Harvie's Dyke: Glasgow's Forgotten Triumph

Hear from prof Chris Whatley about one of Glasgow's most astonishing tales.

In the early 1820s, Thomas 'Lang Tam' Harvie, a wealthy Glasgow distiller, bought the estate of Westthorn in Dalmarnock.

He soon set about building huge walls to mark his property.

One of these, known as Harvie’s Dyke, ran down to the edge of the Clyde, blocking a long-established public pathway along the north bank of the river.

On Midsummer’s Eve in 1823, a great crowd from the surrounding villages gathered to tear down the hated wall.

Their actions sparked a six-year struggle that culminated in a landmark ruling in the House of Lords; one that defended and defined our rights to public pathways.