Within just a few years, this part of the Clyde went from being shallow enough to wade across at low tide to being seven feet deep.

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This caused the water flowing through it to move faster, which, in turn, resulted in an increase in scouring of the seabed. This increased erosion then permamently deepened the channel without the need for constant re-dregding.

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Due to the distances involved, dredging the channel wasn't a feasible option in the 1770s, so instead John Golborne designed and constructed a massive, 800 yard long, retaining wall to narrow the main channel.

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This meant ships could finally sail into the city itself and be unloaded on the Broomielaw rather than twenty miles to the west in Port Glasgow (after which goods needed to be transported to and from the city by cart).

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