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Broomielaw Bridge

Mitchell Library, Glasgow Collection

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Broomielaw Bridge

The Glasgow or Jamaica Street Bridge (originally known as the Broomielaw Bridge), completed in 1772, was the first to be built in the city since medieval times. It was designed by William Mylne and built by John Smeaton. 500 feet long, it consisted of seven arches and had circular holes above the piers to carry away floodwaters. Its hump back and narrowness made it unsuitable for heavy traffic, however, and it was replaced in 1833 by a bridge designed by Thomas Telford.

This view from the west, c 1800, shows boats moored at the Broomielaw Quay and the distinctive cone of the Jamaica Street Bottle Works, the glassworks built nearby in 1730 and rebuilt in the 1790s. The distinctive spires of St Andrew's Parish Church and the Merchants' Hall can be seen in the distance on the right.

Reference: Mitchell Library, GC 941.435 GOR

Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning

Keywords:
boats, bridges, Broomielaw Bridge, Broomielaw Quay, floods, Glasgow Bridge, Glasgow harbour, glassworks, harbours, Jamaica Street Bottle Works, Jamaica Street Bridge, Merchants' Steeple, quays, spires, St Andrew's Parish Church, towers



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