Description

The monument comprises that length of inland waterway forming part of the Forth and Clyde Canal falling within the boundary of the civil parish of New Kilpatrick and the boundary of the City of Glasgow District.

The length of the monument is 1 mile (1.6 km) and runs from Netherton Farm (on the west) to immediately west of the Cleveden Road culvert (on the east). The monument includes the entire length in water together with the banks on either side and the towing path running along one side. In addition, the monument includes the following

canal structures:

[1] Lock 27;

[2] Knightswood Railway Tunnel Aqueduct;

[3] Lock 26;

[4] Stobcross Railway Tunnel Aqueduct;

The monument does not include either the Netherton Bridge, or the Temple Bridge, or the modern concrete bridge situated between these two bridges, or any (modern) fences or 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 1770's 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 a scheme to extend the canal westward from its original western terminus at Stockingfield, in Glasgow. The engineer was Robert Whitworth.

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