Blackhill Locks
Location type
PlaceName and dates
Blackhill Locks (1793-1952)Description
These locks connected the lower portion of the canal to Glasgow to the west to the upper part to the east running to Sheepford, Coatbridge. The locks rose 96 ft and were to be supplimented by the Blackhill Incline. The locks consisted of two parallel runs of locks - each consisting of four groups of two lock ladders separated by three basins.
The first portion of the Monkland Canal opened from the future site of the Sheepford Locks to the future site of the Blackhill Locks in 1773.
In 1783 a second portion was built from the lower ground at Blackhill to Townhead Basin on the corner of Castle Street and Townmill Road in Glasgow. There were no locks and transshipment was required at Blackhill. This may have been by coal boxes operating on an incline.
In 1790 the Forth and Clyde Canal was authorised to extend to the Monkland Canal, the 'Cut of Junction'. The Monkland Canal was authorised to extend to Faskine Basin by the River Calder and to build locks.
The first set of locks at Blackhill opened in 1793.
In 1826 the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway opened and the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway in 1831, the days of canals were numbered.
The second parallel set of locks were added in 1841. These had initially been considered replacements but with the increase in traffic both were used.
The Blackhill Incline, for empty barges going up, was opened in 1850 and closed in 1887.
A the top of the locks was a graving dock (there had been one at the bottom previously) which was the Blackhill Shipyard of Cumming & Swan (the Swans also operated the Kelvin Dock shipyard). Puffers for the Monkland Canal were built here.
The canal closed to navigation in 1952. The canal was diverted into a pipe, to allow it to continue as a feeder for the Forth and Clyde Canal, the canal being filled and lock walls demolished in the late 1969s. The site is now the M8.
Tags
Locks Graving dock Puffers Shipyard| Nearby stations Alexandra Parade Garngad Barnhill Duke Street Parkhead North Robroyston St Rollox [2nd] Carntyne Springburn Bellgrove Parkhead Stadium Glasgow (Townhead) London Road [Glasgow] Gallowgate Central Cowlairs | Blackhill Incline Blochairn Junction Blackhill Shipyard Provan Gas Works Blackhill Junction Provan Mill Provan Tunnel Anchor Chemical works Kennyhill Goods Balornock Shed Germiston Junction High Balornock Junction Provan Gas Works Headshunt Germiston Junction Low Tourist/other Germiston House |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Chronology Dates
| / /1773 | Monkland Canal Project partly abandoned due to lack of money as the Ayr Bank is liquidated, canal only runs from Sheepford (later Sheepford Locks) to Blackhill (later Blackhill Locks). |
| / /1783 | Monkland Canal Extended west from Blackhill (later Blackhill Locks) to Townhill Basin. There were no locks at Blackhill at this stage and transhipment over land was required. The canal portions were 96ft apart vertically. |
| / /1793 | Monkland Canal
Forth and Clyde Canal Monkland Canal west and east portions are joined by a new section of canal at the Blackhill Locks. |
| / /1850 | Monkland Canal Blackhill Incline opened to carry empty barges uphill alongside the Blackhill Locks. This incline saved considerable amount of water which would otherwise be lost to lock operation. |
