St Patrick's Rock

File:St Patrick's Rock & Light, River Clyde - low tide.jpg

St Patrick's Rock{{Cite book|last=Bruce|first=John|year=1893|title=History of the Parish of West or Old Kilpatrick|publisher=John Smith & Son|page=60}} or St Patrick's Stone{{Cite book|last=Moore|first=John|year=2017|title=The Clyde. Mapping the River|publisher=Birlinn|isbn=978-178027-482-9|page=195}} is located in the River Clyde (NS461724) close to the Erskine Bridge and the old Erskine Ferry on the Renfrewshire side of the river.{{cite web|title=Zoomable OS map 1944-1967, with Bing opacity slider|url=http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=19&lat=55.9203&lon=-4.4645&layers=170&b=3|website=National Library of Scotland|publisher=Ordnance Survey|access-date=12 October 2017}} It is reputedly the location from which the 16 year old Saint Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates whilst he was fishing.{{Cite book|last=Bruce|first=John|year=1893|title=History of the Parish of West or Old Kilpatrick|publisher=John Smith & Son|page=60}} The rock is covered at high tide and it is also the location of a navigation light known as St Patrick's Light.{{cite web| url=https://saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk/place.php?id=1373549053 |title= Saints in Scottish Place-Names| access-date=13 July 2018}}

History

Saint Patrick was born in Roman Britain in a place as yet unidentified with certainty. His father, Calpurnius, was a decurion. At the age of 16, Saint Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates whilst he was fishing and taken to Ireland where he remained as a captive for six years.{{Cite book|last=Bruce|first=John|year=1893|title=History of the Parish of West or Old Kilpatrick|publisher=John Smith & Son|page=60}} He eventually returned to Ireland where he had a major role in converting the Irish to Christianity.

The legend is said to have arisen or was first recorded in the 19th century.{{cite web| url=https://saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk/place.php?id=1373549053 |title= Saints in Scottish Place-Names| access-date=13 July 2018}} The Old Kilpatrick area began to be associated with Saint Patrick in the 10th century.{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1804669|title= The north jetty and St Patrick's Light| access-date=13 July 2018}}

His home was at a place known as 'Bannavem Taberniae' which the etymologists John Irving identifies with the local place name of Bonnaughton.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/notebook-irish-saint-born-west-2544187|title=Notebook Irish saint was born in West Dunbartonshire - Daily Record|date=16 November 2012 | access-date=13 July 2018}}

Description

File:St Patrick's Light on the River Clyde, Erskine.jpg

This small rock is exposed towards low tide and is partly covered by the navigation aid known as St Patrick's Light.{{cite web|url=https://saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk/place.php?id=1373549053 |title= Saints in Scottish Place-Names| access-date=13 July 2018}} Running down to the rock from the Renfrewshire shore is the remnants of the old North Jetty. It at present lies on the edge of the deeper waters of the River Clyde at this point that remain inundated even at low tide.

=St Patrick's Light=

St Patrick’s Light (NS 46109 72428) is of 20th century, post WWII{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1804669|title= The north jetty and St Patrick's Light| access-date=13 July 2018}} origin and stands atop a large cast iron gas cylinder which once fuelled the light until solar panels were added as an alternative power source.{{cite web|url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/350362/river-clyde-erskine-north-jetty|title=Canmore - North Jetty, Erskine| access-date=13 July 2018}}

=The North Jetty=

This ruinous jetty is around 60m in length and ends at St Patrick's Rock. It was constructed with a rubble core and once entirely surfaced by facing blocks. A narrow culvert once ran along the median line. The jetty once extended a further 20m and also had another navigation beacon at its terminus. The second beacon and jetty extension no longer exist.{{cite web|url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/350362/river-clyde-erskine-north-jetty|title=Canmore - North Jetty, Erskine| access-date=13 July 2018}} The jetty was one of a pair with the remnants of the other lying on the northern side of the Erskine Bridge.{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1804669|title= The north jetty and St Patrick's Light| access-date=13 July 2018}}

{{Location map

|UK Scotland

|relief = 1

|label = St Patrick's Rock

|position = left

|lat = 55.92

|long = -4.46

|mark =

|caption = Location of St Patrick's Rock, Renfrewshire

|width = 150

}}

Micro-history

Saint Patrick's church at Old Kilpatrick is said to have been built on a bed of Irish soil and the near by St Patrick's Well or the Trees Well provided water to the people of the town for many years, however it is now covered over.{{Cite book|last=Bruce|first=John|year=1893|title=History of the Parish of West or Old Kilpatrick|publisher=John Smith & Son|page=60}}

References

;Notes

;Sources

Bruce, John (1893). History of the Parish of West or Old Kilpatrick. John Smith & Son.
Moore, John (2017). The Clyde. Mapping the River. Edinburgh : Birlinn. {{ISBN|978-178027-482-9}}.