Stockingfield Junction is a canal junction which lies between Maryhill and Ruchill in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

. It opened in 1777,Hume, p.162 and closed in 1963, followed by restoration and a re-opening in 2002. At first a terminus it formed the junction for the

Port Dundas Port Dundas is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, located to the north of the city centre. It lies to the north of Cowcaddens, and to the west of Sighthill, with Hamiltonhill and Possilpark to the north-west. History The Port Dundas terminus was e ...

branch off the

Forth and Clyde Canal The Forth and Clyde Canal is a canal opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland; it provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. This allowe ...

main line from 1777.

History

The canal from Edinburgh built by

John Smeaton John Smeaton (8 June 1724 – 28 October 1792) was a British civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. Smeaton was the firs ...

first reached Stockingfield in 1775 and due to the lack of funds work halted for two years and Stockingfield Basin and wharf became the terminus of the canal. The canal was filled with water, opening for the transport of goods traffic on 10 November 1775.Scottish Canals Walking Guide
Visit Scotland The branch was completed to Hamiltonhill Basin by November 1777 and to

by 1779 upon which date the main line to

Bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thoug ...

was also opened and Stockingfield's status as a junction was completed. The construction of the aqueduct seems to have obliterated the site of the original canal basin and wharf.Stockingfield Desk Based Assessment
Archaeology Data Service Later survey maps of the 19th century show a new building called the Lochburn Road House standing above Stockingfield House on the canal towpath close to the floating bridge that seems to have been used by canal staff involved in the 'opening and closing' of the bridge in relation to the requirements of passing canal traffic. It was demolished by the British Waterways Board in 1958.

The Floating Bridge

A floating bridge at Stockingfield aqueduct once made it possible for the horses pulling the barges to easily and quickly cross over from the 'main line' towpath to the 'branch line' and Bowling towpaths.

The Safety Gates

In 1942 two massive steel safety gates were constructed on the Edinburgh side of Stockingfield Junction at what is known as the Stockingfield Narrows. The purpose of these two hand cranked steel gates was to hold back the waters of the Forth and Clyde Canal to prevent serious flooding in Glasgow in the event of bombing destroying the Stockingfield Aqueduct. A second set of safety or stop locks were also installed in World War II at Firhill and form the Firhill Road Narrows on the Glasgow Branch. and a third set were built at the Craighall Road Narrows near Spiers Wharf. The nearest lock on the Edinburgh main line that could control the water loss after a breach is away at Wyndford, Lock 20, whilst the Maryhill Locks 21 to 25 are close by.

Stockingfield or Lochburn Road Aqueduct

Designed in the 1780s by Robert Whitworth and built between 1784 and 1790 the original Stockingfield Aqueduct (NS57126899) and road tunnel arch survive, carrying the main line of the canal over Lochburn Road. At the end of the nineteenth century a ferry operated here for the convenience of pedestrians wishing to cross over to the other towpath to

or to

. A floating bridge had also existed here to allow easy access of horses and pedestrians to the towpath on the other side of the canal junction.

Stockingfield Bridge

A permanent, three-way footbridge suspended from the outstretched arms of a 'Big Man' designed by sculptor Andy Scott was proposed for installation at Stockingfield Junction in the 2000s before being shelved then revived in mid-2010s, but did not proceed due to economic circumstances. A cheaper, less ambitious crossing on the site, named simply Stockingfield Bridge, was completed in 2022 to connect the communities of Ruchill, Gilshochill and central Maryhill and improve the canal path network.

Location

The small estate of Stockingfield gave its name to the canal junction. The Stockingfield Junction lies four locks, east of the Union Canal Junction near the

Falkirk Wheel The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part ...

. and twenty locks west is the Clyde Canal Junction, where the Forth and Clyde Canal reaches the Clyde Estuary at

. Two locks and south is the Port Dundas Basin, which was also the terminus of the

Monkland Canal The Monkland Canal was a canal designed to bring coal from the mining areas of Monklands to Glasgow in Scotland. In the course of a long and difficult construction process, it was opened progressively as short sections were completed, from 17 ...

. The Stockingfield Narrows are the pair of ' Safety or Stop gates' built in 1942 to reduce flooding if German bombing hit the Stockingfield or Lochburn Aqueduct No 14.Waterway Gazetteer - Stockingfield Aqueduct
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External links

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Video footage of the new Stockingfield Junction BridgesVideo footage of the Stockingfield Junction WWII 'Stop or Safety gate'.Video footage of Stockingfield Junction.Glasgow's Canals Unlocked
tourism publication by Scottish Canals {{DEFAULTSORT:Stockingfield Junction Canals opened in 1775 18th century in Scotland Canals in Scotland Scheduled monuments in Scotland Transport in Glasgow Scottish Canals Maryhill