2011

NS4276 : Former dam and lily pond

taken 15 years ago, near to Bellsmyre, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland

This is 1 of 3 images, with title Former dam and lily pond in this square
Former dam and lily pond
Former dam and lily pond
This pond, which has a small island at its northern end, is now so choked with vegetation that it is hard to recognize it for what it is.

Before 1892, there was no pond here; as early OS maps confirm, this was merely the location of some bends in the course of the Overtoun Burn. However, at that time, a dam was formed here (the OS map of 1898 labels it as such); the Overtoun Burn nows flows past the western side of the pool, running along what is clearly an artificial, straight channel.

The dam was built as part of a hydro-electric scheme to provide electricity for NS4276 : Overtoun House. The turbine house itself was located further downstream (NS4276 : Remains of a turbine house), beside a small waterfall called NS4276 : Spardie Linn.

The dam also doubled in an ornamental role as a lily pond.
Overtoun House hydro-electric scheme

This was one of the earliest examples of a hydro-electric scheme producing power for domestic use: in around 1892, the occupant of Overtoun House, John Campbell White (soon to be created Lord Overtoun), had a turbine house built to provide electricity for his home. See Link for more on Overtoun House. The ruins of the turbine house are located beside a waterfall called Spardie Linn – Link – on the course of the Overtoun Burn. Water was impounded further up the burn in a dam, which doubled as an ornamental lily pond. The dam is fed by the Overtoun Burn, whose channel, just upstream of the pond, can be seen to have been artificially straightened; the remains of a sluice gate are visible there.

Overtoun House Nature Trail :: NS4175

Locally, the woodland walks within the Overtoun Estate are still collectively known as "the Nature Trail", in memory of the fact that they used to be laid out as a nature trail with numbered marker posts (the Nature Trail, made with funds left over from the Quality of Life Experiment, officially opened on the 26th of April 1980). New waymarkers were added, both here and in the adjacent Lang Craigs Woodland ( Link ), in May 2015. For more on the Nature Trail, see Overtoun House: Link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Lairich Rig and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Derelict, Disused Water resources Near: Overtoun House Former: Lily Pond Dam other tags: The Overtoun Burn Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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Grid Square
NS4276, 215 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Lairich Rig   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Friday, 28 October, 2011   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 27 November, 2011
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NS 4254 7649 [10m precision]
WGS84: 55:57.3329N 4:31.4167W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NS 4253 7646
View Direction
North-northeast (about 22 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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