The History of South Victoria Docks Road & Riverside Esplanade
Dundee's Waterfront during the 15th century
During the 15th Century, Dundee’s waterfront was transformed from a concave sloping gravel beach into an open harbour, consisting of two basins. The harbour provided the loading and monitoring of ships for the trade market and became a causeway, leading to the market square. The docks were key to the start of Dundee’s industrialisation.
However, these docks became prone to silting, so were change into wharves, which suited the increase in size of ships, as technology advanced.
The docks closest to the city centre were infilled in 1962, to create landfall area for the Tay Road Bridge, leaving Victoria docks in light use.
Surrounding the docks were ship building yards, leather tanneries, cooperage, sawmills, timber yards, oil and gas works (still working today), cattle / fish depots, foundry and engine works. The main city bordered the docks. The jobs and money created by the docks helped activities and industry within the city centre. As streets widened and later formed into market squares, it brought an opportunity for trading.
Past Waterfront Proposals
In the early 1900s, James Thomson proposed a new Dundee City Hall with gardens on the site of the old Earl Grey Dock, where Slessor Gardens is currently situated.
However, it was never constructed as the proposal was seen to be too expensive and grand for the city. It was agreed that constructing such an extravagant building would have been trying to make Dundee something it isn’t.
Loss of Heritage - Chandlers Lane
Chandlers Lane is one of the oldest and most historic street in the waterfront area. In the 1800s, the buildings on the west side were the harbour workshops and on the east side there were offices and the workshop of the Panmure shipyard. All the buildings on Chandlers Lane have now been converted into private homes. However, in recent years modern flats have enveloped this site as they’ve been positioned right next to Chandlers Lane which overshadows, dwarfs and hides these historic buildings.
Loss of Heritage - Dundee's Royal Arch
The Royal Arch construction was completed in 1850 and stood at the harbour’s entrance. In 1964 it was decided that to make way for the new Tay Road Bridge landing the Royal Arch was to be demolished, along with the filling of the docks. Therefore, Dundee’s waterfront lost a lot of its heritage and character.
Tay Road Bridge
Before the Tay Road Bridge was constructed (in 1964), the transport of goods and the movement of people was by water. After the bridge was opened in 1966, it brought traffic straight into the city centre.
