Visit
Explore Jenny’s Well Nature Reserve – your pocket of perfection along the White Cart Water.
Explore Jenny’s Well Nature Reserve and you’ll discover many species of birds, trees, wild flowers and orchids. If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot the small group of resident deer. Also, while wandering along the banks of the river, keep your eyes peeled for otters, eels, kingfishers and herons.
Although it’s not as high as the Gleniffer Braes, you get a totally different view of Paisley from Jenny’s Well. When the view opens up, you can spot mill buildings, towers and tenements.
It’s a hidden slice of peaceful calm, popular with locals looking for a bit of peaceful nature. With benches dotted around the trails, and lots of wildlife to spot – Jenny’s Well is a great place to explore.
Walking and riding
There are two main routes for you to explore within the reserve. Both are short and rated as easy walks. The northen loop takes you on gravel paths through woodland and down to Telford’s bridge. The southern loop is mainly on tarmac and explores natural ponds and tree-lined paths. There are route descriptions for both loops available on All Trails.
Sustrans National Cycle Network Routes 7 and 75 run directly through the reserve. You can follow the route east towards Glasgow or west into Renfrewshire and beyond.
You’ll find the terrain is generally flat, with a mixture of tarmac, gravel surfaces and gentle undulations. However, there are some steeper gradients on the trails which head down to the river.
If you’re interested in an adventure, Jenny’s Well Nature Reserve is one of the stops on our 12 parks of Paisley walking route. A challenging day out, the route is a big circular walk exploring some of Paisley’s best viewpoints and green spaces.
Jenny’s Well History
Jenny’s Well is a nature reserve with an industiral past. In the 19th Century, the site was heavily quarried for limestone and whinstone. After this, part of the area was used as a landfill, with other parts being used for allotments. However, in 1996 it was designated as a nature reserve, with funding from Renfrewshire Council and support from partners and the community.
While exploring the reserve, you might see the remains of a red brick building and chimney tower. This was the Jenny’s Well Laundry Co. While not a lot of information is available about the laundry, it is recorded as still being in use in 1911, and is thought to have had a connection to the Anchor Mill complex in Seedhill.
On the northen loop you get a great view of a Grade A Listed bridge. It was designed by famous civil engineer Thomas Telford, who is well reguarded as one of Scotland’s most successful engineers. The viaduct was originally built as an aqueduct for the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal in 1806. However, when the canal closed in 1881, the bridge was converted for trains. It currently carries the Paisley Canal railway line to and from Glasgow.
Get involved
If you enjoy exploring Jenny’s Well and live locally, you can get involved and help maintain it for others. The Friends of Jenny’s Wells Facebook group is for anyone with an interest in the area. Run by volunteers, the group organises litter picks, community events and has a wealth of knowledge on things to see in the reserve.