NS4573 : Ferrydyke Bascule Bridge
taken 15 years ago, near to Old Kilpatrick, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
On its far side, a cycle route runs alongside the canal. The ruined building standing on the left was the bridgekeeper's cottage; see NS4573 : Ruins of the bridgekeeper's cottage.
Note also the low wall that runs alongside the cycle route on the right. From that wall, some sunken ruins can be seen on the other side; these are the remains of old stables: see NS4573 : Ruins of stables.
Between the ruined cottage and the stable wall, a path leads from the cycle route towards the former site of Donald's Quay, where a beacon still stands: NS4572 : Donald's Quay Light. For a good summary of the history of this immediate area, see NS4572 : River beacon on the railway wall.
The Forth and Clyde Canal links Bowling on the Firth of Clyde with Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth. It allowed goods to be transported between the east and west coasts, and to be exported from Glasgow to Europe or from Edinburgh to America, without taking the hazardous route round the north of Scotland or the longer route via the English Channel.
It is 56 kilometres (35 miles) long and has 39 locks, and the highest point is 47 metres (155 feet) above sea level. Originally there were 33 drawbridges, ten large aqueducts and 33 smaller ones.
It was designed by the engineer John Smeaton and opened in 1790, after over 20 years of planning and construction.
With time seagoing vessels became too large to pass through the locks, and competition from the railways in the 19th century led to it being more or less disused, and it was closed in 1963.
However it was reopened as a Millennium project in 2001, and linked to the Union Canal by the Falkirk Wheel.
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- Grid Square
- NS4573, 252 images (more nearby 🔍)
- Photographer
- Lairich Rig (more nearby)
- Date Taken
- Thursday, 1 October, 2009 (more nearby)
- Submitted
- Wednesday, 7 October, 2009
- Subject Location
-
OSGB36:
NS 4587 7305 [10m precision]
WGS84: 55:55.5450N 4:28.1020W - Camera Location
-
OSGB36: NS 4588 7308
- View Direction
- South-southwest (about 202 degrees)
