We don't have any photos of this building yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?
Latitude: 56.0016 / 56°0'5"N
Longitude: -4.7251 / 4°43'30"W
OS Eastings: 230164
OS Northings: 682087
OS Grid: NS301820
Mapcode National: GBR 0F.TSKF
Mapcode Global: WH2M4.DD5Z
Plus Code: 9C8Q272F+JX
Entry Name: Flywheel And Anvil, East Esplanade, East Clyde Street, Helensburgh
Listing Name: Flywheel and Anvil, East Bay Esplanade, East Clyde Street, Helensburgh
Listing Date: 14 May 1971
Last Amended: 28 August 2019
Category: C
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 379280
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB34871
Building Class: Cultural
ID on this website: 200379280
Location: Helensburgh
County: Argyll and Bute
Town: Helensburgh
Electoral Ward: Helensburgh Central
Traditional County: Dunbartonshire
Tagged with: Architectural structure
The flywheel is from the original engine of the Comet, the first sea-going steam-operated vessel in Europe, and the anvil was used by Henry Bell, who designed the ship. These artefacts were erected as a sculptural memorial in 1912 on the centenary of the ship. They were presented to the town council by R and W McMurrich whose grandfather had been a blacksmith to Henry Bell.
In 1812 Henry Bell, Former Lord Provost, designed the Comet which ran the first commercial passenger paddle steamer route from Glasgow to Helensburgh. Bell's achievement was acknowledged during his lifetime - a government white paper of 1822 credits him for the first practicable steamship, while the Clyde Navigation Trust made him an annuity of £50 to recognise his contribution to shipping and trade. A full size replica of the Comet is on display at Port Glasgow where the original was built by John Wood and Company.
In 1816 Bell built the first pier in Helensburgh to service the Comet on the site of the current pier (listed at category B, LB52502). Bell's importance to Helensburgh and the Clyde as a whole is recognised by the naming of Bell Street after him in Helensburgh, an obelisk erected to his memory in 1838 in Bowling and another in 1872 on the Helensburgh esplanade (LB34743, category B), as well as this flywheel and anvil.
The flywheel and anvil was previously located in the Hermitage Park on Sinclair Street. It was moved to the East Esplanade around 2009.
Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2019. Previously listed as 'Sinclair Street, Hermitage Park, Flywheel and Anvil'.
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
Other nearby listed buildings
