Falls of ClydeAn historic guide for tourists

By Lady Geraldine Lockhart Ross

Join us today!You can help to support our vital work protecting

Scotland’s wildlife by becoming a member:• Free entry to all our Visitor Centres and reserves• Subscription to Scottish Wildlife magazine• Free copy of our Exploring Reserves guide• Invitation to exclusive talks and events

Visit scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk for more information or call 0131 312 7765.

For enquiries or bookings, please contact the Visitor Centre:T 01555 665 262E fallsofclyde@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk

Did you enjoy this Victorian trail? Please help Falls of Clyde by making a donation

today. Text ‘‘Fall13 £2’’ to 70070 to donate now. All texts are free and 100% of your donation goes to

helping preserve this amazing wildlife reserve.

Let me introduce my family to you:Sir James Carmichael (c.1690-1727)Sir James was my great grandfather. He built the hunting lodge that became Bonnington Pavilion.

Admiral Sir John Lockhart Ross (1721-1790)The estate passed by marriage with Lady Ross Bailie to my grandfather. He built our family home, Bonnington House.

General Sir Charles Lockhart Ross (1763-1814)My father was a wealthy landowner whose mother had bequeathed him large estates in both Lanarkshire (including Bonnington Estate) and Ross-shire.

Lady Mary Lockhart Ross (1777-1842)My late mother, Lady Mary, implemented many improvements to the estate including many of the viewpoints and paths that you see today.

And some of my family’s acquaintances:JMW Turner (1775-1851)Turner was a British Romantic landscape painter and water-colourist. Considered a controversial figure, he was commonly known as ‘the painter of light’.

Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855)Born in the Lake District, Dorothy was an English author, poet and diarist. She was the sister of the Romantic poet William Wordsworth.

George Cranstoun (d.1850)A lawyer in Edinburgh who inherited Corehouse Estate from distant cousins. He later adopted the title Lord Corehouse and was responsible for the building of the new house. Improvements to the estate were also made and included the creation of a walled garden, lake and an intricate pattern of paths giving views across the river.

scottishwildlifetrust.org.ukHarbourside House 110 Commercial Street Edinburgh EH6 6NFT 0131 312 7765 E enquiries@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland (no. SC040247). It is also a Scottish registered charity (no. SC005792). Cover image © Paul Watt. Peregrine © Neil Aldridge. Badger © Andrew Mason. Birthday party © Bobby Gavin. Leaflet is printed on FSC accredited stock.

You might also be interested in...

... and our other trails!

Badger watchingJoin the ranger for an evening or enjoy VIP treatment on a Luxury Badger Safari. Book today!

Views of peregrinesThe best views of nesting peregrine falcons in Britain. Visit our viewing station, open Mar-Jun.

Birthday partiesWildlife-themed birthday parties with our ranger from £10 per child. Ages 3-13 years.

Visitor CentreOpen daily 10am-4pm(may vary over the Christmas period, check website for details).

Clyde RoomWhether for workshops, classes or birthday parties, this new versatile space is available for group bookings from £40. Call us for details!

Falls of Clyde Visitor CentreNew Lanark • South Lanarkshire • ML11 9DB

T 01555 665 262 E fallsofclyde@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk

How to find usConta

ins O

rdnan

ce S

urvey

data

© Cr

own c

opyri

ght a

nd da

tabas

e righ

t 201

4

The Visitor Centre and the Clyde Room are wheelchair friendly.

Follow us

TheFallsOfClyde

@TheFallsOfClyde#FOCVictorian

Dearest V isitor,I am delighted to welcome you to the Falls

of Clyde. My name is Lady Geraldine Lockhart Ross and I will be your guide today. You must be tired from your train journey from Glasgow; is it not wonderful that there is now a branch line of the Caledonian Railway to Lanark?

It is unfortunate that during the Napoleonic war we were unable to go on the Grand Tour of Europe but I think the ‘petit’ tour of Great Britain allows us to appreciate our own natural wonders. Places such as Snowdonia, the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands have become celebrated destinations including this area we are in today. Did you start your ‘petit’ tour in Edinburgh? Many people do and then end their tour here with us.

My family, to whom the property belongs, allows ticketed access, at all hours, to the public, who find tasteful walks kept in the highest order, and seats at every fine viewpoint.

This picturesque landscape is an excellent place to take in the fresh Scottish air; it does wonders for one’s health, but please remember that it is dangerous to go down into the gorge.

We discourage all visitors from heading down to the river bed; it is steep, can be slippery and water levels can rise without notice. W.A. Cowan wrote:

...some parts where the inquisitive may venture, are so close upon the water, that the slightest tremulousness may in a moment be fatal. Such cases have occurred. In August 1815, Alexander Wilson Burrage, a native of Ipswich, who was a teacher at New Lanark , was on a visit to the Falls, in company with another young man. While exploring some crevices of the rocks, he fell backwards and lost his life.

This written guide will help you discover the different features we have here and I have attached your ticket below. I hope you will enjoy the Falls of Clyde as much as the famous artists before you; it is such a splendid place.

Yours sincerely,

Lady Geraldine Lockhart Ross

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

II III

IVI

Lad

y M

ary’s

Well

Dor

othy

Wor

dsw

orth

mad

e not

e of t

his i

n he

r jou

rnals

: ‘a b

eaut

iful s

prin

g of c

lear w

ater,

whi

ch

we co

uld

see r

ise u

p co

ntin

ually

, at t

he b

otto

m o

f a ro

und

stone

bas

in fu

ll to

the b

rim’. O

ne ca

n be

gin

to se

e sig

ns o

f ero

sion

thou

gh th

e scu

lpte

d flu

ting i

s stil

l clea

rly vi

sible.

This

feat

ure w

as

chos

en b

y Lad

y Mar

y bec

ause

it is

equi

dista

nt b

etw

een

Cor

ra L

inn

and

Bonn

ingt

on L

inn.

B

onnin

gton L

inn a

nd I

sland

Lady

Mar

y co

mm

issio

ned

the

build

ing

of

the

cast

-iron

brid

ge in

fron

t of y

ou. I

t led

ac

ross

to a

n oc

tago

nal,

that

ched

, woo

den

tem

ple

(now

dem

olish

ed).

Befo

re t

he

tem

ple

ther

e w

as a

cor

n-dr

ying

kiln

w

hich

was

use

d al

ongs

ide

a co

rnm

ill.

The

corn

mill

sad

ly w

ashe

d aw

ay in

a

terr

ible

sto

rm. H

ere

you

can

also

see

Bo

nnin

gton

Lin

n, it

has

a dr

op o

f abo

ut

30ft

and

is th

e wid

est o

f the

wat

erfa

lls.

B

onni

ngto

n W

alled

Gar

den

The w

alled

gard

en w

as at

one

tim

e ful

l of l

ife. Th

e wes

t par

t of t

he ga

rden

clos

est t

o us

wa

s use

d as

a ki

tchen

gard

en an

d at

the f

ar en

d wa

s the

orc

hard

. To

your

left,

insid

e of

the n

orth

wall

ther

e was

a gl

assh

ouse

whe

re th

ey g

rew

delic

ious

frui

ts in

abun

danc

e. In

the d

istan

ce yo

u ca

n se

e Tin

to H

ill, t

he h

ighe

st po

int i

n th

e cou

nty o

f Lan

arks

hire

.

H

all o

f Mirr

ors

Also

kno

wn

as B

onni

ngto

n Pa

vilio

n, i

t w

as

built

in

1708

as

a hu

ntin

g to

wer

. It

has

also

be

en a

tea

room

and

a v

iew

ing

plat

form

for

C

orra

Lin

n. Th

ere w

as a

regi

ster h

ere i

n w

hich

to

urist

s ent

ered

thei

r nam

e an

d m

irror

s wer

e pl

aced

on

the

ceili

ng s

o th

at th

e tr

avel

ler fe

lt as

if

Cor

ra L

inn

wer

e bu

rstin

g ov

er t

hem

. D

orot

hy W

ords

wor

th d

escr

ibed

the

refle

ctio

n as

‘bus

tling

like

suds

in a

was

h tu

b’.

Bon

ning

ton

Saw

mill

A sin

gle-

store

y sa

wmill

whi

ch h

ad a

saw

pit w

here

two

saw

yers

had

to p

ush

and

pull

a ve

rtica

l saw

blad

e to

cut

woo

d. L

ater

it be

cam

e wa

ter-p

ower

ed w

ith th

e in

trodu

ctio

n of

a p

itchb

ack

whee

l. Th

is sa

wmill

pro

duce

d fen

cing

mate

rials

and

supp

lied

logs

for t

he fi

res i

n Bo

nnin

gton

Hou

se. Th

e ho

use

has s

ince

bee

n de

mol

ished

but i

t was

situ

ated

north

east

of th

e wall

ed ga

rden

.

Poi

nts o

f Int

erest

A

rchw

ayTh

e arc

hway

we j

ust p

asse

d un

der a

cted

as a

boun

dary

bet

wee

n N

ew L

anar

k an

d Bo

nnin

gton

Esta

te. Th

e res

iden

t wor

kers

of N

ew L

anar

k w

ere n

ot al

low

ed

acce

ss o

nto

this

land,

alth

ough

child

ren

from

the v

illag

e ofte

n se

cret

ly sn

eake

d ou

t afte

r sch

ool t

o pl

ay in

the w

oods

.

M

id L

odge

Ther

e w

ere

thre

e lo

dges

on

Bonn

ingt

on E

stat

e: N

orth

Lod

ge

(now

dem

olish

ed),

Mid

Lod

ge a

nd E

ast

Lodg

e (o

utw

ith t

he

Falls

of C

lyde

). Ti

cket

s wer

e bo

ught

at N

orth

Lod

ge a

nd ta

ken

by th

e ga

teke

eper

her

e at

Mid

Lod

ge. C

arri

ages

wer

e le

ft an

d th

e re

mai

nder

of t

he jo

urne

y w

as b

y al

l per

form

ed o

n fo

ot.

D

unda

ff L

inn

Her

e we g

et o

ur fi

rst v

iew

of t

he ri

ver a

nd D

unda

ff Li

nn (L

inn

com

es fr

om th

e G

aelic

mea

ning

‘poo

l’).Th

is w

ater

fall

is on

ly 1

0ft h

igh

but r

oars

dow

n w

ith

huge

fero

city

after

sudd

en d

ownp

ours

. Ther

e is s

aid to

be a

smal

l rec

ess i

n th

e ro

cks o

n th

e C

oreh

ouse

side

of t

he ri

ver k

now

n as

Wal

lace’s

Cha

ir;

Will

iam

Wal

lace

is ru

mou

red

to h

ave

conc

ealed

him

self

here

from

the

Engl

ish. D

orot

hy W

ords

wor

th o

nce w

rote

in re

mar

k to

the a

bund

ance

of

Wal

lace l

andm

arks

: ‘How

Wal

lace

foug

ht fo

r Sco

tland

, left

the n

ame

of W

alla

ce to

be f

ound

, like

a w

ild fl

ower

all o

ver h

is de

ar C

ount

ry’.

C

orra

Lin

nAt

an

impr

essiv

e 84

ft, th

e ‘C

lyde’s

mos

t maj

estic

dau

ghte

r’ is

the

high

est a

nd m

ost

fam

ous

of t

he fo

ur w

ater

falls

(St

oneb

yres

Lin

n ca

n be

foun

d fu

rthe

r do

wn

river

by

follo

win

g th

e C

lyde

Wal

kway

, thr

ee m

iles n

orth

from

New

Lan

ark)

. Tur

ner

visit

ed th

e Fa

lls of

Cly

de in

1802

and

pain

ted

a wat

erco

lour

of C

orra

Lin

n. Y

ears

late

r he r

ewor

ked

this

subj

ect a

nd cr

eate

d th

e pai

ntin

g be

low.

He c

onve

rted

a p

ictu

resq

ue sc

ene i

nto

a pr

ofou

nd

expr

essio

n of

the

elem

enta

l fo

rces

and

prim

ary

colo

urs

of n

atur

e. It

show

s th

e riv

er

as a

dra

mat

ic b

ackd

rop

for

bath

ing

by n

aked

you

ng

wom

en.

The F

alls

of C

lyde

, Tur

ner,

c.18

40 -

© C

ourt

esy

Nat

iona

l Mus

eum

s Liv

erpo

ol

The p

aint

ing

of B

onni

ngto

n Li

nn, J

acob

Mor

e, 1

771

© Th

e Fi

tzw

illia

m M

useu

m, C

ambr

idge

Bonn

ingt

on P

avili

on, A

lexan

der A

rche

r, 18

37 -

SC 86

6002

© R

CAH

MS

(Alex

ande

r Arc

her C

ollec

tion)

. Lice

nsor

ww

w.rc

ahm

s.gov

.uk

The w

alk w

ill ta

ke on

e to t

wo h

ours

and

is th

ree m

iles i

n len

gth.

Whi

lst w

alki

ng yo

u w

ill

need

to lo

ok ou

t for

woo

den

posts

with

Rom

an

num

eral

s.

C

orra

Cas

tleTh

e Ban

naty

ne fa

mily

hom

e for

300

year

s, th

is 15

th

Cen

tury

fort

ified

tow

er h

ouse

was

site

d ov

erlo

okin

g th

e gor

ge fo

r def

ensiv

e pur

pose

s. Th

e cas

tle o

ppos

ite

cont

ains

an o

ublie

tte (f

rom

the F

renc

h –

‘a fo

rgot

ten

plac

e’); a

dun

geon

cut i

nto

the s

olid

rock

floo

r. Th

ese c

laustr

opho

bic c

ells

wer

e ofte

n us

ed to

hou

se

priso

ners

for u

nlim

ited

perio

ds o

f tim

e.Vi

ew o

f Cor

y Li

n on

the R

iver

Cly

de n

ear L

anar

k, P

aul S

andb

y, 17

78 -

SC 8

6600

3 ©

Cou

rtes

y of

RC

AH

MS:

Roy

al In

corp

orat

ion

of A

rchi

tect

s in

Sco

tland

. Lic

enso

r ww

w.rc

ahm

s.gov

.uk