Sugar Shed Reflections

This afternoon I was over at the James Watt Dock in Greenock. In between the showers I managed to take a few shots of the Sugar Sheds reflected in this large puddle. I love the soft warm colours.

The first commercial sugar refinery opened in Greenock in 1850 and by 1864 almost a quarter of Britain’s sugar refineries were located in Greenock and Port Glasgow. By the late 19th century the sugar trade was booming with up to 400 ships arriving at Greenock ports each year from the Carribean. The most famous of these refineries, Tate & Lyle, was formed in 1921 and operated successfully in the town until its closure in 1997. The large warehouse at James Watt Dock Marina was used for the storage of raw and processed sugar – this category A-listed structure is known locally as the ‘Sugar Shed’.

There are a number of projects that have been setup to secure the future of the Sugar Sheds.

A campaign to ensure that Greenock's historic Sugar Sheds are put to good use in a way that involves the community that they were built for.

Absent Voices has been devised to explore and preserve in words, pictures, song and sound, the legacy of Greenock’s once mighty sugar industry.

By telling the story of Greenock’s historic sugar sheds, the eight artists and musicians involved in Absent Voices aim to find a fitting creative use for this historic category A-listed building.