River Cart
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The '''River Cart''' is a [[tributary]] of the [[River Clyde]], [[Scotland]], which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of [[Erskine]] and [[Renfrew, Scotland|Renfrew]].
The River Cart itself is very short, being formed from the [[Confluence (geography)|confluence]] of the '''Black Cart Water''' (from the west) and the '''White Cart Water''' (from the south east) and is only 0.75 [[mile]] (1 [[km]]) long. The River Cart and its tributary the White Cart Water were navigable as far as the Seedhill Craigs at [[Paisley]]; and, as with the River Clyde, various improvements were made to this river navigation.
In 1840 the 0.50 [[mile]] (0.8 [[km]]) [[Forth and Cart Canal]] was opened, linking the [[Forth and Clyde Canal]], at [[Whitecrook]], to the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Cart. The aim was to provide a direct link between Paisley, [[Port Dundas]], [[Edinburgh]], and the [[Firth of Forth]].<ref name = lindsay>Lindsay, Jean (1968). ''The Canals of Scotland''. Newton Abbott: [[David & Charles]] ISBN 0-7153-4240-1</ref>
== Black Cart Water ==
The '''Black Cart Water''' originates at [[Castle Semple Loch]] in [[Lochwinnoch]], [[Renfrewshire]]. From there, it flows northeast to [[Johnstone]]; and then under the [[M8 motorway]] at Blackstoun, where it is joined by the [[River Gryfe]]. The river then flows parallel with the main runway of [[Glasgow International Airport]]; passing under the [[A8 road|A8]] at Renfrew by means of a stone [[bridge]], where it joins the White Cart Water.
== White Cart Water ==
The '''White Cart Water''' originates near [[Eaglesham]] in [[East Renfrewshire]], where it flows north to [[Busby, East Renfrewshire|Busby]] and [[Stamperland]] before entering the southern suburbs of [[Glasgow]] at [[Cathcart]]. Here, the river turns west, flowing through [[Pollokshaws]] and cutting through [[Pollok Country Park]] before leaving Glasgow at [[Crookston, Glasgow|Crookston]], where it is joined by the [[River Levern]]. From Crookston, the river crosses into [[Renfrewshire]] and flows through the farmlands of [[Hawkhead, Paisley|Hawkhead]], parallel with the [[Paisley Canal Line|Paisley Canal Railway]] line. On entering the town of [[Paisley, Scotland|Paisley]], the river falls over the Seedhill Craigs and crosses under a number of roads, through bridges and covered [[aqueduct]]s, to emerge in the town centre at [[Paisley Abbey]]. It then passes under Gauze Street, the Piazza Shopping Centre and [[Paisley Gilmour Street railway station]]; emerging from the Abercorn Bridge, a wide, high [[arch]]ed red sandstone bridge at Sneddon Street. From there it flows, mostly hidden from view, towards Glasgow International Airport and Renfrew.
The [[Greenock]] Road (A8), between [[Inchinnan]] and Renfrew, passes over the White Cart Water by means of the Swing Bridge. The White Cart Water then joins with the Black Cart Water, just downstream of the bridge, to become the River Cart.
[[Robert Burns]]' poem ''Gallant Weaver'' mentions the River Cart.
A major [http://www.whitecartwaterproject.org flood alleviation scheme] is currently under construction by Glasgow City Council to protect vulnerable property on the south side of Glasgow. Designed by [[Halcrow Group Limited|Halcrow]] the scheme will be the largest flood alleviation projects undertaken in Scotland.
== Former industrial uses ==
[[Paisley Abbey]] has a [[medieval]] drain, belonging to the [[monastery]], which was rediscovered in the 1990s; and excavated by [[archaeologists]].<ref name = malden>Malden, John (2000). ''The Monastery & Abbey of Paisley''. Paisley: Renfrewshire Local History Forum. ISBN 0-9529195-7-5</ref> The abbey/monastery drain linked with the White Cart Water both upstream and downstream of the abbey, near what is now Dunn Square. The White Cart Water provided both drinking water for the monastery and was used to flush away [[kitchen]] waste and the [[latrine]]s.<ref name = malden/>
== River Cart Navigation improvement schemes ==
The River Cart and the '''White Cart Water''' are [[navigable]] to Paisley; being blocked in the 1960s, at Sneddon Street, by the aqueduct under the Piazza Shopping Centre.
===18th & 19th century improvements===
An [[Act of Parliament]] was obtained by the '''Cart Trust''' for the river's improvement in 1787, in response to pressure from Paisley's shipbuilders.<ref name =lindsay/><ref name = clark>Clark, Sylvia (1988). ''Paisley: A History''. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing</ref> This led to some improvements around Inchinnan. The first [[Steamboat|steamer]] service to Paisley started in July 1815, it was provided by the ''Prince of Orange''.<ref name = osborne>Osborne, Brian D., Quinn, Iain and Robertson, Donald (1996). ''Glasgow's River''. Glasgow: Lindsay Publications. ISBN 1-898169-08-X.</ref>
The original Swing Bridge, at Inchinnan, on the [[Toll Road|Turn Pike]] road, now the [[A8 road|A8]], was opened in 1838; the mechanism for swing bridge was made by Barr and McNab of the Abercorn Foundry, Paisley.<ref name = clark/> A year earlier the, [[Scotch gauge]], [[Paisley and Renfrew Railway]] had opened between [[Paisley Hamilton Street railway station|Paisley Hamilton Street]] and Renfrew Wharf.<ref name = awdry>[[Christopher Awdry|Awdry, Christopher]] (1990). ''Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies''. London: Guild Publishing</ref> The railway was intended to both enhance the capabilities of the River Cart navigation as well as competing against it for goods and passenger traffic. The Cart Trust later went [[bankrupt]].
The [[Forth and Cart Canal]], opened in 1840, together with the [[Forth and Clyde Canal]], was intended to provide a direct link between Paisley, [[Port Dundas]], [[Edinburgh]], and the [[Firth of Forth]], without the need to go down the River Clyde to [[Bowling, Scotland|Bowling]] and return along the Forth and Clyde Canal to almost the starting point.<ref name = lindsay/> Its aim was to bring [[coal]] to Paisley.<ref name = lindsay/>
In January 1866 the Paisley and Renfrew Railway was temporarily closed; it reopened as a [[Standard gauge]] railway and was linked to the [[Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway]] at [[Arkleston Junction]]; Hamilton Street station then closed.<ref name = awdry/>
Paisley's harbour was expanded in 1891 and the re-opening in April 1891 was celebrated by a fleet of steamers sailing from Paisley to [[Rothesay, Argyll and Bute|Rothesay]].<ref name = osborne/>
===20th century improvements===
Further, unsuccessful, attempts were made to improve the River Cart at the start of the 20th century. In 1920, after the end of [[World War I]], attempts were made to buy out the bankrupt Cart Trust; but they resisted these attempts.
The swing bridge at Inchinnan was replaced by the present bridge in 1923; it was made by [[William Arrol|Sir William Arrol and Co]]. It lifts vertically so it is more of a [[Bascule bridge]] than a Swing bridge, but it is still known as the swing bridge. It is still capable of opening, as the [[Babcock and Wilcox]] (now [[Doosan Babcock]]) factory at Renfrew requires the capability to move large loads by river.
Sir William Arrol and Co also made the [[pedestrian]] lifting bridge across the White Cart Water at Carlile Quay (off New Sneddon Street) but this has been disabled from lifting for over 30 years and has been closed to traffic since 1997, the structure being deemed unsafe.
An Act of Parliament was obtained in 1938 by the [[Department for Transport|Ministry of Transport]], the [[Admiralty]] and the Ministry of Shipping. A [[harbour]] was built at Laigh Park (Laighpark harbour) at which large cargo [[boats]] / [[ship]]s could load and unload; it was linked to the Paisley and Renfrew Railway. This was used extensively during [[World War II]]. Carlile Quay being used for smaller boats. The navigation lights were also upgraded.
The harbour fell into disuse in the 1960s and has been used as a [[scrapyard]] for many decades. Carlile Quay has been landscaped, refurbished and made more attractive to pedestrians. Apartment buildings and houses have been built on the vacant site adjacent to the quay.
=== Sewage ===
All of Paisley's [[sewage]] and industrial [[effluent]] had been discharged untreated into the River Cart via its tributaries: the St Mirin Burn, the Lady Burn, the Sneddon Burn, the Espedair Burn, etc.<ref name = clark/> By 1870 this had led to many complaints about smells and [[epidemic]]s.<ref name = clark/>
"Intercepting sewers" were therefore built on either side of the St Mirin burn to intercept the sewage and discharge it directly into the White Cart Water.<ref name = clark/> Whilst this helped clean up Paisley it did not clean up the River Cart. It led to complaints from [[Johnstone]], [[Renfrew]] and [[Glasgow]] and calls by them for Paisley to provide a sewage treatment farm. Johnstone, [[Bridge of Weir]], [[Lochwinnoch]] and Glasgow already had sewage treatment farms. Glasgow's works had begun operations in 1894.
Land at Laigh Park was bought for this purpose between the first and second World Wars although construction work did not start until 1949 with the works opening in 1952. The sewage works were linked to the intercepting sewers and took all of Paisley's sewage and industrial effluent for treatment.
=== Water power ===
Both the Black Cart Water and the White Cart Water provided power to drive [[water mill|mills]].
==External links==
*[http://www.scotcities.com/cathcart/whitecartwalk.htm White Cart Walkway] - Section of walk from Cathcart to Netherlee.
==References==
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{{River Clyde}}
[[Category:Rivers of Scotland|Cart]]
[[Category:River navigations in Scotland|Cart]]
[[Category:Shipbuilding / shipbreaking localities of Scotland]]