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Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:21 pmby rico
Here's an email I received at work today. (I work in the city park building on alexandra parade). Thought it might interest some people, not a very big tunnel but still sounds cool.
City Park Facilities wrote:The cable laying works on the West Road have been delayed by the discovery of an abandoned concrete tunnel which used to carry services between the former Wills factory and the boiler house in what is now Hanson Park.
This tunnel will have to be opened and inspected as a matter of routine before the required section can be removed to gain the necessary depth for the cables. It looks as though the road closure will continue for at least another two weeks.
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:04 amby Verbal Kint
Yeah I got that one this morning as well will have to bring my camera to work to see if I can get a sneak peek.
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Dec 07, 2007 10:16 amby onyirtodd
On a separate note.
Isn't City Park Facilities decision to cancel the fire evacuation drill a bit short sighted?
Fire has a nasty habit of breaking out when you least expect it and not having, and testing, a 'Plan B' for when conditions are less than ideal might not be the best idea.
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Dec 07, 2007 12:25 pmby invy
Interesting stuff that^ Got happy memories of being taken to the annual Wills Christmas party when I was a kid - both my parents worked there until 1983 (if I remember correctly). And a cracking piece of architecture to boot!
-Jim
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:12 pmby Fossil
rico wrote:Here's an email I received at work today. (I work in the city park building on alexandra parade). Thought it might interest some people, not a very big tunnel but still sounds cool.
City Park Facilities wrote:The cable laying works on the West Road have been delayed by the discovery of an abandoned concrete tunnel which used to carry services between the former Wills factory and the boiler house in what is now Hanson Park.
This tunnel will have to be opened and inspected as a matter of routine before the required section can be removed to gain the necessary depth for the cables. It looks as though the road closure will continue for at least another two weeks.
As a result of the congestion around the works with contractors' plant and equipment, and the restricted passage through the work area for fire evacuation, City Park Management have decided to cancel the fire evacuation drill on December 12th. This will be reallocated to a date in the New Year.
On behalf of City Park Management, apologies for this unexpected delay and they would like to thank staff for their care in use of the other roads and parking areas.
I will keep you updated.
Rgds
Is that an internal email?
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:25 pmby smartie
So do you guys all work at City park ?
And yes this is an internal email, i was tempted to mention something about the tunnel, but apart from the fact I've been beaten too it, I also consulted the rules governing the publication of Internal confidential emails........
Careful now !!!
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:09 pmby Socceroo
There a number of Tunnels between the various buildings that made up the former Wills Cigarette Factory. I worked there in the mid 1980's building a Trailer Park for HGV's which i don't think was actually used that much if at all before the place closed.
The Tunnels were all pretty shallow and were well charted on the drawings which we got from the Estates Department. I recall that they were basically for shifting tobacco and other materials in Bogies from place to place without having to come out onto the street.
Some of them were actually just concrete ducts which carried Steam Pipes and Electricity Cables etc.
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:19 pmby Ally Doll
I'm not sure if this info belongs here or in the tunnels thread, but I had a very interesting conversation with a taxi driver last night about tunnels in Dennistoun and Milnbank.
The driver said that he grew up on Roebank Street, and spent a lot of time as a kid exploring a network of tunnels in the area. Some were accessible through grates in back courts, and one came out under the railway bridge at Coventry Drive. He claimed that you could get as far along as the GRI through these tunnels.
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:58 pmby crusty_bint
Funnily enough Ally, I had a conversation not to long ago with someone who remembers a 'tunnel' in the Roslea Dr area of Dennistoun but I hadn't given it a second thought till now
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:59 pmby fullfatmilk
Dunno about a tunnel under Roselea Drive but there is an "off-shoot" of the Molendinar Burn in Finlay Drive. My friend moved there a number of years ago and was irked by a couple of loose paving slab outside the door to the back court so lifted and re-layed them only for them to come loose a number of months later, again, lifted and relayed but again became loose some time later. After a chance meeting with an elderly neighbour she was informed that the problem was caused by an off-shoot of the molendinar burn destablising that particular area and so she re-layed the slabs no more and insteads steps out into her back court knowing the an integral part of Glasgows past lays under her feet.
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:54 amby samscafeamericain
That all might explain the dreadful subsidence in Milnbank Street
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Sat Apr 12, 2008 2:53 amby Verbal Kint
smartie wrote:So do you guys all work at City park ?
And yes this is an internal email, i was tempted to mention something about the tunnel, but apart from the fact I've been beaten too it, I also consulted the rules governing the publication of Internal confidential emails........
Careful now !!!
:) this reply was ages ago just noticed it. I agree with your point i would not have published this mail just agreed on its existance. Having been in the "company" for three years I am well aware of the rules. But hey sometimes they are there to be broken
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:39 pmby toomse
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:19 pmby Glesga_Steve
fullfatmilk wrote:Dunno about a tunnel under Roselea Drive but there is an "off-shoot" of the Molendinar Burn in Finlay Drive. My friend moved there a number of years ago and was irked by a couple of loose paving slab outside the door to the back court so lifted and re-layed them only for them to come loose a number of months later, again, lifted and relayed but again became loose some time later. After a chance meeting with an elderly neighbour she was informed that the problem was caused by an off-shoot of the molendinar burn destablising that particular area and so she re-layed the slabs no more and insteads steps out into her back court knowing the an integral part of Glasgows past lays under her feet.
The Molly goes nowhere near Finlay Drive and, due to the levels in the Dennistoun area and of the burn itself, the only way an off-shoot in Finlay Drive could make its way to the Molly would be to generally follow the line of Duke Street all the way to roughly the Tennents Brewery/Great Eastern Hotel.
You can take it from me that your friend's eldery neighbour was talking absolute pish as there is definitely no "off-shoot" of the Molendinar Burn in Finlay Drive (or anywhere else in Dennistoun for that matter).
Re: Tunnel at former Wills factory
Posted:
Sun Nov 01, 2009 12:31 pmby fullfatmilk
Hi Steve
Having had the benefit of reviewing your extensive post on the (route of) Molendinar Burn - which was kick-started by Ben Coopers cracking photographs - i can now see my friends neighbour was a bit mis-guided in her assertion.
I'll not bother to correct her though as she revels in the thought that a wee bit of The Molly runs underneath her back court.
cheers
