Craigmaddie Reservoir, Milngavie

Craigmaddie Reservoir, Milngavie

This complex comprises two bowed reservoirs and associated structures divided by a central embankment dam, forming a roughly trapezoid body of water with a large peninsular projection towards the centre. Mugdock Reservoir lies to the west; Craigmaddie Reservoir to the east.

Mugdock Reservoir was designed by John F Bateman in 1856, with later alterations. The conduit emerges at the north end into two near-identical semicircular gauge basins; the western basin is original, while the eastern basin dates to approximately 1865. The round-arched conduit exit features prominent voussoirs in a curved sandstone retaining wall. At the south end there is a bridge over the weirs and a curved embankment. A weir positioned at the centre of the embankment falls into the main reservoir, with a roadway carried over on a 3-arch bridge. A large earth embankment forms the southwest side, with sides paved with small stones. An overflow channel at the southwest corner has a footbridge over it with cast-iron railings and a sluice mechanism below. An embankment dam to the southeast separates the two reservoirs. To the west of Mugdock Road there is a local water diversion system consisting of masonry channels and boundary walls.

Craigmaddie Reservoir was designed by James M Gale between 1886 and 1896. A large single gauge basin at the northwest end is similar to those of Mugdock Reservoir. The round-arched conduit exit features bracketed voussoirs set within a tall pedimented architrave with vermiculated, rusticated pilasters and two inscription panels, with curved wing walls terminating in heavy segmental-pedimented piers. A triangular measuring pond with a sluiced embankment dam carries a roadway, and a valve tower is connected to the dam by a lattice girder footbridge. The embankments paving comprises small stones. A scour valve comprises a bull-faced masonry column with railing, valve mechanism, and a short access footbridge with railing extending from the rear of the southeast embankment. The overflow exit features a segmental-arched tunnel entrance with vermiculated voussoirs, curved bull-faced sandstone wing walls, footbridge and cast-iron railings. Two scour shafts are located to the southeast of Strathblane Road.

The straining wells and draw-off towers date to 1865 and 1886, with one of each located on either side of the central dam on the southeast bank. These are subterranean structures with fine circular cast-iron covers standing above ground level. The interiors contain a pedestrian walkway with a roof supported on columns bearing Doric capitals, and a deep circular pit containing the straining mechanism. The connected draw-off towers project into the reservoirs: the Craigmaddie draw-off tower is masonry, 50 feet high, with valve openings at three levels below water, a corbelled-out top, railings, valve mechanism inside, and a trussed iron footbridge connecting to the embankment. The Mugdock draw-off tower comprises an iron pipe with external support structure, similar valve mechanism, and a short girder footbridge.

The James Gale Memorial, erected in 1904, is a drinking fountain comprising a stone cairn base supporting a large granite slab bearing a cast-bronze Art Nouveau shell-shaped basin with an inscription above and a rondel relief bust of James Gale. A dog basin is positioned at the bottom of the plinth.

Boundary walls of round-coped random rubble surround the entire site and create divisions within it. Sub-Mackintosh style iron gates are located at three entrances from Mugdock Road. The gates to the south (main entrance) have chamfered gatepiers with deep cushion caps, while the other entrances have plainer gatepiers.