Waulkmill Glen Reservoir Neilston, Scotland

Text courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

The reservoir straddles the boundaries of Eastwood, Mearns and Neilston Parishes. Waulkmill Glen reservoir was the largest of the 3 reservoirs built as part of the first phase of the Gorbals Gravitation Water Company's water supply scheme, constructed in 1847-8. This was one of the first large-scale water supply schemes in Scotland and, although eclipsed by the slightly later scheme from Loch Katrine, is nevertheless of considerable historical and engineering interest. The draw-off tower is quite possibly the earliest such structure in Scotland. The self-activating sluice is also of considerable interest, though it is unclear whether any of the machinery remains intact (there is nothing visible within the arched structure). Waulkmill Glen reservoir covers an area of nearly 48 acres and has a capacity of roughly 36.5 million cubic feet. Water originally fed into the reservoir from the Brock Burn, but this arrangement was altered with the building of the Balgray reservoir (as part of the expansion of the scheme) in 1853. Water is drawn out of the reservoir through the draw-off tower, and passed through the self-activating sluice (located on the other side of the embankment dam) before discharging into the two regulating basins. From there it flowed through pipes to the low filters, which were demolished 2007-8, but were located roughly 300 yards to the NE. The Gorbals Gravitation Water Company was originally a private firm established to supply water to the Gorbals, the inhabitants of which were keen to establish their own water supply as water provision in the area was poor, relying largely on wells. The Brockburn was identified as a good potential source, and after a certain amount of opposition an Act of Parliament was passed in 1846 allowing this. The first phase of the scheme (which was always intended for expansion) comprised Waulkmill Glen, Ryatt Linn and Littleton reservoirs and associated filters and supplied water to the Gorbals, Pollokshaws and Govan. It was built 1847-8 by the engineer William Gale, elder brother of James M Gale who worked on the Loch Katrine scheme. The construction of the scheme was a considerable engineering achievement and the cast-iron pipes used to carry the water from the reservoirs to the filters and thence into the city were made using newly-developed vertical casting technologies. In 1853 a further Act of Parliament was passed to allow the expansion of the scheme with the construction of Balgray reservoir. This more than doubled the capacity of the scheme and enabled it to supply Rutherglen, Nitshill, Hurlet, Barrhead, Renfrew and surrounding areas, in addition to the places mentioned above. In 1855 the company was bought out by Glasgow Corporation Waterworks, and therefore became publically-owned. Listed as part of the thematic review of the Glasgow water supply system.