C80 (Inverclyde)

This article is about the Class III road numbered C80 maintained by Inverclyde Council.
For other roads numbered C80, see C80.

The C80 starts on the A770, Cardwell Road near the boundary between Greenock and Gourock and heads east along Newark Street. After the initial diverge, it runs roughly parallel with the A770 as the two roads curve to the south east, Newark Street becoming Union Street along the way. As the C80 reaches Greenock Town Centre, it doglegs left at George Square onto Kilblain Street. Previously, this street connected through to the A78 at the roundabout, but the redevelopment of the bus station means that only buses can now do this, and the C80 now terminates at a turning head next to the roundabout.

Route

Newark Street

The A770 is to the left of the Old Toll House, the C80 begins in the forecround

Mature trees are a feature of Newark Street

The Old Toll House stands on a gushet formed by the junction of the A770, Eldon Street and the C80, Newark Street. The first 100m section is one way only, heading west. Eastbound access from the A770 is gained from a short one way section of the C81, Lyle Road, 100m to the east.

Tree Lined for much of it's way (with mature trees actually growing on the road), Newark Street is a low density residential street, consisting of housing types ranging from council houses to large mansions. Parking bays on both sides of the road provide some protection from the trees, some of which have been painted with white bands in the past to make them more visible.

Fort Matilda railway station is seen on the right shortly after crossing Lyle Road as the street climbs gradually past Fort Matilda's tennis and rugby clubs before levelling out at Wood Street, near the Sir Gabriel Woods Mariners' Home. From Wood Street, the terrain is fairly flat and the road broad and dead straight until it becomes Union Street at the junction with Bedford Street. Shortly before Bedford Street, the brownfield site of the former Greenock Academy building is passed on the right.

The notable buildings on Newark Street are Fort Matilda railway station, Sir Gabriel Woods Mariners' Home and Finnart St Paul's Church, all of which are Listed buildings.

Union Street & George Square

Union Street at the Tontine Hotel, Ardgowan Square

The transition from suburb to town centre begins at Union Street. The housing is of a higher density than that of Newark Street as mansions give way to Townhouses and tenements, some of which have been converted to business uses, such as solicitors and employment agencies, although commercialism in the form of shops and offices is much more prevalent to the east of Ardgowan Square.

The disused Princes Pier railway line is crossed on a narrowed and weight restricted bridge just before the junction with Robertson Street.

Union Street ends surrounded by churches at George Square, where the roundabout has been replaced by a channelised junction at Nelson Street and Kilblain Street.

In addition to six churches, the notable buildings (all on Union Street) are the Tontine Hotel, the Mansion House and the MacLean Museum.

Kilblain Street

The north side of Kilblain Street

Kilblain Street has been greatly modified since the town centre redevelopment of the early 1970s and all of the buildings on the street have been constructed since then.

The most notable feature is the bus station which now stands on the south side of the street for much of its length, opposite an early 1970s row of shops which stands on the north side of the street. A multi-storey car park stands disused on the north side of the street at George Square.

As there is no vehicular access from Kilblain Street to the roundabout on the A78 at Inverkip Street, the street is now effectively a service road for the shops (including some on West Stewart Street) and for Kilblain Court, which is a high rise apartment block.