Forth and Cart Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Forth and Cart Canal
The confluence of the Rivers Cart and Clyde. The canal followed the course of the road to the east of Clydebank College, in the centre foreground.
Specifications
Maximum boat length	67 ft 0 in (20.42 m)
Maximum boat beam	15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
Locks	3
Status	destroyed
History
Date of act	1836
Date of first use	1840
Date closed	1893
Geography
Connects to	Forth and Clyde Canal, River Clyde

The Forth and Cart Canal was a short waterway in Scotland. It was about half a mile (0.8 km) long. This canal connected the Forth and Clyde Canal at Whitecrook to the River Clyde. It was built to create a quicker route for boats. This route would link the town of Paisley with the Firth of Forth and Port Dundas in Glasgow. It helped boats avoid a longer journey down the Clyde to Bowling. The Forth and Cart Canal opened in 1840 but closed in 1893. Most of it was later destroyed by railway construction.

Improving the River Cart

Before the canal, people wanted to make the White Cart Water easier to use for boats. This was important for the growing cotton industry in Paisley. In 1753, a special law called an Act of Parliament was passed. This law allowed for improvements to the river. Workers made the river channel straighter and deeper.

Later, in 1787, a new road bridge was built at Inchinnan. Paisley Town Council then got another Act of Parliament. This new law allowed them to build a new navigable cut. This cut would pass under the main road (now the A8). Work began on August 23, 1787. It was expected to finish within a year.

In 1835, more work was done to improve Paisley's harbour. This was because the Forth and Cart Canal was expected to be built soon. There were even bigger plans in the 1880s. People wanted to make the river deep enough for large ocean ships to reach Paisley. This work was finished in 1891. However, the first ship to try the new route got stuck on the opening day. The big plan was later given up. The River Cart and White Cart Water still provided a way for boats to travel between the River Clyde and Paisley.

Building the Forth and Cart Canal

The idea for a direct link between the Cart Navigation and the Forth and Clyde Canal was not new. It was first suggested in 1799. However, nothing happened with the idea back then. In the 1830s, the plan for the Forth and Cart Canal was brought back. People hoped it would be a better way to travel between Paisley and the Firth of Forth.

The other option involved two different canals: the Forth and Clyde and the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal. Goods had to be moved by road between these two canals. The new Forth and Cart Canal would solve this problem.

It was also thought that coal from Coatbridge could reach Paisley more easily. The coal would travel by canal. This new canal would also save water on the Forth and Clyde Canal. Smaller boats could use the new link. This meant they would not need to use the larger locks further west.

The Forth and Cart Canal was approved by an Act of Parliament in May 1836. It was completed and opened in 1840. The canal connected to the River Clyde. This was almost directly across from where the River Cart joined the Clyde. It also joined the Forth and Clyde Canal at Whitecrook. The canal had three locks. These locks were 67 feet (20.4 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide. This meant only boats of that size or smaller could use the canal.

The Forth and Clyde Canal company wanted to take over the Forth and Cart Canal. They got permission in 1842. But the actual takeover did not happen until 13 years later. By then, the Forth and Cart Canal was not making much money. It was also in poor condition. The Forth and Clyde Canal company decided to buy it for £6,400. They took it over in 1855. Later, in 1867, the Forth and Cart Canal, along with the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Monkland Canal, was taken over by the Caledonian Railway company. The Forth and Cart Canal was closed in 1893 because it was no longer profitable.

What's Left of the Canal

When the canal closed, it made way for new railway lines. A railway line from Glasgow to Clydebank was extended to Dalmuir. This new line opened in 1896. It destroyed the first part of the canal. By 1897, only a small section of the canal was left at the northern end. This section ended where a railway track crossed it.

By 1919, the canal had become even shorter. However, a bridge for the towpath (where horses pulled boats) was still visible. By 1937, there was no sign of the northern end at all. A new building had been built over it. At the southern end, the canal was cut short just below the first lock. This was where another railway line crossed it. This part remained until 1919. But by 1939, it was cut in half again. A tiny piece of the canal could still be seen in 1985. Now, even that small part is gone.

Even though the canal closed over 100 years ago, its path was still visible. This was noted when a new junction for the M8 motorway was planned. Experts thought much of the canal might still exist underground. However, later checks for a shipyard development showed that there were no major parts of the canal left. So, the rules protecting the canal's path were removed.

Canal Locks

The Forth and Cart Canal had three locks. Locks are like water elevators that help boats move between different water levels.

• One was a single lock.
• The other two were staircase locks. This means they were built right next to each other.

The total height difference the locks handled was 30 feet (9.1 m).

Points of Interest