Publication Account
Date 2013
Event ID 967111
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/967111
CAMPERDOWN WORKS
Methven Street, Lochee
Once the world’s largest jute works, founded by Cox Brothers in 1850. It grew to carry out every process, and to have its own foundry, machine
shop and a branch railway in a 14.16ha (35-acre) site that employed 5000
people. Closed in 1981, it was pillaged by scrap dealers but saved by a project to develop housing and a leisure park. The High Mill (1858-68), is of fireproof construction with ornate cast-iron roofs, a clock and bell-tower, and twin columns for a large Carmichael beam engine. It has been
converted into flats, as has a railway warehouse. The 1863 calender for
cloth finishing became a superstore,(of Bolton) beam engine house retains columns entablature and other framework at its corners. Dominating Lochee is the 94m high Cox’s Stack (NO 38282 31636), a chimney that concentrated all the smoke from 32 boilers into an Italian campanile
of 1865. The Works Half-Time School (NO 37894 31751), 1884, is now a Boys Brigade hall in Bright Street.
Cox’s provided Lochee Park (NO 37751 31048), Lochee Baths and Library (NO 37950 31442, NO33SE 265, 1894) and yet did not escape bitter strikes.
James Cox lived in Clement Park just to the north of the works.
M Watson, 2013