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Saint Fergus And North Ugie Water Canal, Artlaw South Bridge

Bridge (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Saint Fergus And North Ugie Water Canal, Artlaw South Bridge

Classification Bridge (Period Unassigned)

Canmore ID 216319

Site Number NK04NE 13.04

NGR NK 0740 4994

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/216319

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Longside
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Banff And Buchan
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Archaeology Notes

NK04NE 13.04 0740 4994.

This small bridge, apparently between fields, is clearly shown on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Aberdeenshire 1872, sheet xiv), a little to the NE of Artlaw South Basin (NK04NE 13.03).

Information from RCAHMS (MD) 6 June 2002.

Activities

Linear Account

LIN 15. NK 0549 4857 to NK 1028 4876 and NK 1047 5096.

Formerly LIN 536.

History.

As early as 1793 the notion of constructing this canal to open up the countryside inland from Peterhead was being mooted. The purpose was to obviate difficulties caused by the absence of convenient markets and seaports. Admiral James Fergusson of Pitfour commenced work on this private canal before the end of the century in the parish of St. Fergus for the purpose of benefiting his estates which were located in the Longside and Old Deer parishes. However, although he built four miles, the undertaking, which was abandoned about 1800, was never completed due to problems in negotiating with neighbouring heritors. It is not apparent whther the canal, which was disused by 1868 and indeed filling up by 1845, achieved any more than offering a supply of water. The original plan had been to cut the canal along the north bank of the River Ugie, entering the sea some distance to the north of Peterhead, but, as stated above, only part of this was ever built.

Nonetheless, although Fergusson failed to reach Peterhead, during the early part of the nineteenth century a branch heading north to Inverquinzie (close to St. Fergus) was constructed so that shell-sand could be conveyed inland to act as manure on the farms. This sand, taken fron the sea-shore close to the mouth of the Black Water (NK 106 532) was expected to bring great benefits. Road transport was presumably to have been used to take the sand to Inverquinzie. Certainly, although a subsidiary canal crossing the Scotstoun Flats appears to be suggested on the maps of Robertson (1822) and Gibb (1858), this was not the case. These flats are approximately forty feet lower than Inverquinzie and the wide ditch in the area was in actuality part of a substantial land drainage scheme. This branch, however, also failed and by 1837 was rapidly filling up and only regarded as useful as a reservoir to supply water for the farms.

According to Thomson's map of 1826, the canal ran from Annachie (NK 1057 5303) to the River Ugie at NK 0549 4857, whence the South Ugie Water was utilised as far as the lake in the parkland of Pitfour House (NJ 97 48). At this point the canal reappeared and continued as far as Bogenjohn (NJ 93 52). Whyte's map of 1842 does not show this latter part from the lake to Bogenjohn, but indicates a spur from Hallmoss (NK 1998 4897) to NK 1028 4876. It was intended that this spur would extend to Peterhead but it was never completed. It is possible that the proposed course of the canal from Pitfour to Bogenjohn may have been inserted into Thomson's map, as well as a projection north of Inverquinzie.

New Statistical Account, Volume 12, 1845; A Graham 1967-8; J Lindsay 1968.

Summary.

(Map sheets NK04NE, NK05SE, NK14NW and NK15SW).

NB. The line and sites are taken from the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch maps (Aberdeenshire 1872, sheets xxii, xiv and xv).

The canal (NK04NE 13.00) commences on map sheet NK04NE, heading generally NE from a point just W of the junction of North Ugie Water with South Ugie Water, keeping to the N of the River Ugie. After twice passing briefly into map sheet NK05SE it heads S then E, leaving the map sheet just S of Hallmoss Cottage. There are four features traceable on this map sheet. Firstly, there is a small basin (NK04NE 13.03) formed by the widening of the canal on its NW side and then a small bridge (NK04NE 13.04) a little further N. Both sites are a short distance to the S of Artlaw Bridge. As the canal heads S it is crossed by a small bridge (NK04NE 13.01) near Stonemills Corn Mill and, as it turns NE again to leave the map sheet, there is a basin (NK04NE 13.02), which is situated in the Hallmoss area at the junction of the main canal and the Inverquinzie Branch (NK14NW 143.00 and NK15SW 5.00).

Prior to this the waterway (NK05SE 10.00) has described two brief meanders into map sheet NK05SE. Having passed through a small basin (NK05SE 10.02) it crosses the Crooko Burn on a short aqueduct (NK05SE 10.01), just S of Artlaw Bridge. As the canal finally returns to map sheet NK04NE there is a sluice (NK05SE 10.03) to the SW of Edine, associated with its drainage system.

The two branches of the waterway are traceable on map sheet NK14NW, the Peterhead line (NK14NW 143.00) and the Inverquinzie Branch (NK14NW 143.01). The Peterhead line comprises a short stretch of uncompleted canal heading SE towards Peterhead and ending in a field. There is a basin (NK14NW 143.03) in the Hallmoss area, just E of the basin (NK04NE 13.02) on map sheet NK04NE, and situated on the main Peterhead line near its junction with the Inverquinzie Branch. There are four sites associated with this branch as it heads in a mainly northerly direction; a small bridge (NK14NW 143.04) just N of the above-mentioned basins in the Hallmoss area, a very short aquedust (NK14NW 143.02) over what appears to be a drainage channel, a sluice (NK14NW 143.05) at the head of a mill lead heading SE to Lunderton and another small bridge (NK14NW 143.06) a little distance to the N of the sluice.

The Inverquinzie Branch (NK15SW 5.00) continues N on map sheet NK15SW, crossing the Cuttie Burn, which passes through a culvert (NK15SW 5.02) beneath the canal, and terminating in a fairly long, narrow canal basin (NK15SW 5.01) at Inverquinzie.

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