Glasgow Green is one of the most loved green spaces of Glasgow and is the city’s oldest park. Built in the East end which was the ‘downmarket’ part of Glasgow in the days of yore… you can easily walk to Glasgow Green from the city centre. This beautiful park won a Green Flag award in 2011 confirming its high quality standards. There is a lot to do in Glasgow Green… you can view the River Clyde from several viewing platforms, walk on the pathways and kids can play in the play village and designated play areas. But by far the most outstanding attraction of the Glasgow Greens is the People’s Palace and the Winter Gardens (currently closed for renovation).
Originally meant as a museum for ‘the people’ in Glasgow and a clear diversification from the elegant structures that dominate Glasgow’s West End… the People’s Palace was built rebelliously on commoners ground i.e. the East End. The purpose is clear… a goal of chronicling the history of the city. This is why it’s rare to find any demonstrations of high art in the People’s Palace… it very much justifies its name by chronicling the tapestry of Glaswegians from the times of yore till the modern era.
It’s refreshing to see People’s Palace as there are no hard to interpret statues or impossibly sophisticated design schemes or exceptionally brilliant artwork… it has a home-grown down to earth yet fascinating vibe about it!! In fact the correct definition of People’s Palace would be the Social History Museum of Glasgow.
History
In the year 1450, Glasgow Green was gifted to the commoners of Glasgow by the Bishop Turnbull. In the congested Glasgow of yesterdays, this lovely green space gave citizens some free area to perform their routine tasks like bleaching linen, drying fish nets, washing and swimming. For a long time the park was the cities only green space and it saw many important events… In 1732 Glasgow’s first wash house (known as steamie) was built in the middle of a field. Around 1831 there were large scale protests on the Green with regard to the Reform Bill. Around 1888 the beautiful Doulton fountain was donated to Glasgow and later moved to the Greens.
Around 1889 Templeton’s Carpet Factory was completed and its outstanding design was based on Venice’s Dodge Palace. Unfortunately it collapsed in the same year killing many young women and girl workers and marking one of the most tragic events on the Green. Around 1920, the first football pitches appeared on the Greens. Many monuments, inscriptions and columns were erected on the Greens to celebrate outstanding achievements, events and victories over the years. Like most of Glasgow’s monuments and attractions the Greens were majorly renovated in 1996 for revitalisation.
In the recent past the grand Download Festival Scotland happened at the Greens (Metallica, Linkin Park and Slipknot performed here). The World Pipe Band Championships happen at the Glasgow greens and they are organised by the renowned National Piping Centre. The TRNSMT music festival, Great Scottish Run, Radio 1’s Big weekend have all been hosted here… it can be impartially said that this is the most inclusive and lively park of Glasgow. The TRNSMT festival in particular is one of the biggest events in Glasgow and happens in July each year. Most of the momentous events that happened in Glasgow Green are aptly represented inside the People’s Palace.
To appreciate the People’s Palace fully… you need to know a bit about the history of Glasgow. It was always a city with diverse communities besides being the biggest city in Scotland. Even in the 19th century only 20% of its citizens were natives and a large population of them had actually been born in Ireland (which explains why Irish pubs are popular in the city). By the end of the prosperous 19th century a large number of Lithuanians, Italians, Ukrainians, and Poles settled in the city. Many Asian immigrants made Glasgow their home too and the shipbuilding prosperity attracted scores of workers and professionals from different parts of the world.
The dialect of Glasgow (not surprisingly) was a mixture that many called vulgar and it acquired the nickname ‘Patter’. The humour of so many cultures amalgamated in the language and culture of the city and built the reputation of a humour friendly city. People’s Palace takes each aspect of Glasgow and celebrates this fully. Video displays of the Glaswegian language are proudly put up in the People’s Palace and the museum celebrates the ‘Patter’. Glasgow has many stories to tell and they include stories of entrepreneurs who made big money out of ship building and cotton industries. There are stories of protest movements, rallies and a strong voice of public. There are also exemplary stories of multiculturalism, humanity, humour and tolerance and the People’s Palace was built to showcase all of that.
The People’s Palace was built at a time when East End was unhealthy and packed to its brims with the working class. There was hardly any free recreational space physically or psychologically for the East-Enders and the People’s Palace was built with the express purpose of providing imagination and pleasure. The Palace was a gift to the commoners of Glasgow and was designed by the City Engineer Alexander B Mc Donald while the opening ceremony was conducted by Earl of Roseburry in 1898. Stories say that the bulk of the 32,000 pounds it took to build the building was provided by Caledonian Rail Company who wanted to build a tunnel under the green.
In the 1980’s a cat who made the People Palace her home shot to fame when she became a member of the General Municipal body… she gained huge media coverage and kept the building free from rodents.
In 2004 the ceiling dome of the museum was gifted with a series of paintings spread across 8 panels that were painted by Ken Currie. The theme is the history of Glaswegian workers from history to the present day. Note that the infamous Carlton Weavers mass killing of 1787 is well represented in these panels.
What to See & Do
Though the People’s Palace will probably take up most of your time when you are here, the Glasgow Greens has many other attractions. Look out for the impressive Grade ‘A’ listed Nelson Column that celebrates the naval victories of Viscount Horatio Nelson (dates back to 1806). You cannot miss this structure as it’s almost 143 feet tall. This is incidentally Britain’s first monument in honour of Nelson. Don’t forget to check out the Collins Fountain that was erected in 1881 by the supporters of William Collins. The fountain has William Collin’s figure standing upright on it and it stands right behind the Mc Lennan Arch.
The McLennan arch is also super impressive… after all it was designed by Glasgow’s leading designer duo James and Robert Adam. The centre of the piano nobile of the 1890 Assembly room at Ingram Street was remodelled to create this arch. Incidentally this arch was reconstructed twice. Then there is the St Andrews Suspension Bridge which is also a Grade ‘A’ listed monument that connects the park in the north to a part of the town named Hutchesontown. This 1854 dated bridge has antique deck, chains and Corinthian columns that are 20 feet high. This bridge was refurbished in 1997 and is easily one of the most beautiful parts of the Glasgow Green.
There is an enclosed play area called the Children’s Play Village. Lots of wood and metal play structures for kids (age 4 to 14) are available inside and there are cableway sets, climbing ropes, mobilis swing sets etc. inside. Another play area is set in the Glasgow Greens just adjacent to Greendyke street… this was recently added in 2000. This area has Galleon unit, see saw, lookout tower, double bay swing and hammocks inside.
Dassie green/ Mc Phun’s Park is yet another enclosed park area though this one is intended for families, adults and walkers. Grass, leafy trees, walkways and a war memorial grace this park that pays tribute to Robert Mc Phunn (former owner of Greenhead Sawmills). The war memorial pays tribute to soldiers and comrades who were killed in 1914 Great War while serving in different areas like Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine, France, Belgium and Mesopotamia.
The Time Spiral is very interesting and deserves a close look. Big upright rocks that hold plaques describing different events are arranged in a spiral through which visitors can literally take a walk through time. The rocks are old metaphoric rocks and will immediately pique a geologist’s interest!!
The James Watt Commemorative Stone is also a good stop for science lovers. The granite stone pays tribute to the famous James Watt… the instrument maker at Glasgow University’s Physics Department. Incidentally the Glasgow Green was his favourite place to take a walk.
James Martin Fountain
The James Martin Fountain was installed in 1883 and it was financed by friends of Bailie James Martin. The fountain has an octagonal cast iron canopy that’s supported on slender colonettes with inscriptions, river scenes and the Glasgow crest. There are garden birds, gryphons and an eagle perched above while the dome has deciduous tree canopies which camouflage life size owls.
This fountain was repaired by Heritage Engineering at Carstairs and the gryphons, eagle and banding were gilded with 24 karat gold. Lower accessible details were coated in gold paint and now it looks prettier than ever.
Doulton Fountain
Just outside People’s Palace is the lovely Doulton Fountain that’s the biggest terracotta fountain in the world and a great representation of the ornamental Ecole des Beaux style. With 46 feet height and a 70 feet base this fountain is made of terracotta and is decorated with figures of the Queen apart from groups from South Africa, Australia and Canada… all representing the British Empire. This is a category ‘A’ listed monument that was restored at the cost of 2 million pounds in 2002. The fountain was first displayed at Glasgow International Exhibition of Industry and Science in 1888 before being relocated here.
This was gifted to the city by Henry Doulton for the event of International Exhibition held in Kelvingrove Park in the year 1888. The fountain originally came to Glasgow Green in 1890 and then was operational till it fell into disrepair in the 1960’s. Restoration work happened to the Doulton in 2004 and the version which you will see now is the refurbished version. This version has state of the art technology, great lighting system, state of the art pump. The water cascades out from inside the water bear urns and lion heads in the 3 tiered fountain while the 12 submerged floodlights and 48 fingers of light radiate out and illuminate all important structural features of the fountain.
Hugh MacDonald Fountain
The memorial Fountain of Hugh MacDonald is small yet noteworthy for those who are familiar with the work of MacDonald who was a leading journalist of Glasgow. His book ‘Rambles around Glasgow’ was very popular and was reprinted several times. The fountain was established in 1881.
Templeton’s Carpet Factory
The Templeton’s Carpet Factory building is inspired by the Venetian Doge’s Palace. This Category ‘A’ listed building is made of red brick and terracotta and has many sculptured adorning its façade. The gable is adorned with lavish crockets. A plaque stands on the memorial garden that mourns the loss of lives when the structure collapsed. The plaque reads ‘Green buds, for the hope of tomorrow fair flowers, for the joy of today Sweet memory, the fragrance they leave us as time gently flows on its way’.
Incidentally the carpets of Templeton factory were world famous and they supplied carpets for the British coronations. Her majesty the Queen and the Edinburgh Duke paid visits to the factory and the trade flourished till 1979 after which the Scottish development agency made this a Business Centre. Right now residential blocks, restaurants and the West Microbrewery are housed inside. Nevertheless the building is as magnificent as ever and apprentice bricklayers still visit this site to study the building as part of their course.
The lovely red carpet factory building now has the modernistic West Brewery inside it. It’s a treat to take a tour of the microbrewery that manufactures fine German lagers and study the German Purity Law and their stringent production practices. The brewery offers 45 minutes tours that conclude with a tasting of the house lagers and wheat beers. You can even take lunch/ dinner in the restaurant above the brewery. Incidentally this once niche brewery now supplies more than 25000 hectolitres of beer to bars and restaurants in Scotland and other countries
Tours are usually offered at 6 pm on Fridays and 12 pm and 3 pm on Saturdays and only 3 pm on Sundays. They cost around 13 pounds per person. Book your brewery tour by calling 44 141 5500135 or emailing [email protected]. Find more information at West Brewery Website.
Drying Green
East of the Winter Gardens with the Templeton Factory in the background there is the drying green area which was used for household washing and drying till the year 1977.
People’s Palace
The People’s Palace is often referred to as the social history centre of Glasgow. The domed palace is spread across 3 floors and has a distinct French renaissance air about it. Pause for a while and note the allegorical figures decking it like the model boat (represents shipbuilding industry), open book and dividers (refers to Glasgow’s prowess in mathematical science), statue (competence in sculpture), Crown wheel and pulley (aptitude in engineering) and distaff (reference to the strong textile industry). Also note the three female figures representing science, arts and progress… they are positioned over the attic.
Look up when you enter through the main doorway… the arch has winged youths holding torches that has the Glasgow Crest. Most of the sculpture is the work of Kellock Brown… the same artist who sculpted the Thomas Carlyle monument in Kelvingrove Park. The building took about 30 years to be made and it’s important to remember that no other institution in those times tried to provide a concert hall, museum, picture gallery and winter garden in a single premise!!!
The Dome interiors have 8 large scale murals that are worth looking at in detail. These are all the work of Ken Currie and demonstrate events like Scottish labour history (Carlton weavers massacre, Reform act, basic rights, 19th century socialism, Red Clyde movement, 1932 Hunger Marchers, International Brigade etc.). Anyone interested in history will find these fascinating.
You will immediately notice that there is a large flight of stairs that lead up to the first floor. There is a series of areas on the first floor that showcase slices of life from the way Glaswegians lived. There is the Steamie which is Glasgow’s first public washing facility. Public Baths and washhouses first opened in the city in the latter half of 20th century. These had lots of stalls where women brought in their weekly washing. This was also unsurprisingly the town’s gossip hall and there was the phrase associated with it ‘you will be the talk of the steamie’. There is a good model of the stall space and displays of equipment that were used in that era.
There is another display called Barrowlands Ballroom ….you would probably have heard of it as its now well-known rock concert venue. Back in those times this was the best dance hall in Scotland and you can actually try out some of those old dance moves and check out outfits that were the rage in those times (basically swell suits and dresses in red and hot pink). You can try the Take your Pick box and see some objects linked to that array.
And there is Doon the Watter which enabled Glaswegians (in the 18th and the 19th centuries) to enjoy the seaside charms of Clyde Estuary.
The very first place you should go to is the Welcome Room on the first floor that always has some or the other workshop or exhibition on. One of the main exhibits in the Welcome Room is the John Knox painting ‘Glasgow Fair’ that shows the iconic Glasgow Fair on the Green.
The end of the first floor contains a flight of stairs that lead to the upper floor which has two wings and a central area that falls right under the dome of the building. One wing on this floor focuses on common aspects of the life of Glaswegians while the other wing focuses exclusively on housing schemes of closets, single ends and tenements of Glasgow.
Specially visit worthy is the Single End (housed in a special gallery). The reconstruction here shows a standard single roofed house that was typically owned by the 1930’s working Glaswegian… cooking, eating, sleeping and washing happened in the same room. Its revelation to watch the space deprived quarters and to hear an account of the lives of Glaswegians who lived in these Single ends. Scents common in these single ends were gas and carbolic acid and these are intelligently recreated here.
There is even a model of the Communal Cludgie or the toilet and notes about employment schemes and entertainment options for the commoners. The central area (under the dome) is a place where there is an assorted array of objects, impressions and images that seemingly see unrelated but when viewed in totality present a good snapshot of the busy and lively city that Glasgow always was.
Don’t forget to stop at the Glasgow People Palace shop which has a display that showcases Glasgow’s retail history. It’s funny to see those colourful jars of sweets and butter pats and quaint titbits.
Billy Connolly’s Banana Boots were designed for Glasgow comedian Billy Connolly by the famous pop artist Edmund Smith. The Music Hall in Aberdeen hosted the boot’s first public appearance on stage in August 1975. There is a display called ‘On the Green’ that shows how the Glasgow Greens came into existence and the tale behind Glasgow icons like Templeton carpet factory and Doulton fountain. Objects from the Iron Age and medieval times are also displayed here.
The People’s Palace offers free highlights tours that will take visitors across important exhibits of the museum. Time and availability of these tours keep on changing and you can know more by calling 0141 276 0788.
In addition there are object handling sessions when visitors are allowed to see, touch and handle museum objects from up close. These sessions happen on different dates… the details of which are updated on the museum website.
Like many other places in Glasgow, People’s Palace is friendly to people with special needs. There is a fully accessible toilet at the right hand side of the building. Guides and assistance dogs are welcomed whole heartedly and there are even water bowls provided to the dogs. Wheelchair and pram access is available to all public areas and free wheelchairs can be found for hire at the reception. There are six reserved spaces for visitors with disabilities (blue badge holders) at the free on street parking facility at Glasgow Green. For visitors with hearing disabilities a British Sign Language Introduction to the People’s Palace is available at this video link.
Besides this, it’s easy for families with small babies to visit the People’s Palace… there is a baby changing and baby feeding room.
Once you are done exploring the People’s Palace… stop for some bites and sips at the cute little ‘Coffee Stop’ on the ground floor of the palace (right next to the shop).
Open Hours
The people’s Palace is open from Monday to Thursday (and Saturday) from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. On Fridays and Sundays the People’s Palace is open from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
How To Reach
The People’s Palace Museum is a 15 minute walk away from Argyle Street, High Street and Bellgrove train stations. The Bridgeton station and Glasgow central station are also not too far from Glasgow Green.
You can also walk to the People’s Palace from the nearby St Enoch subway station and Buchanan street subway station… both are just 15 minutes of walk away. If you are taking a taxi to visit Arcadia Street then get dropped off at Arcadia Street. There are 4 taxi ranks servicing Glasgow Green and they are Glasgow Cross on London road, George Square, Albion Street and Central Station. If you are bringing your own car then the presence of 8 car parks within a 15 minute walking distance will be happy news for you. There are car parks on Albion Street, Montrose Street, King Street, Glass-ford Street, Duke Street, Glasgow Cross, and Dunlop Street.
The nearest bus stop is on London Road and bus services (First Bus) 18, 263 and 64 stop there. Another nearby bus stop is Gallowgate and bus numbers 2, 60, 61, 40 and 240 stop there.
Besides the WEST brewery restaurant, Glasgow Green is near to a number of good restaurants and cafes. There is Café Source that’s a nice British café and Trans Europe Café that serves up a true blue Scottish/ British café. Then there is King street which has Shwarma King and Mono Café Bar. For a nice fancy meal you can check into the Madha on Albion City (Merchant City) or the Cossachok Restaurant on King Street Merchant City. For the best pizza around here you can go to Romans Pizzeria & Bar.
Saltmarket has a couple of great places like Damasquino Restaurant and Café and the Central Café. If you feel like catching a music show later then the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall is about 400 meters away from the Glasgow green. Or for a completely different experience you can check out the Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre. The Lovely St. Andrews church is a mere 15 meters away so that can be another stop on your schedule.
Address: The People’s Palace, Glasgow Green
Templeton Street G40 1AT
Phone: 0141 276 0788; Email: [email protected]; Website
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.