Maryhill Canal Classroom - Scottish Canals

HISTORY: An overview for teachers
World War II brought an increase to ship-building at
Maryhill, where landing craft were built around the
clock. Stop locks were put in at Stockingfield, Firhill
and Spiers Wharf to prevent flooding if the canal was
bombed. The canal was used as a water source for
putting out fires when water mains were destroyed.
However, the decline in heavy industry, coupled with
the increasing use of road and rail transport meant
that the canal was increasingly unviable.
In the 1950’s, the canals were put under the
control of the government. Surveys found that the
commercial possibilities of the Forth & Clyde canal
could not justify the costs involved in keeping it open
for navigation. After further inquiries that looked
mainly at commercial needs (and ignored fishermen
who still used the canal) as well as highlighting
safety issues such as water quality and the risk of
drowning, the canal was closed to navigation at
midnight on the 31 st December 1962.
During the next 3 decades, the canal continued its
decline. Roads were built over it, the water was
culverted and locals dumped rubbish in it. The only
group that seemed to benefit from the changed
use of the canal was the wildlife that came to call it
home. The Forth & Clyde Canal became a unique
environment and wildlife corridor, with different
habitats merging and winding together along the
canal’s 56 kilometers (34.5 miles). A single area that
may once have been home to wharves, factories,
offices and mills could be taken over by thriving
wildlife in hedgerows, grassy pathways, shallow
banks, the canal channel, and scrub and woodland
on the offside bank.
Voluntary groups started to campaign for the
restoration of the Forth & Clyde Canal. In 1997 a
grant of money from the National Lottery began the
Millennium Link. As a part of the Millennium Link
the canal was dredged, cleaned, locks, bridges and
towpaths were renovated, culverts replaced, and
the Falkirk Wheel built to link the Forth & Clyde and
Union Canals. At the same time, the Forth & Clyde
Canal was included in the Schedule of Monuments
and listed as being a monument of national
importance. The canal was reopened in 2001.
The Forth & Clyde Canal is now managed by British
Waterways, Scotland. They aim to keep the canal
open, safe and well-maintained. They must balance
the needs of conservation (of wildlife and heritage)
and regeneration. The future of the Forth & Clyde
Canal is as a thriving leisure resource, a rich cultural
experience, and a wealth of wildlife habitats that
benefits the communities through which it runs.
A QUICK LIST OF
FORTH & CLYDE CANAL FACTS
The Forth & Clyde Canal -
• runs from Grangemouth in the east to Bowling in
the west; a distance of 56 km (34.5 miles)
• is the world's first man-made sea-to-sea ship
canal, started in 1768 and costing £8,500 to build
• was opened in 1790, closed to navigation on
Hogmanay 1962/63 and reopened in 2001 as a
part of the Millennium Link project, restored at a
cost of £84.5 million
• has 39 locks in working order
• is 1.83m (6 feet) deep with a headroom restriction
of 3.0m (9 feet 10 inches) under bridges, etc
• the highest point is near Kilsyth and the canal is
fed from a purpose built reservoir at Banton Loch
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The Maryhill Canal Classroom