White Cart Run - Part #1

It's an idea of mine to follow the course of a river and see that I can find. I've posted a few such runs. But it's cold, dull and wet so I'm reluctant to go too far. The White Cart is a short river that rises in the hills near me and wanders across the south side of Glasgow for about 20 miles before joining the River Clyde. There can't be much of interest in that. Can there? Well let's see.

This is near my house and I've featured it before (where I incorrectly said it's on the Cart) It's an old mill outside Eaglesham. It's on Polnoon Water, a tributary of the White Cart.

This was built as a cotton spinning mill in the late 18th century. The stream has been dammed to provide power for the mill. It was nicely converted into apartments and I found an old photograph from 1965 before conversion. The website says that the photo can't be put on-line but I suppose a link is ok.

https://canmore.org.uk/site/43935/eaglesham-millhall-mill?display=collection&GROUPCATEGORY=5

The ford at Eaglesham. I often pass this on my travels. The depth gauges are a recent addition - it seems that the metric system has not yet been adopted in East Renfrewshire.

The footbridge in Linn Park. Only a few miles from my home and I'd never been here. As someone who toiled in the bridge building industry this is a little gem. It's an early example of a cast iron bridge dating from the early 1800s. Cast iron was replaced by wrought iron then steel but because it's cast rather than rolled it means that complex shapes are possible. Also cast iron is less affected by corrosion than steel so this bridge, built at the time of the Battle of Waterloo, is still in good condition and with a little maintenance it should effectively last forever. 

Snuff Mill. Again, close to where I live but I can't remember being here. The (former) mill is on the left behind the bridge and milled snuff (amoungst other things)

Sitting in a fine location on the bank of the river is Pollok House. Once a private house and estate it is now public.

Footbridge at Ross Hall Academy. In the distant past I earned a crust designing and detailing reinforced concrete so I appreciate the single, elegant form of this bridge.

Autumn scenery at Crookston Road

 

Crookston Castle. Again I've passed this many times but never been bothered to visit it. It's in good condition for something built around 1400. It's in a pleasant woodland setting in well maintained grounds. Part of the castle is missing but, given its history, it's lucky that there's anything here at all. In 1489 the Earl of Lennox revolted against the new king James IV. The king laid siege to the castle and used a formidable weapon to end the rebellion. Mons Meg was a huge siege cannon that fired a 20" diameter, 385 pound stone cannon balls. After a few of these hit the castle the defenders gave up.