New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde

**cessna152towser** · 15th July 08, 09:30 AM

Near Lanark the River Clyde tumbles down a series of waterfalls through about two miles of glacial gorges and this is the point where it changes from being a meandering river of the rural southern uplands to an industrialised river of the central lowlands of Scotland. At the bottom of the series of falls textile mills were erected in the late seventeen hundreds, and a township was constructed including millworkers' houses, a shop and a school, all known as New Lanark.

A street in New Lanark, with millworkers' flats (apartments)

Millworkers' cottages.

Water power was used initially by drawing water off the River Clyde at a weir and through a lade, though later steam was used. This Petrie steam engine was built in 1911.

This spinning mule by Platt Brothers & Co. of Oldham, Lancashire in 1891 is capable of spinning 392 cotton threads simultaneously.

The new building, constructed in 1798, including additional workers' housing.

The Mill Lade

The boiler house

Dundaff Falls are situated near the boiler house at New Lanark and are the lowest of the series of falls.

A trail begins near the boiler house and rises up along the side of the gorge. A short distance up is the Mill Weir where water is extracted into the Mill Lade.

**cessna152towser** · 15th July 08, 09:38 AM

Corra Linn at the base of the Corra Falls

The Corra Falls

A closer view of the Corra waterfall.

Above the Corra Falls and looking upriver

The view towards the Bonnington Falls

Bonnington waterfalls

Reached the top of the trail at Bonnington Weir

At Bonnington Weir there is a sluice gate where water can be extracted and piped to Bonnington Power Station to create hydro-electric power. This was constructed in 1925. Here, two of the power workers pause on the weir for their lunch break.

Looking downstream from Bonnington Weir towards the top of Bonnington Falls.

Concluding with an upstream view of the River Clyde from Bonnington Weir.

**Finn** · 15th July 08, 09:42 AM

Wow! Great pics!
What a grim little town. It's beautiful, but I was struck by the facelessness.

**Monkey@Arms** · 15th July 08, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Finn

Wow! Great pics!
What a grim little town. It's beautiful, but I was struck by the facelessness.

Its flat, not grim:

The village first rose to fame when Robert Owen was mill manager from 1800-1825. Owen transformed life in New Lanark with ideas and opportunities which were at least a hundred years ahead of their time. Child labour and corporal punishment were abolished, and villagers were provided with decent homes, schools and evening classes, free health care, and affordable food.

http://www.newlanark.org/index2.shtml

Best regards,

Jake

**pdcorlis** · 15th July 08, 10:00 AM

Chalk up another excellent travelogue to Alex! Great photos - thank you for posting them!

**Phil** · 15th July 08, 11:21 AM

I always mean to go there as I hear it is a really interesting part of the industrial revolution. Nobody else was giving the children of millworkers education at the time, just exploiting them so it was something to commemorate.

**Jock Scot** · 15th July 08, 11:56 AM

Well done Alex!Great pictures.

**sirdaniel1975** · 15th July 08, 02:36 PM

Alex, your photos are the best. ALWAYS! I especially enjoyed this, being as much of my family came from Lanarkshire.

**McClef** · 15th July 08, 02:41 PM

New Lanark has a fascinating industrial history!

Normally I have just seen old prints of it so good to see some piccies too!

Robert Owen was from Wales!