Kelvin Aqueduct | |
|---|---|
 The Forth and Clyde Canal passing over the Kelvin Aqueduct | |
| Coordinates | 55°53′33″N4°18′06″W / 55.8924°N 4.3017°W |
| Carries | Forth and Clyde Canal |
| Crosses | River Kelvin |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Stone |
| Longest span | 50 ft (15 m) |
| No. of spans | 4 |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1787 |
| Construction cost | £8,509 |
| Opened | 1790 |
| Location | |
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The Kelvin Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct in Glasgow, Scotland, which carries the Forth and Clyde Canal over the River Kelvin.
It was designed by Robert Whitworth, one of John Smeaton's supervising engineers on the Forth and Clyde Canal project. [1] The contractors were William Gibb (founder of the engineering dynasty that led to Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners) and John Muir, who also built the nearby Maryhill locks. [1] A foundation stone was laid on 16 June 1787 by Archibald Spiers, the chairman of the canal committee. [2]
When opened in 1790 it was Britain's largest aqueduct, [3] and onlookers were impressed at the sight of sailing boats crossing above them. [4] The entire project cost £8,509, exceeding the original estimated cost of £6,200. [2]
It was protected as a category A listed building in 1989. [5]
It is 445 feet (136 metres) long, with four arches of 50-foot (15 m) span, and 62 feet (19 m) high above the surface of the river. [3] According to measurements by John Rennie as the canal was nearing completion, there was around 3 feet (0.9 m) of puddle clay at the bottom of the canal. [3] The aqueduct was designed to carry a depth of 8 feet (2.4 m) of water. [6]
The piers are buttressed in such a way as to resemble cutwaters, but only one pier sits in the river. [2] The sides of the aqueduct are arched in order to transfer the outward pressure of the water onto the buttresses, an effect which can clearly be seen from above. [7] [8] This design feature is also present on the Luggie Aqueduct at Kirkintilloch, which opened in 1773. [9]
The aqueduct is built from rustic masonry at the lower levels and polished ashlar above. [3] Underneath it is the Kelvin Walkway, which runs through an area of green space around the river. [2] [8]
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. This allowed navigation from Edinburgh on the east coast to the port of Glasgow on the west coast. The canal 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.
The Avon is a river largely in the Falkirk council area of Scotland.
Maryhill is an area in the north-west of Glasgow in Scotland. A former independent burgh and the heart of an eponymous local authority ward, its territory is bisected by Maryhill Road, part of the A81 road which runs for a distance of roughly three miles between Glasgow city centre and the suburban town of Bearsden.
The Union Canal, full name the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal, is a canal in Scotland, running from Falkirk to Edinburgh, constructed to bring minerals, especially coal, to the capital. It was opened in 1822 and was initially successful, but the construction of railways, particularly the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, which opened in 1842, diminished its value as a transport medium. It fell into slow commercial decline and was closed to commercial traffic in 1933. It was officially closed in 1965. The canal is listed as three individual scheduled monuments by Historic Scotland according to the three former counties, Midlothian, West Lothian and Stirlingshire, through which it flows.
The Ladykirk and Norham Bridge connects Ladykirk in the Borders, Scotland, with Norham in Northumberland, England, across the River Tweed. It's one of three bridges that cross it along the Anglo-Scottish Border, the others being the Coldstream Bridge and the Union Chain Bridge; out of these, the Ladykirk and Norham Bridge is the youngest, opening to the public in 1888.
The River Kelvin is a tributary of the River Clyde in northern and northeastern Glasgow, Scotland. It rises on the moor south east of the village of Banton, east of Kilsyth. At almost 22 miles (35 km) long, it initially flows south to Dullatur Bog where it falls into a man made trench and takes a ninety degree turn flowing west through Strathkelvin and along the northern boundary of the bog parallel with the Forth and Clyde Canal.
Woodside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow and also forms some of the most southern part of the much larger district of Maryhill. It is situated north of the River Clyde, between the River Kelvin and the Forth and Clyde Canal. The construction of the M8 motorway in the late 1960s effectively severed Woodside from its southern neighbours Charing Cross and Garnethill.
The Forth and Clyde canal pathway runs between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde and is a 106-kilometre-long (66 mi) footpath and cycleway that runs across Scotland, between Bowling, west of Glasgow, and Lochrin Basin in Edinburgh. The path runs on the towpaths of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals and is entirely off road. The path is well maintained and its surface is generally good, although there are some stretches particularly between Falkirk and the outskirts of Edinburgh where wet weather leads to muddy conditions unsuitable for road intended bicycles. It is well used by walkers and cyclists, and designated as one of Scotland's Great Trails by NatureScot. It also forms part of the National Cycle Network, being designated as Route 754. Sustrans advises that the path is best followed from the Clyde to the Forth because the prevailing wind is from the south west. Much of the path is also suitable for experienced horseriders, although in some places low bridges, narrow aqueducts and gates may restrict access for horses.
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 Almond Aqueduct, also known as the Lin's Mill Aqueduct, is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Union Canal over the River Almond in Scotland, west of Ratho, Edinburgh.
The Slateford Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Union Canal over the Water of Leith at Slateford, Edinburgh, Scotland. Completed in 1822, it has eight arches and spans a length of 500 feet (150 m).
The Avon Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Union Canal over the River Avon, near Linlithgow, Scotland.
The Luggie Water is one of two streams which flow out of Cumbernauld. The Scottish New Town’s name derives from the Gaelic for "the meeting of the waters", which possibly refers to the Luggie Water and the Red Burn, both of which run through Cumbernauld but which never meet.
Maryhill is one of the 23 wards of Glasgow City Council. It was created in 2007 as Maryhill/Kelvin, and in that election it returned four council members, using the single transferable vote system. The same boundaries were used in 2012. For the 2017 Glasgow City Council election, the boundaries were changed, the ward substantially decreased in territory and population, was renamed Maryhill and returned three members.
The Caledonian Railway Bridge is a bridge crossing the River Clyde at Broomielaw in Scotland. It is adjacent to Glasgow Central Station.
The Kelvin Valley Railway was an independent railway designed to connect Kilsyth, an important mining town in central Scotland, with the railway network. It connected Kilsyth to Kirkintilloch and thence over other railways to the ironworks of Coatbridge, and to Maryhill, connecting onwards to the Queen's Dock at Stobcross.
Victoria Bridge is a category A listed road bridge spanning the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Victoria Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge in Glasgow, lying at the foot of Stockwell Street in the city centre.
The Luggie Aqueduct carries the Forth & Clyde Canal over the Luggie Water at Kirkintilloch, to the north of Glasgow. It is a Category A listed building.
The Red Burn is one of two main streams which flow out of Cumbernauld. The Scottish New Town’s name derives from the Gaelic for "the meeting of the waters" and there is broad agreement that one of these waters is the Red Burn.
Stockingfield Junction is a canal junction which lies between Maryhill and Ruchill in Glasgow, Scotland. It opened in 1777, and closed in 1963, followed by restoration and a re-opening in 2022. At first a terminus it formed the junction for the Port Dundas branch off the Forth and Clyde Canal main line from 1777.
