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59-465: The Monkland Canal was a 12 + 1 ⁄ 4 -mile-long (19.7 km) canal designed to bring coal from the mining areas of Monklands to Glasgow in Scotland. In the course of a long and difficult construction process, it was opened progressively as short sections were completed, from 1771. It reached Gartcraig in 1782, and in 1794 it reached its full originally planned extent, from pits at Calderbank to

118-511: A basin at Townhead in Glasgow; at first this was in two sections with a 96-foot (29 m) vertical interval between them at Blackhill; coal was unloaded and carted to the lower section and loaded onto a fresh barge. Locks were later constructed linking the two sections, and the canal was also connected to the Forth and Clyde Canal, giving additional business potential. Maintaining an adequate water supply

177-454: A basin serving Drumpellier Pit and Langloan Iron Works, founded in 1841, where Langloan Street now joins Bank Street. There was an 80-yard (73 m) tunnel under Bank Street and Buchanan Street. Onwards from Blair Bridge the canal is open again; the route here arcs northward towards and through the Drumpellier estate , passing north of Drumpellier Home Farm. The estate had a bridge connecting

236-576: A boat of coals to Netherhouse. 1772 October 30: At head of canal. The boat loaded by 12 o'clock with 40 carts coal. ... They came to Mr Dougal's wharf by 3 o'clock having been some time stopped by running aground at the reservoir. 1773 May 10: Legat and Stewart had brought a boat of coals upon the Saturday of which some had gone into town. (Dougal's wharf was at Easterhouse; the reservoir was a temporary one at The Flatters near Drumpellier.) Watt wrote to Dr Small on 24 November 1772, saying: "We have now four and

295-525: A call of 10% on all shareholders. This was a difficult time to ask for money, as the American War of Independence (1775–83) had ruined many of the Glasgow businesses, dependent on the American tobacco business. Moreover, asking for more money to keep a bankrupt business going was inopportune. At this time a remark was made, facetiously suggesting filling the canal in. Miller tells the tale: ... for many years,

354-603: A chain of kettle ponds formed towards the end of the last ice age. As the glacier that covered most of Scotland slipped down towards the sea it churned up great tracts of land. This created the great lochs, such as Lomond and Linnhe, and also produced small pockets of water such as the Garnkirk chain of Hogganfield , Frankfield and the Bishops Lochs (an SSI that comes under Glasgow City Councils administration) that include Drumpellier's Lochs, Woodend and Lochend. The lochside path

413-661: A group of prominent citizens who met Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720–88), and was able to considerably reduce the amount of money demanded by the Jacobites not to raze the city. He was buried in the Ramshorn kirkyard . In 1777, the family business failed when their tobacco estates were lost following the American Revolution . Buchanan Street in Glasgow is named after his nephew, another Andrew Buchanan. [1] The Drumpellier estate

472-408: A half miles [7.2 km] actually filled with water and in use." Jams Watt appears to have severed his connection with the canal from July 1773; at that time there were 7 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (11.7 km) of canal dug westwards from Sheepford to Gartcraig. Detail of the activity in the next decade and a half are more sketchy. It seems likely that the initial money subscribed had run out without

531-558: A massive increase in industrial activity in the Coatbridge area, and the Canal was ideally situated to feed the raw materials and take away the products of the industry. The development of railways reduced the competitiveness of the canal, and eventually it was abandoned for navigation in 1952, but its culverted remains still supply water to the Forth and Clyde Canal . Much of the route now lies beneath

590-690: A passenger boat. Named the Vulcan , she is famous for being the first iron boat made in Scotland. Although she operated on another canal, she was made at Thomas Wilson's Faskine boatyard, partly because of the proximity of ironworks and ironfounders. She was scrapped in 1873. In 1986 Monklands District Council had a replica constructed. This can now be seen on the canal within Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life . Prior to 1743 coal had been mined in Little Govan, close to Glasgow. When that working ceased,

649-461: A point where Parson Street and Alexandra Parade would intersect, under the motorway junction. When the "cut of junction" was formed, a short section of new canal linking the Monkland Canal to the Forth and Clyde branch canal, it was routed north from the basin under Garngad Hill (now Royston Hill). The route then turned west under Castle Street. The grooves worn by the barge towropes can be seen on

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708-426: A question was put to the chairman as to what he thought should be done; he replied, "Conscience, lads! the best thing we can dae, is for ilka ane o' us to fill up the sheugh on his ain lands and let it staun." Miller dates this at 1805, but Thomson is sure this must have been about 1781. Several writers have taken this as a serious proposal, including the engineer James Leslie in a respected journal. Of course filling in

767-605: A road from the present termination at the West End to the River Clyde". The canal then consisted of two sections, from Sheepford to Townhead, interrupted by the inconvenient connection at Blackhill, where coals were moved between the two sections by use of the incline: this seems to have been no more than a slope surfaced either for road wagons or provided with rails. The coal was transhipped from barge to waggon and from waggon to barge. Thomson says that there "is no means of ascertaining

826-431: Is University Hospital Monklands (previously Monklands District General Hospital), and football matches between the two senior teams in the area, Airdrieonians and Albion Rovers , are often referred to as Monklands Derbies . The first election to the district council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 16 May 1975. Throughout

885-505: Is a Site of Special Scientific Interest ( SSSI )), lowland heath, mixed woodlands and open grassland. The Monkland Canal lies towards the southern perimeter of the park. The lochs and the canal attract many water birds, both resident (such as swans and mallard ducks) and over-wintering migrants, and the loch shores and woodland floor provides an abundance of wild flora. The woodlands are also rich in bird life, small wild animals and many types of fungi. The lochs at Drumpellier are part of

944-461: Is a country park situated to the west of Coatbridge , North Lanarkshire , Scotland. The park was formerly a private estate. The land was given over to the Burgh of Coatbridge for use as a public park in 1919, and was designated as a country park in 1984 by the then Monklands council, part of Strathclyde . The park covers an area of 500 acres (200 hectares) and comprises two natural lochs (one of which

1003-473: Is approximately one mile (1.5 kilometres) long and it is suitable for bikes . Since July 2019 the park has been the location of Drumpellier Country Parkrun. The name Drumpellier may have a Brittonic origin. The generic may be dīn- meaning "a fort, a hill-fort" ( Welsh din ). Suffixed to this is *peleidr , a plural form of *paladr meaning "a shaft, a beam". The etymology seems identical to Dunpender , and either name may have been transferred from

1062-427: Is at present inconceivable; the quantities of rain have been beyond measure. Our canal has not stopped, but it is likely to do so, from our having expended the subscription of [£10,000] upon seven miles [11 km] of the navigation, and having about two miles [3 km] yet to make. We have, however, made a canal of four feet water for one of three feet subscribed to, and have also paid most abominably for our land. It

1121-587: Is clear that he made the canal 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, more than originally specified by the proprietors; this followed a visit by the engineer John Smeaton on 28 July 1770. Smeaton "pointed out that the depth of the canal could with advantage be increased to four feet ... without any additional excavation, and the General Meeting of the proprietors three days later agreed to this". Thomson mentions that this has been overlooked by many writers, including Leslie, who erroneously quotes 5 feet (1.5 m). The depth of

1180-520: Is the life I now constantly lead. ... I am also in a constant fear that my want of experience may betray me into some scrape, or that I shall be imposed upon by the workmen." He experienced severe weather and difficult ground, writing in December 1770: Notwithstanding the desperate weather I am almost constantly at the canal ... I have a hundred men at work just now, finishing a great hill we have wrought at this twelvemonth. The nastiness of our clay grounds

1239-449: The Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway . The canal passed under the road at Sikeside (now called Sykeside Road, Cairnhill), from where it is nowadays in culvert. Turning west it passed under what is now Locks Street, Coatdyke ; the name refers to the original canal lock; there is a small sign there recording the history. There was a lock to the east of the road, and a basin and second lock to

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1298-519: The Strathclyde region of Scotland . The district was created in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which established a two-tier structure of local government across mainland Scotland comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Monklands was one of nineteen districts created within the region of Strathclyde . The district covered parts of four former districts from

1357-473: The historic county of Lanarkshire , all of which were abolished at the same time: The name of "Monklands" originated in the grant of lands in the area to the monks of the Cistercian Abbey of Newbattle , Midlothian in 1162. From the seventeenth century the area was formed into the two parishes of New Monkland and Old Monkland. Apart from the two burghs of Airdrie and Coatbridge, the area included

1416-449: The Clyde at Glasgow Green. Its route involved 25 locks, with a summit 266 feet (81 m) above the level of the Clyde. Watt said: The Great expense of the above canal and the time that would be consumed in passing the locks ... have made me examine how far it is practicable to bring a canal without any locks ... I find that it can be brought to within a little more than a mile [1.6 km] of

1475-494: The area was later developed.) The aqueduct collapsed and had to be repaired in 1858. The canal then ran broadly west between Bank Street and West Canal Street, then turning a little more northerly from Blairhill Street, south of the present King Street, as far as Blair Street. Just east of Blair Bridge the Langloan branch diverged, heading a short distance south on the eastern margin of West End Park (originally called Yeomanry Park) to

1534-458: The canal being completed, and the financial climate made it difficult to continue, and that the company terminated Watt's employment. Not much coal seems to have traversed the part of the canal that was open, so that quite apart from the shortage of capital to continue construction, the company was making an operating loss and was unable to pay its debts. An extraordinary general meeting was called on 3 May 1780, at which those present decided to make

1593-503: The canal was 4 feet (1.2 m) according to Groome but Lewis stated 6 feet (1.8 m) with a width of 35 feet (11 m) at the surface, diminishing to 26 feet (7.9 m) at the bottom. The canal was broad, suitable for boats measuring up to 71 by 14 feet (21.6 by 4.3 m). As sections of the canal were completed, they were naturally put into use. James Watt kept a journal in which he recorded: 1771 November 26: Coals brought by water to Langloan. 1772 June 30: This day Mr Wark brought

1652-467: The canal was crossed by a swing bridge at Netherhouse Road, and then at Rodgerfield Road, from where the course of the canal is covered by the M8 motorway . Easterhouse Road and Wardie Road (Bartiebeith) crossed the canal by bridges, followed by Milncroft Road (an eastward extension of the present road) and then Gartcraig Road. This was probably the westernmost point the canal reached at first under James Watt, when

1711-523: The canal was fed there from the North Calder Water . A reservoir was created at Hillend (east of Caldercruix ) to sustain the canal in the dry season, and others were made later. The canal ran close to the north side of the North Calder Water, passing more coal pits (and later ironstone pits) at Faskine and Palacecraig, then turning north there. Palacecraig was later the southern extremity of

1770-604: The canal was simply described as "passing under the Edinburgh and Glasgow Road, by a wooden bridge, termed Coat Bridge, two miles [3 km] west of Airdrie." Another branch diverged northwards here, to the west of Sunnyside Road: called the Gartsherrie, Hornock and Summerlea Branch Canal, it ended at the Gartsherrie Ironworks, just south of the present-day Gartsherrie Road. It was originally planned to serve coal pits, but it

1829-455: The canal was the 7 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (11.7 km) already described, and the western end was at Gartcraig. (See below for a discussion of this location.) The new proprietors met on 15 April 1782 and resolved "to carry the Monkland Canal from its previous termination to a point nearer the city" and to put into effect measures to deal with "such parts of the canal as shall require cleaning so as to give it four feet of depth of water, being

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1888-454: The canal were originally flat-bottomed wooden vessels with a low freeboard; they had no living accommodation nor any protection for their crew, and they were horse-drawn. Hutton says that they were habitually known as " scows ". Steam vessels with screw propellers were introduced from the 1850s. A 61-foot (19 m) iron boat was launched in May 1819 and entered service on the Forth and Clyde Canal as

1947-518: The canal would not have retrieved the money expended in digging it. As a result of the financial crisis, the funds were not forthcoming and it was decided to sell shares by roup (public auction) on 14 August 1781; presumably these were forfeited shares (i.e. not additional shares). The shares taken up were heavily discounted and not all were taken; the final eleven shares were advertised in the Glasgow Journal on 21 March 1782. At this time extent of

2006-440: The cheaper scheme—at £10,000—was laid before a meeting of business people, and following a second meeting on 11 January a subscription list was opened. The Town Council of Glasgow agreed to subscribe £500, with a complicated precondition designed to prevent the coalowners forming a cartel to keep prices high. The subscription list was swiftly filled, and the necessary Act of Parliament was secured on 12 April 1770. The Lord Provost

2065-627: The council's existence the Labour party held a majority of the seats: The district council's headquarters were at Coatbridge Municipal Buildings at the corner of Dunbeth Street and Kildonan Street in Coatbridge , the largest town. The building had been built in 1894 as Coatbridge Town Hall. After the council's abolition the building served as additional offices for North Lanarkshire Council, which based itself instead at Motherwell Civic Centre . Drumpellier Country Park Drumpellier Country Park

2124-457: The course of the M8 motorway , but two watered sections remain, and are well stocked with fish. Additionally, the Gartsherrie branch of the canal, which passes through Summerlee Heritage Park , was designated a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland in 2013. The eastern end of the final extent of the canal is at Calderbank , south of Woodside Drive, where there were coal pits;

2183-515: The crannog is depicted on Lochend Loch using small coloured buoys. During the medieval period, Drumpellier (then called Dunpeleder ) was the farming grange of the Monks of Newbattle Abbey , which gives rise to the name of Monklands , the historical name for the surrounding area. The name Drumpellier itself means 'ridge where the wheat is stored'. Finally, the Monkland Canal lies at the south end of

2242-551: The following settlements: The district was abolished in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 which replaced regions and districts with unitary council areas . North Lanarkshire council area was formed covering the abolished districts of Monklands, Motherwell , Cumbernauld and Kilsyth , and the Chryston area of Strathkelvin district. The area is still informally referred to as Monklands. The hospital in Airdrie

2301-551: The iron facing to Castle Street bridge abutment at this point. A short branch was formed off the cut off junction to serve industrial premises in the area between the present Royston Road and Charles Street. The cut off junction was originally made to the same depth (4 feet; 1.2 m) as the Monkland Canal, but in 1842 it was deepened to accommodate the larger vessels that could use the Forth and Clyde Canal, which could then reach Tennent's chemical works. Opening bridges were provided at Glebe Street and Port Dundas . The boats used on

2360-408: The jobs properly, or even of carrying out the work effectively, and some of them "had to be dissuaded from trying to carry on". There was a significant shortage of workmen capable of the work, and poaching between contractors became a serious problem. Watt preferred engineering design to managing the works: "Nothing is more contrary to my disposition than bustling and bargaining with mankind:--yet that

2419-424: The magistrates of Glasgow took action. The Lord Provost was James Buchanan of Drumpellier, and the rich Monklands coalfield was practically untapped. Canals were being promoted all over the country, and seemed to be the obvious solution here; the magistrates commissioned James Watt to recommend a route. In November 1769 he reported back, suggesting two possible routes; one was expensive, at more than £20,000, entering

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2478-575: The money ran out. When the canal was extended westward, it passed under the main Cumbernauld Road. The Blackhill incline and locks were at the point where the present M80 motorway joins the M8 motorway. The arrangements at Blackhill are described more fully below. The canal continued on a broadly westerly course, obliterated now by the motorway, terminating in Townhead Basin fronting to Castle Street, at

2537-508: The nature of the proposed junction at Blackhill. Supplies of water were so meagre that locks were certainly out of the question and in all likelihood they used some modification of Watt's scheme for letting waggons down an incline, the descending waggons pulling up the unloaded waggons". Monklands, Scotland Monklands ( Bad nam Manach in Scottish Gaelic ) was, between 1975 and 1996, one of nineteen local government districts in

2596-563: The northern area. The canal then heads west again, with a short northerly spur serving coal pits at Drumpellier, continuing under the present-day railway line, and under the Cuilhill Road bridge. A little to the west was Cuilhill Gullet, where an island in the canal was formed to enable the construction of the terminal of the Drumpeller Railway (the old spelling). The Railway is described below. Still continuing west, but culverted nowadays,

2655-407: The original depth". The extension to the canal basin at Townhead, seems to have been completed remarkably quickly. It extended from Gartcraig to Blackhill, and separately at the lower level from there to Townhead. On 16 April 1783 a notice of meeting stated that a forthcoming meeting would "consider a plan and estimate for a junction between the upper and lower parts of the canal at Blackhill, and for

2714-482: The other, though there is no evidence of a fort here. Mankind has left its mark on the park area over many thousands of years. Flint tools of the Stone Age have been found on the shores of Woodend Loch and Lochend Loch (always referred to locally as Drumpellier Loch ) once boasted a fine example of a crannog , a dwelling place of iron-age man situated on stilts in open water for security and protection. The site of

2773-485: The park, and is a reminder of the great industrial heritage of Monklands, providing an important link through Glasgow to the Clyde and the high seas. The Drumpellier estate was purchased in 1735 by the tobacco merchant Andrew Buchanan (1690–1759). He was responsible for building the oldest part of Drumpellier House in 1736 and it was extended in the 1740s and 1750s. Additions were made to it in 1840 and 1850. Andrew Buchanan

2832-575: The price of coal in Glasgow rose considerably, doubling by 1760 (from between 1/1 and 1/3 per cart of 7 cwt), to between 2/1 and 2/6. (1 cwt = 112 lb or 51 kg). Available coal was mined in Lanarkshire, but, before proper roads were built, the cost of transport by horse and cart was a significant factor. When the Trades House of Glasgow protested, one member cited another cause: that the coal masters had combined to keep prices high; he asserted that

2891-424: The price ought not to exceed 1/6, including 6d for cartage and tolls. The inventor and engineer James Watt said later that Monklands was "a country full of level free coals of good quality, in the hands of many proprietors, who sell them at present at 6d per cart of 7 cwt at the pit". By 1768, the rapid growth of Glasgow had vastly increased the demand for coal, and its price: several bodies expressed concern, and

2950-656: The proposed route which were not already supplying the Forth and Clyde Canal . The requirement in the Act to take water only from a narrow geographical area, and the prohibition on taking water from sources that fed the Forth and Clyde Canal resulted in continuing water shortage problems later. The construction process was very difficult and protracted. It was supervised by Watt, with work beginning on 26 June 1770 at Sheepford, working westward. Evidently he let contracts directly and seemingly informally, in 110-yard (100 m) sections; he soon found that contractors were incapable of pricing

3009-456: The revenue derived was so trifling, compared with the great outlay of capital, that the shareholders almost despaired of its ever proving a profitable investment. It is said that in 1805, when the annual meeting of shareholders took place, presided over by Mr Colt of Gartsherrie, at the conclusion, murmurs of dissatisfaction prevailed among the members at the very cheerless report. Many propositions were made, and, after discussion, abandoned. At last

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3068-572: The short Dundyvan Branch ran southwards. It was built to serve coal pits and then extended to serve the Dundyvan Ironworks with a complex of railway trans-shipment sidings at its termination. The main canal then ran fairly straight from the present-day A725 roundabout at the east end of Coatbridge Main Street to the Sunnyside Street roundabout. At this time Coatbridge had not developed at all, and

3127-413: The town and that a waggon way or good causeway can be made for the remainder of the way. [This route] ends a little south of Jermiston, there appearing to be no possibility of bringing it near Glasgow on that level." This proposal seems to ignore completely the major problem of the 96 feet (29 m) of vertical interval at Blackhill, an obstacle that was to cause serious problems later. On 3 January 1770

3186-504: The west of it. This location was called Sheepford Locks, and was the eastern extremity of the canal as originally built. A branch canal called Dixon's Cut was later built from the basin southwards to Dixon's Calder Ironworks, south of the present-day Greenend housing area. The canal then continued westward, a little to the south of the Airdrie to Coatbridge main road. It passed south of the present-day Main Street area of Coatbridge, from where

3245-698: Was a tobacco merchant who became Lord Provost of Glasgow in 1740. The son of a wealthy maltman, Buchanan took advantage of the Treaty of Union which gave Scotland access to the English colonies and amassed a fortune through ownership of tobacco estates in Virginia . He also acquired a considerable portfolio of property in Glasgow . He purchased the Drumpellier Estate in 1739 and built Drumpellier House as his home two years later. Though no supporter of their cause, he led

3304-524: Was a problem, and later an inclined plane was built at Blackhill, in which barges were let down and hauled up, floating in caissons that ran on rails. Originally intended as a water-saving measure to be used in summer only, the inclined plane was found to pass barges more quickly than through the locks and may have been used all the year. In the second and third decades of the nineteenth century, technical advances in iron smelting coupled with fresh discoveries of abundant iron deposits and coal measures encouraged

3363-485: Was gifted to Coatbridge in 1919. Many Glaswegians traveled by tram to Drumpellier during the 1920s and 30s, to spend their weekends camping in the park. The house was demolished in the 1960s. The estate is now a Country Park and golf course. Sir James Stirling RN (28 January 1791 – 23 April 1865) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator, who was born in Drumpellier. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded

3422-460: Was refunded "£65 as half of his charges in going to and coming from London anent obtaining the Act of Parliament ... the other half of such expense being chargeable on the proprietors of the Monkland Canal". The Act allowed the proprietors to raise £10,000 by issuing shares, and an additional £5,000 if necessary. Water for the canal was to be extracted from Frankfield Loch, Hogganfield Loch, and any other streams or lochs within 3 miles (5 km) of

3481-530: Was still unfinished in 1830 when the Baird Brothers established their Gartsherrie Ironworks at its termination. Continuing westward, the main canal originally crossed the Gartsherrie Burn on Cotes Bridge, a low aqueduct 72 feet (22 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) high. (Gartsherrie Burn ran north to south between the alignment of the two present-day railways that cross Bank Street; it was culverted when

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