Govan ferry winches back at Water Row as new bridge officially opens

The Govan Ferry winches have returned to Glasgow’s Water Row to coincide with the opening of a new bridge connecting the Govan and Partick areas of the city.

The winches were originally used to operate a chain ferry that linked shipyards either side of the river – most notably A. & J. Inglis of Pointhouse, a yard renowned for building paddle steamers such as the P.S. Waverley (1947) for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER).

The Waverley is currently operational on the Clyde.

In the mid 1960s, the Govan Ferry was closed to passengers but the Govan-Partick Bridge reinstates the historic connection.

The winches were removed in 2022 at the start of the project and restored by a local steel fabricator in Glasgow’s South Street and have now been installed at the Govan entrance to the bridge.

In recent years, the winches were painted with black and white horizontal bands but they have now been refinished in red oxide paint.

Govan Ferry winches back at Water Row at the Govan – Partick Bridge. Glasgow City Council

The Govan-Partick Bridge, a £29.5m Glasgow City Region City Deal project – funded by the Scottish and UK Governments – provides a crossing between Water Row on the southside and Pointhouse Quay on the north.

It is one of the longest opening pedestrian/cycle bridges in Europe, with a width of 6m and two span, the moving span, which weighs 650 tonnes, is 99m, and the fixed span, which weighs 45 tonnes, is 15.7m long.

Following Friday’s formal opening, the bridge will open to the public on Saturday and there will be celebratory community events across the weekend.

The Clydebuilt Festival will take place across both days on the north bank beside the Riverside Museum, with the Footbridge Festival on the south bank at Water Row, Govan Cross and Govan Road, taking place on Saturday.

Both are free to attend and include numerous activities both on and off the water.

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will perform alongside local music acts, while Scotland’s biggest rowing race ‘Castle to Crane’ will kick off, with competitors starting at Dumbarton Castle and racing to the Finnieston Crane.

Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: “September will be a milestone in the modern history of these two great communities. It will also be a milestone for Glasgow and the wider city-region.

“Reconnecting Govan and Partick can help unlock the potential along the Clyde, create more opportunities for the people who live and work there, and continue the transformation of these areas.

“Glaswegians often tell us how they would like to see the Clyde having a more prominent role in the life of the city. This new riverside landmark does just that.”