Glasgow, Prince's Dock, Electric Cranes
Crane(S) (19th Century)-(20th Century)
Site Name Glasgow, Prince's Dock, Electric Cranes
Classification Crane(S) (19th Century)-(20th Century)
Canmore ID 44354
Site Number NS56SE 87.01
NGR NS 5651 6499
NGR Description Centred NS 5651 6499
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/44354
- Council Glasgow, City Of
- Parish Govan (City Of Glasgow)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District City Of Glasgow
- Former County Lanarkshire
NS56SE 87.01 centred 5651 6499
Location formerly cited as NS 56 64.
Desk Based Assessment (9 August 2017)
Prince’s Dock (NS56NE 4920), located on the south bank of the River Clyde in the Govan area of Glasgow, was designed by James Deas and constructed between 1892 and 1897. It was built primarily to cater for general cargo trade and comprised a large canting basin with associated quays and an entrance on the NW (NS56NE 4920) and (to the ESE of this) three basins (NS56NE 87.5, 87.7, and 4921) that lay parallel to the river (OS 25-inch 3rd edition map: Lanarkshire 1913, Sheets 006.09 and 006.10). The Clyde Navigation Trust had initially hoped to install electric-powered machinery to the dock but prohibitive cost forced it to opt for hydraulic power. The Paisley firm of Fullarton, Hodgart and Barclay were commissioned to build 9 hydraulic cranes, in use by 1895, and in 1897 34 cranes were added, supplied by the Paisley manufacturers and by Chaplin’s of Govan. A hydraulic power station (NS56NE 208) for the cranes was constructed to the east of the North Basin (NS56NE 4921). An electricity generating station was also included in this building, supplying electric lighting to the dock and powering an experimental 5-ton electric crane. A steam-driven crane was also installed, alongside the electric crane, to provide a comparison between the performance and economics of the different forms of power. The cranes were installed around the perimeter of the dock, canting basin and North, Centre and South basins, as depicted on the OS 25-inch 3rd edition map (Lanarkshire 1913, Sheets 006.09 and 006.10). A hydraulic coal hoist was also installed, with its own accumulator tower. The hydraulic cranes lasted until the 1950s and were later replaced by electric cranes.
Prince’s Dock ceased to be a commercial dock in the 1970s, and the basins were filled in during the 1980s to allow the development of the Garden Festival site of 1988. Today the area is part of the regenerated area of Pacific Quay, which includes the Glasgow Science Centre (NS56NE 4861) and BBC Scotland Broadcasting Studio (NS56NE 4953).
Information from HES Survey and Recording (AMcC) 09 August 2017
