Forth and Clyde Canal. 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 Forth near Grangemouth to the River Clyde at Bowling, and had an important basin at Port Dundas in Glasgow. Successful in its day, it suffered as the seagoing vessels were built larger and could no longer pass through. The railway age further impaired the success of the canal, and in the 1930s decline had ended in dormancy. The M8 motorway in the eastern approaches to Glasgow took over some of the alignment of the canal, but more recent ideas have regenerated the utility of the canal for leisure use.
Geography[edit] In 1840, a 0.5 mile (0.8 km) canal, the Forth and Cart Canal was built to link the Forth and Clyde canal, at Whitecrook, to the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Cart. Origins[edit] Forth and Cart Canal. The Forth and Cart Canal was a short 0.5-mile (0.8 km) link canal which provided a short cut between the Forth and Clyde Canal, at Whitecrook, and the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Cart. It was intended to provide a transport link between the town of Paisley, the Firth of Forth and Port Dundas, Glasgow, without having to go via Bowling, some 7 miles (11 km) downstream on the Clyde. The Forth and Cart Canal was closed in 1893. Railway works destroyed most of it soon afterwards. [edit] The River Cart and the White Cart Water provided a navigable waterway between the River Clyde and the centre of Paisley. The Forth and Cart Canal[edit] The idea of a direct connection between the Cart Navigation and the Forth and Clyde Canal had first been suggested by Hugh Baird in 1799, but no further action had been taken.
It was also expected that coal from Coatbridge would reach Paisley via the Monkland Canal, the Forth and Clyde, the proposed new canal and the Cart Navigation. Locks[edit] Overview of Forth and Clyde Canal. Forth and Clyde Canal - Making of industrial and urban Scotland. The earliest of four canals built in the Lowlands, the Forth and Clyde Canal was designed by John Smeaton, and opened from sea to sea on 28 July 1790. At 56km, with 39 locks, it is the longest Lowland canal, connecting Bowling on the Clyde estuary with Grangemouth on the Forth. In its heyday, before the arrival of the railways, the Forth and Clyde Canal was one of Scotland’s busiest canals. It was heavily used by local collieries and ironworks. The Forth and Clyde Canal connected with two other waterways: the Union Canal linked with Edinburgh to the east, and the Monkland Canal served parts of Glasgow and North Lanarkshire.
The canal was used between 1789 and 1803 for steamboat trials, including the Charlotte Dundas. In 1853 it went into railway ownership; in 1948 it was taken over by the British Transport Commission; and in 1962 it was abandoned and then passed to the British Waterways Board. Forth & Clyde Canal. Scottish Canals: Forth & Clyde Canal Scotland for holidays, fishing, cycling. Forth and Clyde Canal Information. This magnificent feat of civil engineering cuts right across the central belt of Scotland, traversing city centres, suburbs and some surprisingly remote and beautiful countryside. It links the River Forth to the River Clyde, allowing boats to sail across Scotland from the North Sea to the Atlantic. Until very recently it was still blocked because of short sighted developments dating from the 1960s and 70s, but now, thanks to a substantial grant from the Lottery's Millennium Fund, it has been fully restored and coast to coast navigation is once again possible.
The most impressive thing about the Forth and Clyde Canal is the sheer scale of it. All the engineering works were built to take sea-going vessels, and this is particularly evident in the locks and aqueducts, which are enormous compared to those on the English narrow canals. Unlike the Union Canal, the Forth and Clyde has more than its fair share of locks: 39 altogether. For a brief history of the canal, click here. History of the Forth and Clyde Canal on the Clyde Waterfront Heritage Guide. The weather, strong currents and island-strewn western coastline of Scotland meant sailing around it was risky as well as time-consuming in the 18th century. The idea of building a canal across the narrowest part of the Scottish lowlands to connect the Firth of Clyde and Forth gathered momentum and the Forth and Clyde canal was born.
The engineer, John Smeaton, carried out most of the design drawing on advice from, among others, the geologist, James Hutton. The canal was constructed between 1768 and 1790 bringing new opportunities for trade and manufacture to the communities along its banks. Small ocean-going vessels could carry goods along it. Branches off it led into Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Canal was soon rivalled and then superseded by the railway.
Waterway Gazetteer for Forth and Clyde Canal (Port Dundas branch) – CanalPlanAC. The Forth and Clyde Canal (Port Dundas branch) is a broad canal and is part of the Forth and Clyde Canal. It runs for 2 miles and 6½ furlongs through 2 locks from Stockingfield Junction (where it joins the Forth and Clyde Canal (Main Line)) to Port Dundas Basin (which is a dead end). The maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 68 feet and 6 inches long and 19 feet and 9 inches wide. The maximum headroom is 9 feet. The maximum draught is 6 feet. The Port Dundas branch has been re-connected to Pinkston Basin, which once formed the terminus of the Monkland Canal, by the construction of 330 yards (300 m) of new canal and two locks.
The project cost £5.6 million, and the first lock and intermediate basin were opened on 29 September 2006. Map Data Map data ©2014 Google Map Press "move" to set this as the new location for this place, or "clear" to restore the marker to its original position Forth and Clyde Canal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Forth & Clyde Canal « TorranceWeb.info.
Forth & Clyde Canal. Description of Forth & Clyde Canal: A 35 mile canal, with 39 locks, from Bowling on the northern bank of the Clyde to the southern side of the Forth near Grangemouth. History of Forth & Clyde Canal: Surveyed in 1726 and 1764, authorised by an Act of 1768, opened in 1790, closed in 1963. opened by the Queen on the 24th May 2002, is part of the £78 million Millennium Link project to restore the Forth & Clyde and the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union canals.For more details see the History page. Subordinate Waterways of Forth & Clyde Canal Forth & Clyde Canal - Glasgow Branch Related Books of Forth & Clyde Canal The Canals of Scotland by Jean Lindsay, Edition: 1st edition, ISBN: 7153 4240 1, 238 pages, Published by David & Charles, in 1968, Order now from .Scotland's Millennium Canals by Guthrie Hutton, ISBN: 1 84033 181 X, 160 pages, Published by Stenlake, in 2002, The story of the Forth & Clyde and the Union canals and their restoration..
Related videos of Forth & Clyde Canal. Forth and Clyde Canal | Towns and Villages | Places. Back to places Scenic Route The Forth and Clyde Canal crosses Scotland, providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. The canal is 35 miles (56 km) long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River Carron near Grangemouth.
The towpaths have been restored with cycling and walkers use in mind. The towpath between Dalmuir and Bowling forms part of the scenic Glasgow to Loch Lomond cycleway. The Forth and Clyde Canal offers a great walking and cycling day out for the whole family. Nearby Towns The Forth and Clyde Canal runs through Cumbernauld and Kilsyth. The historic burgh of Kilsyth has Burngreen Park and the Colzium estate, which is a must visit for the whole family. Travel Information The M9 leads to Grangemouth and A82 leads to Bowling Offers. Check box to be added to our list. The Scotland Guide: Glasgow: The Forth and Clyde Canal: list of articles. Skippers guide a4.pdf. In Pictures | In pictures: Forth and Clyde Canal. Thousands of Glaswegians enjoyed boat excursions on the canal in its pre-1914 heyday. The aqueduct across the Kelvin was a wonder of the 18th century, as people looked upwards to see sailing ships pass.
Some 18th-century canalside buildings survive, like this one at Applecross Street in Glasgow. Roads and the canal often came into conflict. Here a unique "drop lock" lets boats sink below the Dumbarton Road at Dalmuir. Swans are among the most prominent wildlife on the canal. The locks, built for seagoing vessels to pass, are bigger than on most English canals The Canal and Union inns in the centre of Falkirk date from the busiest days of the canal.
This model of the Kelpie statues is on the site where they will stand, by the River Carron. The Falkirk Wheel. Forth & Clyde Canal. Index framesett. The Helix (Falkirk) The Forth and Clyde Canal was reopened as part of the millennium project in 2001, but the final part of the route to the original outlet at Grangemouth Docks had been obliterated by the construction of a motorway, a road, housing and factories. An alternative route was opened; it connected to the River Carron further upstream, but was not ideal, as the river was crossed by two road bridges and two pipe bridges below the entrance lock. This provided limited headroom when the tide was high, and insufficient water to enter the lock when it was low; an alternative route was therefore sought.[2] The project will transform under-used land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into a thriving urban greenspace called "The Helix".
This includes a performance area, on which large scale events can be held, facilities for watersports provided by the construction of a large lagoon, all surrounded by play areas and high quality pathways. Falkirk Wheel Frew, Cicily (April 2013). The Helix | A place for everyone. Interactive Map - Discover The Helix - Falkirk. Scotland | Tayside and Central | Ambitious Helix project approved. The 1:100 scale Kelpie models undergo wind tunnel testing An ambitious plan that involves creating two giant equine sculptures and a vast parkland on disused ground next to Falkirk has been approved. Details of the development, known as the Helix project, were given the green light by the Big Lottery Fund who have granted £25m for the plan. Work to transform the 300-hectare site between Grangemouth and Falkirk is expected to begin later this year. Once built, the horse sculpture will act as a huge boat lift. Designed by Andy Scott, the structure will be created on a new section of canal that will link the Forth and Clyde Canal into the Forth Estuary.
Wind testing on scaled models of the 100-ft horse heads, based on the mythical Scots legend of water-based spirits or kelpies, has also been taking place in Teddington. 'Construction phase' The results will be used to determine what materials and methods will be used to fix and support the structure. Scottish Screen Archive - Full record for 'FORTH AND CLYDE CANAL, the' Film status Scottish Screen Archive can clear copyrightScottish Screen Archive can clear copyright. Sometimes we will be unable to make copies available because of restrictions on the National Library of Scotland under copyright legislation or due to the conditions of deposit. Title: FORTH AND CLYDE CANAL, the Reference number: 1687 Date: 1962 Director: [filmed by D.G.
Sound: silent Colour: col Fiction: non-fiction Running time: 11.39 mins Description: The Forth and Clyde Canal's operations on its last year of use. Shotlist: Credits. Please see Understanding catalogue records for help interpreting this information. Forth & Clyde Canal Route Information. Glasgow Canal Regeneration: Renewal & development of Forth & Clyde Canal.