Forth and Cart Canal
Encyclopedia
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
. The Forth and Cart Canal was closed in 1893.
obtained in 1753 made the White Cart Water navigable. The works which allowed this included straightening out part of the White Cart Water and building a bridge at Inchinnan
in 1787 to carry the Turn Pike
road (now the A8) over a new cut made for the White Cart Water, which was started on 23 August 1787.
The River Cart
and the White Cart Water provided a navigable waterway between the River Clyde and the centre of Paisley.
. It had three locks which were 67 foot (20.4 m) long and 15 foot (4.5 m) wide; limiting vessels to that size.
It was taken over by the Forth and Clyde Canal in 1855; and, together with the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Monkland Canal
, was taken over by the Caledonian Railway
in 1867. The Forth and Cart Canal was closed in 1893 as it was unprofitable.
Despite its having been closed for over 100 years, the Environmental Statement for the construction on a new junction on the M8 motorway noted that the course of the canal was still clearly visible to the eastern edge of the shipyard site, and concluded that much of it probably still existed. A subsequent planning application for the development of the shipyard site stated that although it had been intended to reinstate a short section of the canal as a water feature, investigation had shown that there were no substantial remains of the canal left, and the planning restrictions that protected the line of the canal were rescinded.
s on the Forth and Cart Canal:
The total rise was 30 foot (9 m).
Forth and Clyde Canal
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 long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...
, at Whitecrook
Whitecrook
Whitecrook is an area in the southeast of the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Greater Glasgow, Scotland, UK. It occupies the area between the Forth and Clyde Canal to the north, and Glasgow Road to the southwest....
, and the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
, opposite the mouth of the River Cart
River Cart
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....
. It was intended to provide a transport link between the town of Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
and Port Dundas
Port Dundas
Port Dundas is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, located to the north of the city centre. It lies to the north of Cowcaddens, and to the west of Sighthill, with Hamiltonhill and Possilpark to the north-west.-History:...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, without having to go via Bowling
Bowling, Scotland
Bowling is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the Firth of Clyde, between the towns of Clydebank and Dumbarton. It is at one end of the Antonine Wall and therefore represents the extreme limit of the Roman Empire on the west coast of the island of Great Britain...
. The Forth and Cart Canal was closed in 1893.
The Cart navigation
An Act of ParliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
obtained in 1753 made the White Cart Water navigable. The works which allowed this included straightening out part of the White Cart Water and building a bridge at Inchinnan
Inchinnan
Inchinnan is a small village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The village is located on the main A8 road between Renfrew and Greenock, just southeast of the town of Erskine.-History:...
in 1787 to carry the Turn Pike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
road (now the A8) over a new cut made for the White Cart Water, which was started on 23 August 1787.
The River Cart
River Cart
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 the White Cart Water provided a navigable waterway between the River Clyde and the centre of Paisley.
The Forth and Cart Canal
The Forth and Cart canal was authorised in May 1836 and was completed in 1840. It joined the River Clyde almost opposite the mouth of the River Cart and joined the Forth and Clyde Canal at WhitecrookWhitecrook
Whitecrook is an area in the southeast of the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Greater Glasgow, Scotland, UK. It occupies the area between the Forth and Clyde Canal to the north, and Glasgow Road to the southwest....
. It had three locks which were 67 foot (20.4 m) long and 15 foot (4.5 m) wide; limiting vessels to that size.
It was taken over by the Forth and Clyde Canal in 1855; and, together with the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Monkland Canal
Monkland Canal
The Monkland Canal was a 12.25-mile canal which connected the coal mining areas of Monklands to Glasgow in Scotland. It was opened in 1794, and included a steam-powered inclined plane at Blackhill. It was abandoned for navigation in 1942, but its culverted remains still supply water to the Forth...
, was taken over by the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
in 1867. The Forth and Cart Canal was closed in 1893 as it was unprofitable.
Remains of the canal
The closure of the canal provided an opportunity for the Glasgow - Clydebank railway, which brought workers from Glasgow to the adjacent Thompson shipyard, to extend the line to Dalmuir. This line opened in 1896, and destroyed the first section of the canal. More of it was obliterated when Argyll Road was constructed over its course.Despite its having been closed for over 100 years, the Environmental Statement for the construction on a new junction on the M8 motorway noted that the course of the canal was still clearly visible to the eastern edge of the shipyard site, and concluded that much of it probably still existed. A subsequent planning application for the development of the shipyard site stated that although it had been intended to reinstate a short section of the canal as a water feature, investigation had shown that there were no substantial remains of the canal left, and the planning restrictions that protected the line of the canal were rescinded.
Locks
There were three lockLock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
s on the Forth and Cart Canal:
- a single lock, and
- a pair of staircase locks.
The total rise was 30 foot (9 m).
See also
- The River CartRiver CartThe 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....
- The River ClydeRiver ClydeThe River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
- The Forth and Clyde CanalForth and Clyde CanalThe 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 long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...