Walter Macfarlane & Co supplied cast iron parapet railings, cornice, spandrels and stair for the Great Western Bridge, carrying Great Western Road over the River Kelvin, as shown in this photograph c 1910. The spandrels have fascias with the coats of arms of Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Hillhead.
Opened in 1891, this was the third bridge to be built on this site to cross the river. Sir William Arrol & Co supplied the iron arches and steel girders. The engineers were Bell & Miller, and the contractors Morrison & Mason. Macfarlane's decorative ironwork contributed significantly to making this one of the most impressive of Glasgow's Victorian bridges.
The spire of Lansdowne United Free Church is in the background, and Kelvinbridge Underground Station is situated under the tenement building on the right.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC f672.2506541443 MCF
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Bell & Miller, bridges, cast iron, church steeples, churches, coats of arms, foundries, Great Western Bridge, iron founders, Lansdowne Parish Church, Lansdowne United Free Church, Lansdowne United Presbyterian Church, Morrison & Mason, ornamental ironwork, River Kelvin, Saracen Foundry, Sir William Arrol & Co, spandrels, spires, Walter Macfarlane & Co