Quay. It was built to facilitate the loading of boats and barges with whinstone excavated from the nearby Rashielee Quarries that was brought to the quay by a horse drawn wagonway.

Newshot Island island in Glasgow City, Scotland, UK

Newshot Island or Newshot Isle was an island of circa 50 acres or 20 hectares lying in the estuarine waters of the River Clyde close to Park Quay in the Parish of Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Due to silting, etc. it has become part of the southern, Renfrewshire side, of the river bank and is used for grazing cattle and as a nature reserve.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Old Kilpatrick, Bowling and Milton Heritage Trail
  2. ↑ Roy Military Survey of Scotland, 1747-1755
  3. ↑ Rickman, John, Ed. (1838). Life Of Thomas Telford. London: Payne And Foss. p. 498. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Findlay, Alexander George (1879). A Description and List of the Lighthouses of the World. London: Richard Holmes Laurie. p. 51. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Official catalogue of the British section. London: W. Clowes & Sons. 1904. pp. 46–47. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Dumbarton Sheet XXII.12 (Combined) Survey date: 1860. Publication date: 1864
  7. ↑ Thomas, p.179
  8. ↑ Renfrewshire 004.13 (includes: Erskine; Old Kilpatrick) Publication date: 1897. Revised: 1896
  9. ↑ Dumbartonshire n023.05 (includes: Old Kilpatrick). Publication date: 1939. Revised: 1937
  10. ↑ Hume, p.106
  11. ↑ Ferrydyke Bridge - RCAHMS
  12. ↑ Bridge-keepers' cottage - RCAHMS
  13. ↑ Old Country Houses - Mountblow
  14. ↑ Transactions of the Glasgow Archaeological Society
  15. ↑ Old Kilpatrick Fort
  16. ↑ Bruce, p.31
  17. ↑ Renfrewshire 004.13 (includes: Erskine; Old Kilpatrick) Publication date: 1897. Revised: 1896
  18. ↑ Ferrydyke Bridge - RCAHMS
  19. ↑ Bruce, p.16
  20. ↑ Bruce, p.31
  21. ↑ Dumbuck - Canmore Site
  22. ↑ Old Kilpatrick, Bowling and Milton Heritage Trail
  23. ↑ Renfrew Sheet IV.13 (Erskine). Survey date: 1857. Publication date: 1863
  24. ↑ Bruce, p.17
  25. ↑ Dumbartonshire n023.05 (includes: Old Kilpatrick). Publication date: 1939. Revised: 1937
  26. ↑ Geograph image
  27. ↑ Roman Inscriptions of Britain
  28. ↑ Old Kilpatrick Fort

Sources

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