Glasgow, Dumbarton Road, Partick Bridge

NS56NE 1080 56534 66433

Partick Bridge [NAT]

OS 1:1250 map, 1971.

For predecessor Old Partick Bridge (NS c. 5620 6634), see NS56NE 5: this was formerly entered as NS56NE 5.00.

For further predecessor bridge at NS 56580 66449, see NS56NE 2294.

For later and nearby Great Western Bridge (by the same engineers), see NS56NE 1035.

For adjacent (to S) pipe bridge, see NS56NE 4873.

Partick Bridge: built 1877-8 for the Glasgow and Yoker Turnpike Trust to carry a double line of tramway over the River Kelvin. A cast-iron skew-arched bridge with nine ribs. The spandrels of the outermost girders are filled with Gothic tracery, and display the arms of Glasgow (at the E end) and Partick (at the W end).

J R Hume 1974.

Partick Bridge: built 1876-8 for the Trustees of Glasgow and Yoker Turnpike Roads. Engineers R Bell and D Miller; contrctor Hugh Kennedy. A pretentious bridge of one large cast iron arch and a masonry flood-discharge tunnel at the eastern end. The arch is four-centred with an obtuse angle at the crown, and formed of nine ribs resting on abutments which are very skew to the direction of span. There are green-painted cast iron parapets and fascias with white shields in the spandrels; wing-walls of red sandstone ashlar with large semi-octagonal towrs rising to the parapet at the abutments.

E Williamson, A Riches and M Higgs 1990.

In 1875, the Glasgow and Yoker Turnpike Trustees obtained an Act of Parliament for the diversion of Dumbarton Road and the construction of a new bridge. The road then formed the only direct route along the North bank of the Clyde, necessitating the construction of a broad and substantial bridge to carry a double line of tramway over the Kelvin on a raised and realigned route.

The bridge was built in 1877-8, the engineers being Messrs. Bell and Miller, and the contractor Hugh Kennedy. The single-span cast-iron arched structure crosses the river at an angle, and remains in good condition. It forms a typical but fine example of an iron structure of the Victorian period, careful attention to detail being evident, notably at the spandrels. The outermost girders are filled with Gothic tracery, the Arms of Glasgow being displayed at the eastern end and those of Partick at the western. The original decorative wrought-iron parapet lamps were missing for many years, but have been re-instated.

D Boyce 1996.

This bridge carries Dumbarton Road across the River Kelvin to the N of the Kelvin Hall (NS56NE 145); it remains in constant use. The river here forms the boundary between the parishes of Govan (to the N) and Glasgow (to the S).

The location cited is for the centre of the span, which extends from NS c. 56520 66442 to NS c. 56557 66417.

The mill lade (NS56NE 1076.01) supplying the Regent Mills passes under the S side of this bridge.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 1 December 2005.