Page 1 of 2

Tunnel under Mart St

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:53 pm
by crusty_bint
Has anyone ever noticed this
Image

I've often wondered what its purpose is as it always aeemes rather large, does anyone know? It emerges in line with Mart St behind the High Court and is blocked by that heavy duty iron grate.

Image

Where does the Molendinar join the Clyde, could this be the mouth of the culvert?
Could it be a tunnel used to move prisoners from boats to the courts, or bodies to the morgue?
Am I correct in thinking slaves were bought and sold in the Candleriggs area? Could the tunnel have been used to transport them there?

i look forward to your answers and theories :wink: :D

Re: Tunnel under Mart St

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:14 pm
by Fossil
crusty_bint wrote:I've often wondered what its purpose is as it always aeemes rather large, does anyone know? It emerges in line with Mart St behind the High Court and is blocked by that heavy duty iron grate.

Image

Where does the Molendinar join the Clyde, could this be the mouth of the culvert?
Could it be a tunnel used to move prisoners from boats to the courts, or bodies to the morgue?
Am I correct in thinking slaves were bought and sold in the Candleriggs area? Could the tunnel have been used to transport them there?

i look forward to your answers and theories :wink: :D


Where does the Molendinar join the Clyde, could this be the mouth of the culvert?

Yes it is.. Ronnie will explain later :)
-F-

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:31 pm
by crusty_bint
Also, see this topic on Prison Cells Under Fruit Market
http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/newforums/viewtopic.php?t=150

The following arial shot (although a wee bit distorted lookin) shows how Mart St lines up with Albion St and the old fruitmarket (outlined in red)
Image

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:40 pm
by Fossil
There's a photo some where online or on this site that shows the police Station In Albion street.
Hmmmm might have seen it at the police museum :?
:?

check your pm crusty
-F-

Re: Tunnel under Mart St

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:40 pm
by crusty_bint
The Modern Fossil wrote:Yes it is.. Ronnie will explain later :)
-F-


Hmmph... :roll: Bust my bubble why dontcha! :oops:

::):

Re: Tunnel under Mart St

PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 1:00 am
by Ronnie
crusty_bint wrote:
The Modern Fossil wrote:Yes it is.. Ronnie will explain later :)
-F-


Hmmph... :roll: Bust my bubble why dontcha! :oops:

::):


Not really sure if I want to burst your bubble (rhyming slang?) at the behest of Muddy Fussy (surely not rhyming slang?). But yes, that grating is where the Molendinar empties into the Clyde. I hope you are both still my friends, even at the expense of cheap jokes. Best, Rxxx.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 1:08 am
by crusty_bint
hahahahaha... cheap's what you do best my good man :wink:
Cheers for confirming that Rondo, it was my first thought but I got a bit carried away the more I thought about it :oops:
::):

PostPosted: Sat May 01, 2004 4:37 pm
by crazygray23
can anyone confirn this for me there used to be a tunnel that lead to the high court from the riverside for the purpose of taking prisoners in by boat ,when i worked in there for security i was told of it but im wondering where the entrance is ????

molendinar burn

PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 3:58 pm
by Pgcc93
A close up of the culvert in question.

These pics were taken during the HG tour of the Molendinar Burn way back in February this year. http://hiddenglasgow.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=166&start=0

Just had them developed today after finding two rolls of film lying in a drawer. 8O
Thank christ for digital cameras Amen!

Ironwork

Image

Inside view

Image


Looking up the River Clyde from the mouth of the drain

Image

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 1:47 pm
by shuttle534
That's one big opening. They must have been expecting a lot of water.

molendinar

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:34 pm
by Pgcc93
shuttle534 wrote:That's one big opening. They must have been expecting a lot of water.

or a lot of prisoners :!:

next stop Botany Bay......

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:41 pm
by crusty_bint
Can anyone tell me when the Molendinar was culverted?

Crusty

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:49 pm
by Captain Brittles
crusty_bint wrote:Can anyone tell me when the Molendinar was culverted?

Crusty


This map on TGS from 1764 shows it in detail and also shows the Camlachie burn joining it. Note the way it had been diverted then in order to lay down new streets.

http://www.theglasgowstory.com/imageview.php?inum=TGSA05245

and this one from 1804 still shows it above surface

http://www.theglasgowstory.com/imageview.php?inum=TGSA00531

So it would be sometime in the early to mid 19th.century.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:00 pm
by crusty_bint
Ta much Brittley, but should really have just looked myself before asking :oops: One quick google and it apears on the first page! The molendinar was culverted in 1877. Now, I stumbled across this painting by a John Knox (surely not that one?) in the context of early 19th century Glasgow, heres the part Im interested in:

Image

Notice the tunnel mouth on the right hand side. I'll need to take a trip down to the Peoples Palace to check out the date of the painting, but if it turns out it pre-dates the culverting then this could be evidence of an earlier tunnel? One that might have been used for transporting prisoners to the courts or, even more sinister, used for slaves? Or any other number of uses for that matter.

Cheers

Crusty

PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:39 pm
by Ronnie
John Knox was painting Glasgow in the 1820s and 1830s.
I don't see the need for a tunnel from the river to the court - why not march the prisoners along to the wharves? The river would not have been deep enough here for ocean-going ships.