IT was a feat of engineering which sparked an industrial revolution on the outskirts of Glasgow, yet remained hidden from sight for almost a century.
But now parkgoers will be able to marvel at the Victorian ingenuity which helped establish the world-famous west of Scotland textile industry, and retrace the steps of the workers who made it a reality.
A massive £3 million revitalisation of Rouken Glen Park in East Renfrewshire has uncovered hidden waterworks built by engineers which harnessed the natural landscape to power the machines which made the area a hotbed of creativity.
Restoration work on the 'Glen Walk' path alongside the Capelrig Burn has revealed a hidden secondary waterfall, weir, flagstone path and dam walls built by the Victorians, and returned the area to how it would have been more than 100 years ago when workers made their way to at the Newfield printworks located nearby.
From the 1740s the burn was used as a source of water for some of the earliest bleachfields and printfields in Scotland at Pollokshaws, while also powering textile works at Thornliebank.
Newfield Printfield was started by Robert Osburn in the 1770s, and taken over by the Crum family in 1806, who carried out the engineering work which has now been uncovered.
Park ranger Gary Nixon said: "The area has been totally overgrown for at least 80 years and although local people may know about its significance, its not something that would be widely known about.
"But now we can see how they used the water and channelled it using locks, dams and waterfalls to harness its power.
"It was quite a feat of engineering and it is paved the way for the textile industry to take root."
Phil Richardson, project manager from Archaeology Scotland, added: “This rediscovery is of huge significance. The west side of Rouken Glen and the Glen Walks area would have been the main engine room of the textile industry about 200 years ago.
"The Victorians re-routed and enhanced the burn to build a water management system that would control the flow of the water and be used to power the mill.
"It was important to the Crum family who owned the park and the local printworks that it was powered by nature.”
The restoration project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and East Renfrewshire Council, is part of a four-year-series of works which has also seen the park's Pavilion Visitor Centre,refurbished and a £300,000 redevelopment of the children’s playpark.
First established as a public park in 1906, annual visitor numbers to Rouken Glen have increased to more than 940,000 and it is rated second in the Scottish Visitor Attraction Monitor table of top outdoor nature attractions, behind Strathclyde Country Park.
East Renfrewshire Council chief executive, Lorraine McMillan said,“Rouken Glen has always been a favourite with locals and visitors, but our partnership project with HLF has taken it to a whole new level.
“Over the past four years, it has been wonderful to watch important geological, archaeological and historical features restored to their former glory, and facilities such as the visitor centre given a thoroughly modern edge, not to mention £300,000 investment in the hugely popular play area to the delight of children, parents and grandparents alike!”
“We’ve had tremendous interest in the park from a diverse range of individuals and groups since embarking on the project, maintaining Rouken Glen’s place in people’s affections but, importantly, building foundations for healthy lifestyles of the future.”
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