Darnley Bleachfields and Upper Darnley c 1830.
The Darnley Bleachfields were situated on the south bank of the Brock Burn, near Darnley Cottages. There were many bleachfields in the countryside around Glasgow, as bleached cloth required prolonged exposure to the sun after treatment with alkali and acid agents, and large areas of ground were needed.
Richardson's map of 1795 records that the Darnley Bleachfields were owned by a Mr Tennant. Charles Tennant (1768-1838) was one of the pioneers in the use of chlorine in the bleaching process, reducing the time required from months to hours and. In 1799 he perfected with Charles Macintosh a dry bleaching powder made from chlorine and slaked lime, and in 1800 built a factory at St Rollox in Glasgow to manufacture it on a large scale. St Rollox became the world's largest and most famous chemical works.
This watercolour was painted by an unknown artist working for the Maxwell family. It is one of a series depicting buildings and views of the Pollok Estate, which was owned by the Maxwells.
Reproduced with the permission of the National Trust for Scotland
Keywords:
bleachers, bleachfields, Charles Tennant & Co, chemical manufacturers, landscapes, Pollok Estate, watercolours
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