The Lanarkshire town of Coatbridge has a proud industrial heritage and the area was once dominated by foundries and coal mines. The population grew rapidly during Victorian times but decline set in as the 20th century wore on. The closure of the massive Gartsherrie Ironworks in 1967 was a crushing blow to the local economy and the final blast furnace in Coatbridge was extinguished forever. Today I planed to investigate this fascinating history by visiting the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life and walking a surviving section of the Monkland Canal - closed to navigation in 1952.
The Summerlee site covers 22 acres and features a large exhibition hall and numerous outdoor attractions. A tram line runs through the site and guests can ride for a nominal fee. The museum aims to show Lanarkshire's contribution to engineering, mining, steel working, weaving and farming. The lives of the working people are also documented in the spacious gallery. The museum complex was built upon the site of the Summerlee Ironworks (closed 1930) which later served as the Hydrocon crane factory. General admission is free and the project began in 1988, with a £10 million redevelopment taking place between 2006 and 2008. I first visited with my dad around 12 years ago and we arrived by train on the newly-reopened Edinburgh to Airdrie line. The site lies between and in close proximity to the two Coatbridge stations - Sunnyside and Central. The indoor space alone is well worth the trip. A wide array of industries are showcased, including some you might not expect, like sweet making. Professional sport also gets a mention. Thankfully the text information boards do not try and make a distinction between North and South Lanarkshire, these areas being purely a modern administrative contrivance. I had come early on a Sunday morning and the place was nice and quiet. There was a Singer Chamois car on display, basically a deluxe model of the Hillman Imp. An unexpected bonus was seeing the Cambusnethan Pictish stone - the lower part of a carved sandstone cross, dating from the 10th century. Obviously a lot of emphasis is placed upon iron and steel production. I remember my dad saying he toured the Carron Ironworks near Falkirk, while the plant was still a going concern. Even though the visitors were kept well away from the furnace, the heat was palpable. What must it have been like for the men working at close quarters? No wonder they sank a few pints of mild in the pub afterwards! The beer would barely have touched the sides! An immaculate steam shunting locomotive was resplendent in green. Apparently it once stood in Dunfermline Glen, which means there's a fair chance I clambered into the the cab as a child. I spent a good hour and a half taking in all the exhibits and learning new facts. Making my way outside, I passed the crane and had a look at another locomotive, this one a 1956 model that was built locally for export to South Africa. Exposed to the elements, the engine and tender are in a dilapidated state and hopefully the funding for a new paint job can be found one day.
I wandered down to the replica of the Vulcan boat, docked on a branch of the Monkland Canal that ran up to the old ironworks. The Vulcan - at a length of 63 feet - was Scotland's first iron boat. Built in 1819 at Faskine, it was designed to carry passengers along the Forth & Clyde Canal. It was a horse-drawn craft and the strong hull was easily capable of smashing a path through the winter ice. The low centre of gravity added to the stability of the vessel. Running until 1873, Vulcan ended her days transporting coal. The replica on display was assembled by apprentice shipbuilders at Govan - one of the last boats to be built on the Clyde using traditional riveting techniques. The interior exhibition was closed off, no doubt due to Covid and I wandered over to check out the Glasgow "Blue Train" - the first electric rail traction to serve Scotland. The powered units were introduced in the 1960s when several lines around Glasgow were electrified, including the tracks that pass by Summerlee. Despite the forlorn appearance of the train, the interior is apparently sound and there is the potential for full restoration. I continued my circuit of the museum grounds and walked alongside the tram tracks that curve 500 yards back towards the main gate. Rides are offered in a single car but I'd already done this with my dad and was content to explore on foot today. I came to a reconstructed row of miners cottages depicting family life between 1880 and 1980. In typical fashion, you entered the front door and viewed the living space from behind a barrier. Being born in 1971, I was certainly familiar with the more recent end of the spectrum. Interesting to note that until the introduction of County Councils in 1891, there was no single authority responsible for providing street cleaning and waste removal services to the landwards areas (those outside Burgh boundaries). Also, piped water was originally an expensive resource that few could afford. Amazing that my mum's grandparents - people she personally knew - lived in those times. Sometimes the past isn't as far away as you think.
I left the museum compound completely satisfied with my experience. My next task was to pick up the line of the Monkland Canal and follow the towpath of an exposed section. The 12-mile waterway originally carried freight all the way to Glasgow but was closed to formal navigation in 1952 and is now largely culverted underground. Fully open by 1794, Monkland connected to the Forth & Clyde Canal which obviously increased business potential. The coming of the railway network was a body blow to the nation's canals and the advent of modern road transport killed many industrial waterways off permanently, although some have now found a niche in the leisure market. Even though much of Monkland Canal is now hidden beneath the course of major roads, it acts as a feeder for the Forth & Clyde. It was just a short stroll from the museum exit to the buried route of the Canal through the town. Now landscaped as a grassy public walkway and adorned with various sculptures celebrating the area's industrial heritage, I followed the tarmac path for 500 yards until the canal emerged from its tomb and I switched to a more traditional towpath. There had been recent snowfall and conditions were icy underfoot in places. An intermittent drizzle meant I was walking with my hood up but the birdlife on the water didn't seem to care. I saw several moorhens bobbing on the surface and the ubiquitous mallard was also present. I had originally intended to walk the full mile and a quarter of this watered section but decided to cut my wander short due to the increasingly miserable weather conditions. I crossed over at a bridge at Drumpellier Home Farm and proceeded back along the opposite bank. The initial going was good but I soon encountered more icy puddles and had to pick my way with care. The path diverged from the canal and I returned to my starting point via a residential street. A very interesting day out and I was glad I'd came after looking out the window at home and swithering. A more extensive heritage trail makes use of the canal and old railways on the other side of town and this activity has already been added to the list.
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