Gorbals Water Works, Waulkmill Glen Reservoir Valve Tower

NS55NW 146.17 52264 57883

See NS55NW 146.00 for history and description of Gorbals Gravitational Waterworks

This masonry draw-off tower has openings at various heights. This allows the inflow of water from the reservoirs into the two 24-inch cast-iron pipes which are embedded in the main embankment. The structure houses valves and control apparatus. There is a footbridge connecting it to the bank of the reservoir. The tower was in a state of disrepair on the date of visit (3 December 2007).

Infomation from Jelle Muylle, engineer carrying out survey of sites and structures of Gorbals Waterworks for RCAHMS, Historic Scotland funded, December 2007.

Octagonal bull-faced masonry sub-structure with long slit openings carrying Italianate sandstone ashlar valve house with round-arched windows to each elevation divided by plain pilasters; shallow octagonal piended roof with stone slates and cast-iron finial. Rectangular-headed doorway to NNW elevation with deep corbel below supporting later iron footbridge.

Part of Waulkmill Glen reservoir, the largest of the 3 reservoirs built as part of the first phase of the Gorbals Gravitation Water Company´s water supply scheme, constructed in 1847-8. This was one of the first large-scale water supply schemes in Scotland and, although eclipsed by the slightly later scheme from Loch Katrine, is nevertheless of considerable historical and engineering interest. The draw-off tower is quite possibly the earliest such structure in Scotland. Waulkmill Glen reservoir covers an area of nearly 48 acres and has a capacity of roughly 36.5 million cubic feet. Water originally fed into the reservoir from the Brock Burn, but this arrangement was altered with the building of the Balgray reservoir (as part of the expansion of the scheme) in 1853. Water is drawn out of the reservoir through the draw-off tower, and passed through the self-activating sluice (located on the other side of the embankment dam) before discharging into the two regulating basins. From there it flowed through pipes to the low filters, which were demolished 2007-8, but were located roughly 300 yards to the NE. (ref: Historic Scotland)