Route
The eastern end of the final extent of the canal is at Calderbank, where there were coal pits; there was a feeder from the North Calder Water. The route followed the north side of the North Calder Water, passing more coal pits at Faskine and Palacecraig, turning north there. It passed under the road at Sikeside (now called Sykeside Road, Cairnhill), from where it is nowadays in culvert.
Turning west it passed under what is now Locks Street, Coatdyke; the name refers to the original canal lock; there is a small sign there recording the history. There was a small basin to the west of the road, and two sets of locks, called Sheepford Locks, either side of the road and basin. The canal then continued westward, a little to the south of the Airdrie to Coatbridge main road, then cutting fairly straight across the south of Coatbridge to Sunnyside Road junction (about centrally, and straight from the A725 roundabout at the east end of Coatbridge Main Street to the Sunnyside Street roundabout).
It then ran broadly west between Bank Street and West Canal Street, then turning a little more northerly from Blairhill Street, south of the present King Street, as far as Blair Street. Just east of Blair Bridge the Langloan branch diverged, heading a short distance south to a basin serving Drumpellier Pit and Langloan Iron Works, where Langloan Street now joins Bank Street.
From Blair Bridge the canal is open again; the route here arcs northward towards and through the Drumpellier estate, passing north of Drumpellier Home Farm, and then west again, with a short northerly spur serving coal pits at Drumpellier, continuing under the present day railway line, and under the Cuilhill Road bridge. A little to the west is Cuilhill Gullet, where the channel bifurcated, forming a small island used as a trans-shipment point when feeder tramways connected local pits. Still continuing west, but culverted nowadays, the canal was crossed by a swing bridge at Netherhouse Road, and then at Rodgerfield Road the course of the canal is covered by the M8 motorway.
Easterhouse Road and Wardie Road crossed the canal, followed by Milncroft Road (an eastward extension of the present road) and then Gartcraig Road and the main Cumbernauld Road. The Blackhill incline and locks were at the point where the present M80 motorway joins the M8 motorway. The incline had two parallel tracks and an engine house at the top; the locks, situated on the northern side of the incline, consisted of four sections with three basins between them; each section had two parallel channels, with four sets of lock gates in each. (The arrangements at Blackhill are described more fully below.)
The canal continued a broadly westerly course, completely obliterated now by the motorway, terminating in Townhead Basin fronting to Castle Street, at a point where Parson Street and Alexandra Parade would intersect, under the motorway junction.
A canal junction was formed at this point with the Forth and Clyde Canal branch, running north under Garngad Hill (now Robroyston Hill) before turning west under Castle Street.
Read more about this topic: Monkland Canal
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