Townhead Gas Works
Location type
WorksName and dates
Townhead Gas Works (1817-1874)Description
This gas works was in the east of Glasgow not far from Glasgow Cathedral. It was opened in 1817 by the Glasgow Gas Light Company with a 'bench' of 25 retorts. In 1819 a further bench of 25 retorts opened. It was enclosed by Kirk Street (to the east), Rottenrow (south), Weaver Street (west) and Mason Street (north). The retort house was in the west of the site, purifying houses in the centre and gas holders in the north and south of the east.
By the opening of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, in 1831, the works was consuming 16,000 tons of coal annually. The St Rollox Chemical Works was using 30,000 tons of coal). The volume of coal used by Glasgow encouraged the building of the line. The site was not railway served, but the terminus of the Garnkirk line was about a mile to the north.
Following an Act of Parliament in 1843 the company became the Glasgow City and Suburban Gas Company.
A considerably closer railway terminus, College [1st] Goods, opened to the south in 1871, however the gas works did not have long left.
It was replaced by Dawsholm Gas Works (which was rail served) in the north of Glasgow which opened in 1871, Townhead closed in 1874.
Tags
Gas worksExternal links
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
| Nearby stations High Street College [1st] Gallowgate Glasgow Cross Glasgow Queen Street Low Level Glasgow Queen Street High Level Glasgow (Townhead) Gallowgate Central Argyle Street Dunlop Street Buchanan Street [Subway] Buchanan Street Bellgrove Glasgow St Enoch St Enoch [Subway] | High Street Goods High Street Tunnel Glasgow Necropolis Bridgeton Central Junction Greyfriars Wynd Works College Goods Townhead Basin College Goods Signal Box [GSWR] College North Junction St Johns Coal Depot Bredesholm Coal Depot [Canal] Wellpark Brewery Tourist/other Provand^s Lordship Glasgow Cathedral High Street Goods Signal Box |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
