IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Main Street, ALEXANDRIA, G83 9JU

John Neill's 1912 book "Records and Reminiscences of Bonhill Parish" offers, on page 43, an explanation for the name Jamestown. I cannot vouch for its correctness, but it is worth quoting here, for interest: "In 1773 a schoolhouse was erected at Dam of Balloch, now called Jamestown, from the fact that three feuars whose individual Christian name was James, had each built a house there."

The stone structure shown at the centre of the photograph is more visible than usual after a period of dry weather, which had lowered the Leven's level. It is a "skimmer", directing some of the flow of the river into a lade. In this case, the lade served Dalmonach Print Works (for which, see Image). For other examples on the River Leven, see Image and Image

Most of the six mile length of the River Leven can be seen in this photo which was taken from a Glasgow bound flight from Newark USA.

These are caused by the gall midge species Dasineura urticae. They are pale green to purple, and have a slit-shaped opening (usually on the upper surface; see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/992628 for an example). When the photo was taken, this gall was very common on the nettles growing alongside the cycle route between Renton and Balloch. For another common gall on nettles that is caused by a fungus rather than an insect, see: Image

(Ranunculus sp.) The level of the river was low, making it easier to approach the plants, and causing the long stems to trail horizontally. The common name Water-crowfoot does not apply to just one species, but to several different ones that are superficially alike.

Levenbank is a housing development, built in the last few years on what had previously been the site of Image Behind the photographer's position, the former site of Image is now occupied by part of the same development (for other views of the now-demolished structures that used to be here, see Image and Image). See also Image, a view from the other side of the river.

Main Street Bonhill, Bradleys Garage, white building now demolished and Greigs Mill in background.

Viewed across the River Leven from the A813 south of Jamestown. See http://lochlomondbrewery.com/about-us .

View of the River Leven and Dalmonoch Works which has now been demolished

The first-edition OS map (surveyed in 1860) shows the Croftengea Print Works in this general area, although the large buildings shown here were not yet present. These works later merged with the Levenfield Works, which were just to the north, to form the Alexandria Works. The equivalent OS map surveyed c.1897 shows this site as "Alexandria Works (Printing and Dyeing)", and the buildings shown in this view were then present. Because of the surrounding wall, they cannot be seen very well other than from a distance, as in a view of Image For another view of the blocked-up old entrance in front of the buildings, see Image The present picture was taken from near the southern end of Image (Image).