The Lampits Float

“Out of Date and Inadvisable from any Standpoint”

A little ferry boat once plied the Clyde between the parishes of Pettinain and Carnwath. The source of all manner of adventures and mishaps, the old “float” served local communities long after it should have been retired, and for many years was patched up while authorities argued about its replacement by a bridge.

Three hundred years ago, travel south and east from Lanark meant facing the perils of fording the River Clyde at a convenient point, or crossing by one of several “boats” or “floats” that ferried people, carts and animals across the river. Trade and transport became far less problematic with the opening of new turnpike roads and the construction of bridges across the Clyde at Hyndford (opened 1773) and Thankerton (opened in 1778), which rendered most of the old boat crossings redundant.

The long-established crossing of the river at Lampits lay about midway between the two new bridges, and the lay-of-the-land meant that following a route across either of the bridges, folks of Pettinain parish faced a lengthy journey to their neighbours just across the river in the parish of Carnwath. It seems therefore that Lampits continued to be used as a fording point, and that from early in the 19^th century some form of ferry service was in operation. A new purpose-built ferry boat was introduced in about 1835, and it appears that this same vessel remained in service for the next eighty years. This “float” was essentially a rectangular pontoon with loading ramps at either end that could be raised or lowered to meet the slipway. It could accommodate two good-sized carts with their horses; a fair-sized flock of sheep, a small herd of cattle, or on one occasion, a group of 30 people attending a funeral in the neighbouring parish. The float was linked to a chain anchored on either side of the river and fed through a drive mechanism on the vessel. This was powered, through various gearing, by a large hand-wheel turned by the ferryman or ferrywoman.

A cottage to house the ferryman was built on the north side of the river, within a large expanse of flat carseland that often flooded, and through which the meandering route of the river was continually changing. Flooding often disrupted operation of the ferry, and flood water sometimes rose to such an extent as to totally surround the ferryman’s cottage.

Postcard views of the ferry – a distant view showing the ferry-boat on the northern bank with part of Caledonian Railway’s Float Viaduct in the background, posted in 1904, and a further view of the ferry in transit, carrying the bread van from Smith’s of Carnwath. Both images are digitally colourised.

From the slipway on the southern bank, the statute road climbed steadily uphill towards Pettinain village. When the Caledonian Railway’s main line was built during the 1840’s it cut across this road, where a level crossing was built along with a cottage for the crossing-keeper, known as “Float Cottage”. This crossing proved an operational nuisance to the railway company who several times considered plans to replace it with a bridge. In later years the crossing keeper at Float crossing was one Samuel Kerr “whose cheery disposition made him very popular with all classes”. Samuel had been an engine driver until he lost his right arm in an accident. When he eventually retired at the age of 80, he was one of the railway company’s longest-serving employees.

Responsibility for operation of the ferry, and the roads linking to it, eventually passed to the Upper Ward District Committee of Lanark County Council. It was expected that the ferry would operate on demand, and that any intending passenger might summon the ferryman at any time of the day or night. A large bell was installed on the Pettinain side of the river to attract the ferryman’s attention. On one occasion the ferryman was brought before the Council following complaints that he had been absent from his post. He explained that during extreme weather he relied on the assistance of local farmers to help operate the ferry, and consequently he felt obliged to assist with farm work when circumstances required it. A suitable rebuke was issued, and when a new ferryman was later appointed (at a salary of 18s per week and a free house), it was made clear that all of his time was to be given to the Council.

Things were not always plain sailing, and weather conditions often affected services. The ferry could not operate when the river was in full flood, or at times when the water level was so low as to make it impossible to load and unload carts. Ice also created problems, sometimes freezing the chains solid, and on one occasion during a storm, stranding passengers in the middle of the river for several hours. It was not unknown for the chain to break, allowing the ferry to drift off down the Clyde before becoming stuck on one of the banks.

Animals were sometimes unsettled by their ferry journey. Horses could become alarmed by the movement of the water and might rear up betweens the shafts of their carts while mid-river. Accidents also occurred when horses lost their footing on the slippery loading ramps, Cattle and sheep could also panic and be lost overboard. More happily, one summer day in 1872, a Mr Gibson of Pettinain enjoyed the good fortune of having a large trout leap out of the water and land beside him on the ferry.

Aside from such everyday adventures, the advancing age of the old ferry increasingly led to breakdowns, accidents, and extended periods of closure. By 1891 the ferry boat was considered to be worn out, and the District Committee began planning for a bridge to replace it, and to better cater for increasing traffic from the new village that was developing around Carstairs Junction.

Location of the ferry, circled on a 1” OS map c.1895 and on a present-day map. Courtesy of National Library of Scotland.

Plans initially focussed on construction of a bridge at the existing ferry site, however it was soon concluded that the approach road would remain prone to flooding and continue to be impassable at some times of the year. An alternative site for the bridge over the Clyde was therefore investigated near Strawfranks farm (essentially the route that exists today). This option had many advantages. There were solid foundations on which to build a bridge, the route could be made free from the risk of flood, and it provided a conveniently direct link to Carstairs Junction station. The Caledonian Railway were also willing to contribute towards the cost of a new bridge at this site as it would allow them to close the level crossing at Float cottage (and save them the costs associated with its operation).

The bridge near Strawfranks seemed to offer an ideal solution. However while the Carmichael estate were happy to release the land required in Pettinain parish, the owners of the Carstairs estate bluntly refused to make the necessary land available on the north bank of the Clyde. At that time the District Committee of the County Council had no powers of compulsory purchase: therefore a stalemate was reached which continued for the next twenty years, during which the old ferry boat continued in service, becoming ever more decrepit and dangerous.

Piecemeal repairs were made to the ferry throughout the 1890’s while locals became increasingly frustrated at the unreliable service. In November 1898, the Council’s road surveyor received a telegram from the ferryman informing him that the boat had sunk..! The vessel was eventually dragged out of the water. The surveyor reported that “there were 20 holes in the bottom of it”.”Some places were so thin you could have pierced them with a pin”. Temporary repairs were agreed, although it was reported that “we would not guarantee that it would go much longer than a few months”. Continued disruption of the service added to public concern, and a petition signed by 247 local ratepayers was presented to the committee listing a catalogue of failures and urging improvement of services or the construction of a bridge. In response further bridge studies were commissioned and working groups established, but little practical progress could be made.

Detail of the crossing, Float Cottage and Lampits Cottage, shown on the 25”OS map c.1857. Courtesy of National Library of Scotland.

By 1904 the weight of complaints forced the District Committee to look once more at the ferry, which was described as “out of date and inadvisable from every standpoint.” The engineer’s report informed the committee that “the bottom of the boat was entirely done, and the only parts of the boat that could be used again were the angle-irons and the skeleton framework, and these were in a bad state.” He concluded “It was quite impractical to repair the boat”.

In a lengthy meeting, the Committee again reviewed the options for a bridge and reflected on the issue of land ownership that continued to frustrate the ideal solution. Ultimately they agreed (by a vote of 10 to 9), to investigate the cost of building a new ferry-boat. Subsequent discussions considered ways of minimising costs, such as incorporating parts of the old boat in the new vessel, The old ferry boat was also advertised for sale; presumably to see what funds might be raised in this way.

Early in 1905, the committee changed their mind, and opted to progress plans for a bridge rather than build a new ferry-boat, There was an expectation that new powers of compulsory purchase might be introduced. The old ferry was therefore patched up once more despite very public concerns over the safety of the vessel, which one committee member described as “an actual nuisance”.

The old ferry battled on despite continuing incidents and mishaps. In one incident a horse fell from the ferry and was drowned. A subsequent court case concluded that the poor maintenance of the vessel contributed to the accident as the wheel that helped keep the vessel stable during loading was worn so smooth that the ferryman was unable to properly grip it…!

Pressure placed on the Carstairs estate eventually led to release of the land needed to build the bridge and in 1914 a new reinforced concrete bridge across the Clyde was finally opened. The old ferry boat was put up for sale, and the approach roads on either side of the Clyde were removed from the list of public highways.

This wasn’t quite the end of the story however. The last ferryman was transferred to work at Grange siding, where stone from the Council’s Cairngryffe quarries was loaded into railway wagons. He continued to live in the ferryman’s cottage, and used the ferryboat (which had remained unsold) for his journey to work each day. Fellow quarry workers who lived in Carnwath also took advantage of this unofficial service, which saved five miles from their walk to and from work each day. This happy arrangement seems to have continued until September 1918, when the boat was put up for sale again and presumably consigned as scrap. At that time, a correspondent in a local newspaper raised the question “could some public spirited gentleman not purchase this and preserve it as a memento of a bygone day? It seems that although the little old boat had been a source of frustration and concern, it was also held in great affection by the communities that it served for over eighty years.

Site of Lampits Ferry crossing, looking towards the Caledonian Railway’s Float Viaduct. August 2024

Robin Chesters, 22nd October 2024