Fleet Canal, Port Mcadam

This project was undertaken to input site information listed in 'Civil engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' by R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.

The Water of Fleet between Gatehouse of Fleet and the sea was navigable before the canal era, but a small canal scheme was constructed from June to October 1824 to improve the navigation and reclaim land previously covered at high tide. The canal straightened out river meanders and was 1400 yd long. It accommodated the passage of vessels of up to 160 tons and is now used for leisure pursuits.

The landowner Alexander Murray’s factor, Alexander Craig, showed innate engineering acumen in forming the

canal by directing 200 Irish labourers to dig a trench along its line of nearly the depth to which it was to be

excavated and then turning the river into the trench. This procedure scoured by tidal action a channel of the exact width and depth required in only two days at a cost of £2204 3s 5d, a big saving on the estimate by ‘an eminent engineer at about £5000’. The natural occurring rock abutments of a former canal swing bridge can be seen just north of the present A75 bridge.

Some 600 yd below Fleet Bridge in Gatehouse of Fleet, a quay was built by David McAdam, a local ship agent who in April 1838 had obtained permission from Murray to erect it and levy a tonnage charge. It became known as Port McAdam and was profitable by the mid-century but now no longer exists.

Fleet Bridge is of historical interest in having been rebuilt at least twice and widened three times. It existed as a

timber bridge in the 16th century, was rebuilt in timber ca.1661, and washed away in 1721. In 1730 it was replaced by the present stone bridge with two 29 ft span arches, which was widened in 1779, 1811 and again in 1964 as shown in the cross-section.

R Paxton and J Shipway 2007

Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.

Fleet Canal - Lin 28. From NX 5953 5591 to NX 5868 5464.

History.

Although it had been possible to navigate the Water of Fleet from the sea up to Gatehouse prior to the canal era, nevertheless in 1824 a small scheme was undertaken to construct a canal. The purpose was to improve navigation as well as to achieve reclamation of land formerly covered over by the high tide. This new cut was carried out by men from Alexander Murray of Broughton's estates in Donegal who were in arrears of rent. He owned Cally Park which was situated on the E shore of the estuary. The waterway, which was 1,400 yards in length, was completed between 17 June and 3 October at a cost of #2,204.

J Lindsay 1968.

Summary.

(See map sheets NX55NE and NX55SE).

This canal (NX55NE 29.00) starts on map sheet NX55NE just S of Gatehouse of Fleet and heads SW towards Fleet Bay. On the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Kirkcudbrightshire) a draw bridge (NX55NE 151) is clearly marked crossing the canal and on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1993) a road bridge (NX55NE 29.01) traverses the waterway shortly before it leaves the map sheet.

The canal (NX55SE 41.00) terminates in Fleet Bay on map sheet NX55SE, with floodgates/sluice (NX55SE 41.01) being clearly marked at its termination on the 1st edition map.