The Kelvin Aqueduct carries the Forth & Clyde Canal over the River Kelvin, and is the Canal’s finest single feature. There are four 15.25 metre arches with arched spandrels supported by buttressed piers. The whole structure is 122 metres long and 21.4 metres high.
Work on the Forth & Clyde Canal had begun at the eastern sea lock in 1768, following a survey of a route in 1763 by civil engineer John Smeaton and construction was approved by an Act of Parliament later that year. By 1775 the canal had reached just north of Glasgow – but as funds for the privately-owned canal ran out, work stopped. Two years later, city merchants had raised money to build a branch of the canal into the city but it wasn’t until 1785 that there were finally sufficient funds for the canal to continue its journey to the River Clyde at Bowling, completing the 35-mile waterway. The Aqueduct was built between 1787 and 1790 by Robert Whitworth who had taken over from John Smeaton on his retirement in 1775. The contractors were William Gibb (founder of the engineering dynasty that led to Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners) and John Muir, who also built the nearby Maryhill locks. A foundation stone was laid on 16 June 1787 by Archibald Spiers, the chairman of the canal committee.
When opened in 1790 it was Britain's largest aqueduct, and onlookers were impressed at the sight of sailing boats crossing above them. The entire project cost £8,509, exceeding the original estimated cost of £6,200, and so impressed that odes were written in its honour. Since 1989 it is a scheduled ancient monument.
The aqueduct is built from rustic masonry at the lower levels and polished ashlar above. Underneath it is the Kelvin Walkway, which runs through an area of green space around the river. The piers are buttressed in such a way as to resemble cutwaters, but only one pier sits in the river. The sides of the aqueduct are arched in order to transfer the outward pressure of the water onto the buttresses, an effect which can clearly be seen from above. This design feature is also present on the Luggie Aqueduct at Kirkintilloch, which opened in 1773.
The continuous run of masonry that forms the Aqueduct and Maryhill Locks is also the Canal’s finest collec-tive feature. On 6 December 2016 plaques were unveiled by ICE Glasgow and West of Scotland Chairman Graham Edmond and Scottish Canals’ Heritage Manager Chris O’Connell. Mr Edmond said: “The Kelvin Aqueduct is an outstanding example of historic civil engineering and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to unveil this plaque commemorating its construction on behalf of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Most civil engineering, like the Kelvin Aqueduct, survives well beyond the lifetime of its designers. It’s vital that we, as the curators of that rich built heritage, do our best to celebrate these incredible structures in order to ensure they can be enjoyed by future generations.” Chris O’Connell, Heritage Manager at Scottish Canals, said: “The Kelvin Aqueduct is a towering tribute to the significant engineering achievements of the Forth & Clyde Canal and played a key role in the industrial history of Glasgow. Today the aqueduct carries walkers and cy-clists rather than the scows and Clydesdale horses that transported the products of the Industrial Revolution, but it continues to act as a vital artery through the heart of North Glasgow.”

Photos: Rosser1954, Michael Dibb , CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps & John Yellowless with thanks.