2014 The Pedestrian Arch at the Dandy shared by Alex Rochead

I’ve previously written about a path leading from Glasgow Road down to Blantyre Works Mills called, “The Dandy”. You can read more about it here. http://blantyreproject.com/2014/03/02/origins-of-the-dandy/

This article relates to one particular part of that path, at the point where it crosses over the Caledonian Railway. (The railway line at that point leads out to Hamilton and Blantyre)

Pictured here and shared by Alex Rochead in 2014, just off Farm Road, is the Dandy walkway. At this particular point the path crosses OVER the railway, in an enclosed arch pedestrian tunnel. It is a rather grand structure for what is actually only a pedestrian crossing. The stone walls form the arched passageway.

The Clydesdale Railway Junction was authorised in 1845 and absorbed by the Caledonian Railway in 1846. This section of railway between Newton and Hamilton was opened on 5th September 1849 and the Blantyre Train Station opened a fortnight later on 17th September 1849. As such, the construction of the railway arch and dandy walkway over the line can be dated to between 1846 and Summer 1849.

This 1859 puts the location exactly into context. Whilst the area round about it has now changed massively, the crossing itself looks not unlike it used to (albeit for some graffiti these days!)