Dumping of Glasgow’s sludge at sea goes back to the turn of the last century when, following much agitation concerning the state of the River Clyde due to indiscriminate discharge of untreated effluent, sewage treatment works were opened at Dalmarnock (1894), Dalmuir (1904) and Shieldhall (1910).

The first purpose-built vessel to be ordered by Glasgow Corporation was DALMUIR completed in 1904 to operate from Dalmuir sewage works followed by SHIELDHALL (1) in 1910, which was larger than the first vessel and could carry 1500 tons of sludge against DALMUIR’s 1200 tons.

Both vessels were twin screw to assist in manoeuvring in the narrow confines of the Clyde and the restricted approaches to wharves.  Twin-screw arrangements were applied to all sludge vessels until the final two vessels were completed in the 1970s when the availability of controllable pitch propellors and bow thrust units made a single screw acceptable.

In 1922 DALMUIR was sold and was converted to an oil bunkering tanker for Agwi Petroleum, British Mexican Petroleum Co and their successors who eventually became Esso – she was broken up in 1960. Thus it can be seen that the present Shieldhall (second of the name) is not the first Clyde sludge ship to operate in the Solent Area!

1925 saw DALMARNOCK (1) enter service, a ship similar to SHIELDHALL (1). From then until 1955 the service was maintained by these two vessels, except for a break during World War 2 when SHIELDHALL was loaned to Manchester Corporation from 1941-7 to replace their own sludge vessel, which had been sunk by a German mine off the Mersey Bar lightship. This loan was made possible due to the Glasgow vessels dumping off Loch Long because of the boom defence across the Firth of Clyde from Dunoon to the Cloch; this same restriction applied in World War 1.

SHIELDHALL (1) and DALMARNOCK (1) ran together until the old SHIELDHALL was replaced by a new vessel of the same name – the present ship. Her keel had been laid in 1954 at the Lobnitz yard at Renfrew and she took up service in October 1955, SHIELDHALL (1) going to the breakers at the same time.

Laid up in 1976 after 21 years of faithful service SHIELDHALL (2) was replaced initially by the chartered GARDYLOO (1952 gross tons), which had just been completed the previous month for the Lothian Regional Council by Ferguson Bros of Port Glasgow. In October 1977 a further new building for Strathclyde was delivered in the shape of GARROCH HEAD of 2808 gross tons and like the DALMARNOCK (2) from the yard of James Lamont. This vessel continued the tradition of carrying organised parties of passengers in the summer months as many of her predecessors, including our SHIELDHALL, once did; this tradition has origins late in World War 1 when convalescing soldiers were carried, later extended to other groups. It has been reported that Shieldhall (1) carried passengers prior to the outbreak of the Great War and that they were elderly people who were very poor and who would not normally have been able to afford a day on the river.

SHIELDHALL (2) was purchased by Southern Water Authority (SWA) and underwent a refit at Lamont’s yard. This included the enclosure of her bridge wings and the remodelling of accommodation. Leaving the Clyde on 4 November 1977 she arrived at Southampton on the 12th. After continuing a very leisurely existence while the previous contract expired and shore facilities were made ready for her, she opened for SWA service on 9 June 1980 running regularly for 5 years until 5 July 1985 when she was suddenly withdrawn from service and her active preservation began.

Specifications

Dalmuir

SHIELDHALL (1)

DALMARNOCK (1)

SHIELDHALL (2)

DALMARNOCK (2)

GARROCH HEAD

GARDYLOO