An excursion into Long Exposure Photography on some local Timber Pond’s that were set up along the southern shore of the River Clyde in the early days of wooden shipbuilding, occupying a 3mile stretch of shoreline between Port Glasgow and Langbank. The industry required vast quantities of thoroughly seasoned timber, and with shipyards occupying most of the shore line from central Greenock to eastern Port Glasgow, demand was prodigious.The ponds prevented the timber from floating away and allowed the logs to be organised according to type, length of seasoning.

Timber Ponds were set up along the southern shore of the River Clyde in the early days of wooden shipbuiling, occupying the area between Port Glasgow and Langbank. The industry required vast quantities of thoroughly seasoned timber, and with shipyards occupying most of the shore line from central Greenock to eastern Port Glasgow, demand was prodigious.

The ponds prevented the timber from floating away and allowed the logs to be organised according to type, length of seasoning, and ownership. Extreme weather could result in the logs breaking free of the ponds, closing the river until they were recovered. Remnants of the timber ponds still exist in the lines of vertical wooden posts sticking out of the mud, and rectangular areas can still be seen in aerial views of the surrounding riverbed.