Description

The monument comprises that length of waterway forming part of the Forth and Clyde Canal falling within the boundary of the civil parish of Cumbernauld and the boundary of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District.

The length of the monument is approximately 4 miles (7 km) and runs from a point just west of Auchinstarry Farm (on the west) to immediately west of the Red Burn Aqueduct (on the east). The monument includes the entire length of canal in water together with the banks on either side and the towing path running one side. In addition, the monument includes the following canal structures:

[1] The Craigmarloch Canal Feeder;

[2] The former basin immediately east of Craigmarloch;

[3] The former basin immediately to the east of Hirst

House;

[4] Wyndford Lock (lock 20);

The monument does not include either the Craigmarloch Stables, or the Auchinstarry Road Bridge, or the Craigmarloch Bridge, or the Wyndford Bridge, or any (modern) fences and walls, but does include an area to either side of the area in water in which traces of activities associated with its construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because, as an integral part of the Forth and Clyde Canal, it is a superlative example of Georgian civil engineering. It was the first of Scotland's great inland waterways to be constructed (between 1768 and 1790) and even at the time of its opening in the 1770s it was christened 'The Great Canal', a recognition of its undoubted national importance even then. The particular stretch of canal covered by this scheduling was part of the original scheme. The engineer was John Smeaton.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

References:

Hume, J. (1976) The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland: The Lowlands and Borders.

Lindsay, J. (1968) The Canals of Scotland.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland