Celebrations took place on the afternoon of Saturday, 31 July to mark the opening of the Claypits Glasgow Inner City Reserve at Hamiltonhill in the north of the city.  Local residents, community groups and politicians turned up for a fun-filled day.

The Claypits is a 6.7-hectare green space, home to an array of plants, trees and wildlife including roe deer, peregrine falcons, whitethroat warblers and a host of waterfowl.

Originally the home of a clay quarry used when the Forth and Clyde Canal was first built in the late 1700s, it was also the site of a foundry, glassworks and boat-building yard.

The community festival, which ran from 10am until 2pm, offered visitors the chance to take to the water and try their hand at paddle boarding as well as visit one of the city’s narrowboats to see first-hand what it’s like to live on water.

A series of nature walks through the reserve also offered visitors the opportunity to see the fauna and flora the area has to offer. 

New pathways, boardwalks and the Garscube pedestrian bridge that connects the west and east sides of the canal north of Applecross Basin provide access to the Claypits. As well as wildlife, the Claypits also offers spectacular views over the city.

The new Garscube Link Pathway provides an accessible ramp, stairs and even boasts a set of big and small slides that connect the canal to Garscube Road.

The little and large slide, dubbed the mummy and baby slide, proved a big hit at Saturday’s opening with visitors including local comedian Janey Godley. 

May Simpson, Locality Engagement Officer, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), worked with the team developing the Garscube Link.

May said: “The Garscube link connects Woodside Health and Care Centre to the Forth and Clyde canal bank and the new pedestrian bridge that leads to the Claypits Nature Reserve, allowing staff and visitors to Woodside Health and Care Centre access to this wonderful green space on their doorstep. The HSCP funding via the Green Exercise Partnership contributed to the pathway development and artwork weaved into the stones and structures of the link in collaboration with the Alasdair Gray Archive producing a series of four new public artworks.”

The Claypits projects, totalling £8.8m and which includes the Nature Reserve, have been funded by Sustrans, Glasgow City Council (Vacant and Derelict Land Fund), NatureScot (Green Infrastructure Challenge Fund - Lups), Central Scotland Green Network, Scottish Canals and Green Exercise Partnership (via Glasgow City HSCP). It’s a critical part of North Glasgow’s ongoing regeneration. Associated key partners to the project include the Scottish Government via Queens Cross Housing Association and The Glasgow Canal Regeneration Partnership.

The site will be managed on behalf of the community by a group of dedicated local volunteers, The Claypits Local Nature Reserve Management Group. The group will promote the area and maintain the green space to benefit the community.