A Brief History

Govan is situated opposite the confluence of the RiversClyde and Kelvin. h was once surrounded by fertile landsand woods. The place name of Govan has its roots inCehic with similar words found in both Gaelic and Welsh(British). Gofan, Gowain, Gwvane, Govaine, Gohan andGoven translate to mean Smith or Land of the Smith.Govan may have been named for its reputation as anarea where metal was worked. lndeed the presence ofDoomster Hill and the round shaped graveyard of GovanOld Parish Church wouldsuggest that there was a com-munity long before the Romansarrived.

The ecclesiastical history ofGovan dates back to the earlymonastery founded by StConstantine around 565 AD.Constantine was acontemporary of Columba andKentigern. He wayeputed tobe a Cornish Kinf, althoughrecent historians prefer lrish orScottish origins. The date ofhis Martyrdom was around596AD.

It was not until around 1147 lhal the name of Govan washistorically recorded when King David I gave to thechurch ol Glasgu,'Guven'with its 'marches free and clearforever'. lt was during this period that the church inGovan was made a prebend (an associated church) ofGlasgow Cathedral in or around 'l 153.

Govan was primarily a fishing and farming community,although by the l6th Century there were extensive coalmine workings in the Craigton and Drumoyne areas.

The village grew as new trades and crafts were

established such as weaving, silk manufacture, potteryand the dyeing of cotton. The Govan Weavers Societywas lormed in 1756 as a guild of master weavers. TheSociety held an annual parade on the first Friday of June,known as Govan Fair Day.

After the Treaty of Union in 17O7 and the increase in thetobacco trade with America, Glasgow merchants realisedthe need to bring the raw materials of commerce closerto the city.

ln 1759, the Clyde Navigation Act was passed and thetask of deepening the river began, allowing larger shipsto make their way up the Clyde ro the Ciry Cenrre.lmprovements to the steam engine and the spread of thelndustrial Revolution were to change Govan dramatically.ln 1841, Robert Napier laid out his shipyard and the firstof the Cunarders was launched. ln the decades thatfollowed, other yards were laid out and Govan came tothe forefront ofthe lndustrialRevolution.

During the 68years from1 836 to I 904,Govanexpandeddramaticallyfrom a villageof 2,122people to a town of 90,908 people. ln 1864, inrecognition of its importance as a centre of commerceand industry, Govan, a 'Iown' of some 9,058 people, wasgranted burgh status by the Sheriff of Lanarkshire. ALord Provost was elected and a Town Clerk and a ChiefMedical Officer were appointed. The Govan Coat ofArms with the motto 'Nihil sine Labore'-'Nothingwithout Labour'was adopted. As the industries grew,waves of lrish immigrants and Gaelic speakingHighlanders moved to Govan to meet the ever increasingdemand for a larger workforce. Govan became the fifthlargest burgh in Scotland and stretched from Kelvinsideto Cathcart. ln 1912, Govan was annexed to Glasgow.

Many Govanites thought that it should have been theother way around.

Heavy engineering industries and the Clydeside shipyardscontinued to employ tens of thousands of men andwomen, but as fte orders for new ships declined and theprosperity of thetraditional industrieslevelled-off, the growthof Govan slowed.

After World War ll, thedecline of shipbuildingand the general demiseof the heavy engineering industries brought a fall in thepopulation of Govan. The face of Govan began tochange as a consequence of the 1960's ComprehensiveDevelopment Area regeneration programmes. Some olthe shipyards were redeveloped and new housing layoutswhich replaced older slum housing, realigned street lay-outs. Some streets disappeared altogether. Govan'sfirst housing association, Central Govan HousingAssociation is now 30 years old. lt pioneered many newinitiatives in urban planning.

Shipbuilding on the Clyde

Mackie & Thomson Shipyard c. l912

1.

2.3.4.5.6.7.B.9.10.I t.12.13.

14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.

UNDERGROUND STATIONAITKEN MEMORIAL FOUNTAINNEW GOVAN PARISH CHURCHDOOMSTER HILLWATER ROWBANK OF SCOTLANDPEARCE INSTITUTE.BLACK MAN'BRECHIN'S PUBGOVAN OLD PARISH CHURCHST ANTHONY'S CATHOLIC CHURCHLYCEUM THEATREBAe SYSTEMS (FORMERLYFATRFTELDS)ELDER PARKK-]3 MEMORIALTHE PORTICOISABELLA ELDER STATUETHE DAPHNE MEMORIALJOHN ELDER STATUEELDER PARK LIBRARYHILIS TRUST SCHOOLTSB BANKGOVAN'S FIRST TOWN HALLNAPIER HOUSECOSSAR BUILDINGGOVAN DRY DOCKSGOVAN TOWN HALLPRINCES DOCKGLASGOW SCIENCE CENTRE

Govan Cross. c.l9'18

ln December 1896, the Glasgow District SubwayCompany, opened a 'subterranean railway'- or'subway'- with n,rro circular tunnels which ran for nearly sevenmiles to serve 15 stations.

Designed and engineered by D:ivitl Morton, it wasunique in that it was the world's only undergroundpassenger transport system with a cable between eachtrack to haul the trams.

It was purchased $r the Glasgow Corporation in 1922and electrified in 1gga. lt is now part of the StrathclydeTransport system and is still a convenient and widelyused means of transport within the City. A replica of partof the subway and carriages are on display at theMuseum of Transport.

fuss Go,tfi Roa{frrm ldtad rfrkto tlre qme.

Doctor John Aitken was appointed as the first MedicalOfficer of Health in the newly formed Burgh of Govan in1864. This memorial of a domed cast-iron drinkingfountain was erected in 1884 by the people of Govan astestimony to Dr Aitken's worthy character and the caringcontribution he made to the wellare of the community.

Cover Photo.Fairlields litting-out basin c.l 9I 2Fairy, Argonaut, Hermes, Carisbrook (as the Regele Carol), Atmah

Looking north towards the riverfrom the Aitken MemorialFountain wm the site of theDoomster Hill and to your rightis New Gorran Church.

Originally called St Mary's Free Church, New GovanParish Church stands close to the site of the ancientDoomster Hill. Buih in 1873 by architect Robert Baldiein a Gothic style, it has an imaginative interior with noseat further than ten rows from the front. New GovanParish Church has absorbed the congregations of StKiaran's Dean Pa*, St Columba's Summertown Road,Copland Road and Fairfield Churches.

Its exact origin is lost in the mists of time, but is first usewas probably as a barrow, an artilicial pre-Christian burialmound of which there are many examples foundthroughout Britain.

Doomster Hill was sited beside what was a very shallowpart of the River Clyde. This area was a natural crossing

point for the river. lt may have been used by the Romansand others to guard and tax any movement of people orgoods crossing the river. lt may also hrye served as a1aw hill', a moot or a place of resembly, wherejudgements and punishment were administered.

Water Rorv c.1850

Water Row was a lane leading down to a ford andstepping stones across the river to Partick. By the l6thCentury, a ferryman was takinf p"msengers from one sideto the other. Soon the'Ferrie Bote lnn'was establishedas a staging post for horse drawn coaches to Renfrervand beyond. By the 17th and 1 8th Centuries, there werestonebuilt, thatched fishermen's cottages lining the lane.

Across the square from New Govan Parish Church standsthe Bank of Scotland at the comer oI Govan Road andWater Row. This was originally built for the British LinenBank from a design by Salmon, Son & Gillespie in1897-1900, underlining the importance of the weavingindustry in the community.

Its architectural free style includes a tall narrow cornerbay topped with an open crown on the roof. Above theentrance to the Bank, there is a carved ship completewith a tiny figurehead with its sail being filled by wingedwind gods.

Fnn tlp Mr ol W hfr10, Mlhn hv fui M b Pr.ra lrrzl yourf annna dp ba ffim,

The Pearce lnstitute was designed by Sir R. RowandAnderson and opened in 1906.

The building was gifted to the people of Govan for use asa community centre by Lady Pearce in memory of herhusband, Sir William Pearce. lt is a combination ofDutch and Scottish Renaissance architecture. lts exteriorfeatures are crow stepped gables, a tower with abalconied cupola, oriel windows, a clock and fully riggedsailing ship finial. The Macleod Hall has a magnificentorgan, stage and gallery. The original Reading Roomwas the Lithgow Theatre, used by many communitygroups. There was also a dining room, kitchens, a billiardroom as well as many other rooms.

Directly across the street from the Pearce lnstitute is thestatue of Sir William Pearce. The statue is known locallyas the 'Black Man' (due to the bronze being discolouredand tarnished by the elements).

Designed by Onslow Ford and erected in 1894 the statueis a tribute to a man who, along with the Elders andNapiers, did much to make the Clyde the greatestshipbuilding river the world has ever known.

Born in 1833 in Kent, WilliamPearce trained in the RoyalDockyards in Chatham as ashipbuilder. ln 1863 he came tothe Clyde and became the generalmanager at Robert Napier andSon. He joined the firm of JohnElder and Co (later Fairfields) in1869 and nine years later becamethe sole proprietor. He realisedthe need for fast passengertransport between Europe andNorth America and under hissupervision at Fairfield was builtsome of the fastest and mosttechnologically advanced ships ofthe era. (See 13). ln 1885 hebecame Govan's first Member ofParliament.

Statue olSir William Pearce

John Cardellwas anenthusiastic worker for thecause of tempeh/nce in the1880s, when it was said therewas a pub at every streetcorner in Govan. The CardellHall was built in 1894 asheadquarters for temperanceworkers. By the 1900s, thetemperance movement wason the wane due to stricterlicensing laws and a more enlightened attitude towardsstrong drink. The Cardell Hall eventually closed.lronically, today the ground floor is a public house.

0n the Burleigh Street side of the building if you look upon the wall, you will see a carving of a cat. h is said thatships bringing flax from Europe for the Govan Weaversalso brought with them plagues of rats. These rats madetheir way to Govan Cross where there was a common

Pearce lnstitute

'midden' (communal refuse dump). They were sonumerous and ferocious that even the local dogsavoided the area. One day a large cat appeared on thescene and it began picking off the rats until only the'King Rat'was left. The battle that followed left bothanimals mortally wounded, but the spirit of the cat isimmortalised on the wall.

Wad<mw Gown Rdlfin Minb h.tb,younil morcatc altane oIhanOldPaidlOM*L

To the right of the entrance gate is a memorial to themen and women ol Govan who gave their lives duringthe two World Wars.

The shape and size of the Graveyard points to theimportance of Govan and its Christian community in the9th and lOth Centuries. h is the only part ofpre-industrial Govan to survive and contains 17th, l Sthand l gth Century gravestones. A walk through thegraveyard will reveal the changing nature of the tradesand crafts of olg Govan as both agricultural andindustrial revolutions altered the environment, thecommunity and its way of life.

The present Church is at least the fourth parish churchto be buih in this ancient graveyard. lt was designed bySir R Rowand Anderson (who also designed the Pearcelnstitute), and erected 1884-88 under the ministry ofDr John Macleod (after whom the Macleod Hall in thePearce lnstitute was named). The design of this church

transformed Scos Presbyterian churchplanning towards the end of the lastCentury and the early years of thisCentury.

The important collection of stainedglass is unusual because one mancontrolled the choice of subject matterand selection of artists, theminister Dr John Macleod. Thewindows in the Steven Chapel are byHeaton, Butler & Bayne, Burlison &Grylls and Clayton & Bell. Shrigley &Hunt made the windows for theBaptistry. All the magnificent windowsin the main church are by Charles E

Kempe.

Also within the church are 30 sculpted stones (including5 hogback stones that suggest Viking settlement in the'lOth Century). Thecollection includes the shafts of four free-standing

The Sarcophagus

crosses. Among these are the 'Cuddy Stane', a man onhorseback, possibly an early representation of Christriding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the Sun Stone,which has on one side a carving of the pictish man withhis sword and spears looking up to the cross and on theother side carvings of snakes chasing after one anothe6and the Govan Cross, of which only the shaft survives,the upper half probably disappearing during theReformation. The Govan Sarcophagus, a beautifullycarved shrine coffin, is one of the most historically

Govan Old Parish Church. c.I990

esteemed mediaeval relics in the West of Scotland. Thisunique collection gives Govan one of the mostremarkable collections of early Christian sculptures inScotland.

Down the centuries, theChristian community inGovan has been led bya remarkable series ofmen of faith and vision,some of whom madean enormouscontribution to the whole country. By tradition, the earlymediaeval monastery on this site was founded by StConstantine, King and Martyr.

The Reformel Andrew Melville (1577-80) who pioneeredthe Presbyterian structure of the Church of Scotland wasMinister here before his appointment as Principal of StAndrew's University. He was the first of four ReformedMinisters of Govan who became Principal of GlasgowUniversity.

The liturgical and theological pioneer; John Macleod(1875-98) had this church built. George F Macleod(Lord Macleod of Fuinary) [1930-38) made an impactthat is still feh today and on leaving Govan founded thelona Communiry which has made distinctive enumenicalcontributions to issues of peace and justice worldwide.

Mnnb fuan MdilnM dght

St Anthony's CatholicParish Church wasfirst established in1864. ltscongregation grewdue to the large i

ol immigrans fromlreland and theHighlands. Thepresent church was built in 1879 from a design by JohnHoneyman. lt is an unusual ltalian Romanesque stylewith polychrome stonework. However, its exterior doeslittle to prepare one for the magnificence of the interiorwhich includes giant Corinthian columns in the nave anda marble lined apse.

The Lyceum was originally designed as a music hall. ln1899 it was opened by the Royal Carl Rosa OperaCompany with a performance of 'Carmen' before anaudience of 3,O0}headed by Govan Lord ProvostKirkwood and the Govan Town Council. By 1912, theLyceum was established as one of Scotland's leadingpicture houses and variety theatres. lt became a full timecinema in 1923, but was destroyed by fire in 1937.Designed by C J McNair the new Lyceum with 2,000seating capacity was one of the new super cinemaswhich became so popular in the 1930s and 1940s andled to Glasgow being known as'Cinema City'. With issweeping curve around the cornel it is one of the finestremaining examples of the type built in that era.

The Shipyard Drawing Rooms/ffices

Ahhough not the oldest of the Govan shipyards, this yard,(formerly Fairfields), still is at the forelront of shipbuildingtechnology. lt wm at this shipyardthat the pupils of Napieq Elder andPearce helped to make the RiverClyde and the term 'Clydebuih'renowned the world over forexcellence and durability. ln 1864,part of the Fairfield Farm waspurchased by John Elder, anengineer and Charles Randolph, amillwright, for the laying out of anewshipyard. Their combinedtalens established a yard that hasbeen continuously building shipsfor over 128 years. Under thecompany name of Randolph, Elderand Company, ships using theirnewly patentedcompound steamengine were able to travel greater distances, using30-40% less coal. ln 1869, Charles Randolph retiredand John Elder became sole proprietor

After John Elder's untimely death in 1869, Mrs Elderarranged a partnership with her brother J F Ure, J L KJamieson and Wlliam Pearce and the name of thecompany was changed to John Elder and Company, inhis memory.

ln the ensuing years, the control of the Company cameunder the sole guidance of William Pearce. Hedeveloped new business opportunitieswith the creation of a new class oftransport ships. The first of theseAtlantic Greyhounds', the SS Arizona,won the coveted 'Blue Riband', initiatedby William Pearce, awarded for the fastesttime between Britain and New York.ln1885 he reorganised the yard andrenamed it the Fairfield Shipbuilding &Engineering Co Ltd. 0n his death threeyears late6 its control passed to his son,Sir William George Pearce who led thecompany to its greatest period ofprosperity. He died in 1907 and the yardwas acquired by the NorthumberlandShipping Company which continued until1935, when it was purchased by Sir John Henry Lithgowfor the Lithgow Group. h continued under theirleadership until 1965 when the rbc"eivers were called inas Glasgow's biggest shipbuilder faced bankruptry. Theevents that followed proved to be a turning point forClyde shipbuilding and indeed for British shipbuilding asa whole.

.2ln 1966, the Government intervened and set up a newcompany, Fairfields which was backed by Government,private industry and the Labour unions. The'FarifieldExperiment' brought together management andemployees in a way hitherto unknown in Clydesideshipbuilding,'No more Bowlers and Bunnets'. (Bowlesbeing the management and Bunnets being thetradesmen, who had an adversarial relationship).

ln 1967, the Government proposed amalgamating all ofthe Shipyards on the upper Clyde (Brown, Connel,Stephen, Fairfields and Yarrow). The group becameknown as the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders or UCS. Whatappeared to be a good solution in theory was in realiryunworkable as each yard specialised in building differentkinds of ships.

Yarrow withdrew in 197'l and UCS collapsed and went

A Shipwight

into liquidation. ln July of that yeal the workers staged awork-in which lasted for 14 months after which a newmerger took place and Govan Shipbuilders was born.The yard limped along until 1977 when it was nation-alised by the Govemment.

ln 1988, the yard was purchased by the NonregianCompany Kvaemer who brought in new methods of shipconstruction putting the former Fairfield Yard once againat the forefront of shipbuilding technology. The yard isnow owned by BAe Systems.

OB fut Bd st qfr fu N( @ dE hilnsy drol

Elder Park was presented to the people of Goran by Mrslsabella Elder as a memorial to her husband, John Elder.

Part of the original Fairfield Farm, which is somethirty{ive acres and wm laid out by John Honeyman,was opened by Lord Rosebery on 27 June 1885.ln donating the park, Mrs Elder followed the tradition of

many Glmgow merchants and industrialists who gaveland for the recreation and enjoyment of their workerswhich provided respite from their grim and oftenunhealtlry living conditions.

As yat p tlroqh tln g*, you uill mns a rhe Ka 3 MamfuL

It was erected by the employees and management ofFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Comparry as atribute to the thirty-one men who died when the K-I3, asteam powered submarine, sank during its trials in theGareloch.

Buih at Fairfield's, the K-13 was the first of the four 'Kclass submarines to be built on the Clyde. On 29January 1917, she left the Govan yard to begin sea trialswith fifteen Fairfield employees and sixty-five navalpersonnel on board. During her third dive, her boilerroom flooded and she sank in twenty metres of water.Thirty-one men were drowned.

It took six weeks to raise the K-l3 from the Garelochafter which she was towed to Fairfields, refitted andeventually saw service as the K-22.

Curiously there is a K-l3 submarine memorial park inCarlingford, New South Wales, Australia.

ffiyr tta Nt b tlre,Vlrra ro* *ynl dn lxriig Nn, kqhg it myorrril*.'

Passed the modelboat pond, you willfind a stoneportico, afragment from theformer mansionhouse of theLinthouse Estate.The Linthouse area of Govan lies to the west of theBAesystems Yard and was named after the flax industrythat once flourished in the area. The Estate waspurchased in 1868 by the shipbuilders, AlexanderStephen and Sons. fu the yard grew, the mansionhouse was demolished, but the portico was preservedand erected in Elder Park in 1921.

Across from the portico is one of the original FairfieldFarm houses.

Reanadn ponlwnrWmd $osrdlr- pa*

The statue of lsabella Elder by MacFarlane Shannon waserected in 1906 and sits elegantly in its own gardenfacing the Eldeis Shipyard. lt was the first statue of awoman in the city and remains to this day the onlyfemale Glaswegian commemorated in this way.

After John Elder's death lsabella Elder took over as

owner of the Fairfield Shipbuilding and EngineeringCompany and was noted for continuing her husband'scharitable works and endowing many gifts to the peopleof Glasgow and Govan. She gave f50,000 to build theElder Cottage Hospital and the Training Houses for theCottage Nurses, on the corner o{ Langlands Road andDrumoyne Road. She championed women's rights,founded the Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh, andcampaigned for Scotland's first medical school forwomen. lsabella also established chairs in NavalArchitecture and Astronomy at Glasgow University andthe academic robes she is wearing in the statue refer tothe honorary LLD degree she received from GlasgowUniversity. She is buried in the Necropolis.

Waik to the rear of he ffire to vishlhe Daphne narwial

The Daphne Memorial was erected in this garden in1996 to commemorate the lives lost in the world's worstshipbuilding disaster. ln 1883, at the Linthouse shipyardof Alexander Stephen, a 500 tonne cargo passengerboat," the Daphne", was being launched for work on theGlasgow to Belfast route. At the launch there were I94men on board but only 70 survived when she capsizedonly yards Irom the shore in quiet weather. Most of thedead came from Govan and Partick, including William

)Telfor; a young G6van dentist who had stowed away toexperience the launch. Some of the victims were only 14years old. Stephen was cleared of any blame at theofficial enquiry by Sir Edward Reed, but new legislationwas introduced limiting the numbers of men to be onboard any luture launches. The enquiry alsorecommended that all loose fittings and equipmentshould be made secure. A Disaster Fund wasestablished to which the Queen herself donated f 100.The details of this fund are lost in time. When re-floatedthe Daphne was renamed "The Rose" and workedbetween Scotland and lreland. She ended her days inI923 renamed "The Elani" when she ran aground in theMediterranean and was later scrapped.

The names of the disaster victims are listed in Elder ParkLibrary. This memorial stone in Govan has a twinmemorial in Victoria Park, both being designed by JohnMcArthur of Govan Practical Arts and produced with

The Dauphne

funding Irom Glasgow District Counciland granitedonated by the Co-operative Funeral Service. The onlyother memorial to the disaster is in Cardonald Cemeteryerected by the Shipwright's Trade Union in 1892 tocommemorate the eight carpenters who died.M.Mt b rZ nn tW dn t4E,( b tw ol bzy nn left b tEgd7 l9

The statue of John Elderwith his hand resting on acompound steam enginewas sculpted bySir J E Boehm and erectedin '1888.

John Elder,like RobertNapier, was truly oneof the fathers of modemshipbuilding. lt was hisdevelopment of thecompound steam engine(every bit as important asJames Watt'scondenser) that gaveRandolph, Elder andCompany the technologicaledge which led to the Clydeworld shipbuilding industry.

Statue ol John Elderin Elder krk

being at the forefront of the

He encouraged his workers to attend evening classes andeven paid the fees of those who could not afford them.

His influence was such that most businesses in Govanclosed m an expression of respect at the news of hisdeath.

l&lnt viad( M( b $btny hffiV fq 20

Bder Park Library Facade

The Elder Park Library was another gift to the people oIGovan from Mrs Elder. lt was originally a reading andreference library with funds provided for the acquisitionof reading materials for the enjoyment and edification ofthe working class men and women of Govan.

It was opened in 1903 by the SdoL-Americanindustrialist, Andrew Camegie (himself a renowned phi-lanthropist).

It was designed by J J Burnet (1901-1903) in the style ola park pavilion. A1,$e entrance acolonnade curves out following the domed bow fagade.On the balustrade is the Govan Coat of Arms. ln thehallway are marble busts of John and lsabella Elder.

An exhibition of Govan's history to accompany the trail ison display her.

96 t *U Rmd @y, d< @ rw lpuss a Wb fu.Ttnigk

The old Hill's Trust School in Golspie Street was namedafter Abraham Hill, a native of Govan who made hisfortune as a merchant in Wolverhampton. ln I757,Abraham Hill bequeathed the sum of f200 for thepurchase of land in or around the Parish of Govan. Until1868, the land, some 13 acres, was let for agriculture.

The revenue from the use of the lands was paid to aschool master who educated boys and girls from thepoorest families who were unable to pay school fees.Preference was given to those named Hill.

CofltiilE ddlg fubpie Sneetmd fuwt fud

0n the corner of Broomloan Roadand Govan Road stands the"potted-heid" building. Thisbuilding, once the Glasgow SavingsBank, was designed byE A Sutherland and built in 1906.It is known affectionately as'potted heid' because the mottledcolouring of its granite facingsresembles a Scottish meat dish.

Tunfuto&kpy$ea

The "Potted Heid" building

When Govan attained municipal status in 1864, theBurgh Chambers were built by John Burnet in OrkneyStreet. Built in a 2-storey halian style, the BurghChambers were the site of principal administration for thepolice, health and sanitation services. Theaccommodation included a large hall used as a courtroom plus offices for the Commission Board for theBurgh of Govan. Although nearly destroyed by fire in'I 882, the Chambers were restored and were used as apolice station, being the 'G' Division headquarters, untilthe 1990's when a new purpose built police office waserected in Helen Street.

As the Burgh of Govan grew, a larger facility was neededfor the administration of municipal services. The GovanTown Hall in Govan Road was built to meet this need.

furinn dap Gwat M lq 24 E 26 i n n a ze

2Napier Street wasnamed after RobertNapier;'The Father ofClyde Shipbuilding'whose shipyard washere from 18421o1900. Napier Housewas a lodging housefor seamen whose ships were berthed on the Clyde orunder repairs at the Govan Dry Docks.

William James Anderson, its architect, used anexperimental design. The building was partly steelframed using concrete without designed reinforcement.It is of an Art Nouveau Glasgow style. The top floorbecame Govan's first telephone exchange. lt was builtbetween 1897-99.

The Cossar Building was built by Frank Stirrat in '1890 tohouse the John Cossar Print Works. John Cossar printedand distributed the town's first newspaper, the 'GovanChronicle' in 1875 and followed with publishing 'TheGovan Press'in 1878.

After his death, his wife and later their two sonscontinued with the printing business and added the'Renfrew Press' and the'Clydebank Press'to their publi-cations. The firm closed down on 4 May 1983. Thebusts on the front of the building are Robert Burns, SirWalter Scott, William Caxton, Johann Gutenberg and ofMr and Mrs Cossar.

Goran Dry Dock No:3 c.I898M.V. ColumbiaMY Greredier

At Stag Street and Govan Road (where the last stag inGovan was alleged to have been slain) you will comeacross the former Govan Dry Docks. The Dry Dockswere built on the site of Salters Croft (farm land) at theeastern end of the old village. Constructed under thesupervision of James Deas, they were built to meet thegrowing demand for ship repair facilities on the Clyde.Dock No: 1, nearest the river, was opened in 1875, DockNo 2 in 1886 and Dock No 3 in 1898, their lengthsbeing 551 feet, 575 feet and 880 feet respectively. Dock

No 3 could be divided into two separate docks allowingtwo ships to be serviced at once. The Dry Docks wereclosed in 1988.

At the bottom of Stag Street was Highland Lane, leadingto a ford which was used to run cattle across the river.

Continp dor fut Rod lq 27. Mfiry via*s ewt ov* Plitw Dod< arrenudSckxwhte 29.

Opened in 1901, ttd Govan Town Hall provided acomplete suite of rooms for the Govan Provost, theGovan Town Council and Administrative Departments forthe Burgh of Govan.

Designed by Thomson and Sandilands and erectedbetween 1897-1901, the composition of red ashlarmakes it one of the best examples of an elaborate BeauxArs building in the City.

0n each side of the main entrance are medallion bustsof Provost James KirJ<wood and Bailie John Marr; overthe north entrance is a bust of Councillor RichardRussell. lnside the main entrance hall is a mosaic of theGovan Burgh Coat of Arms set in the floor.

0n the Summertown Road entrance, there is the ltalianfaqade of the concert hall which at one time could seat2,500.

Prince's Dock with Sailing Vessel

Prince's Dock was buih by the Clyde Navigation Trustbetween I893 and 1897 to meet the increasing demandby Glasgow's shipping companies which wanted theirown quayside areas so they could know when they wouldget their ships in and out of harbour and back to sea.Queen's Dock was buih first on the north side of the riverbut this did not satisfy the demand Ior space. GlasgowHarbour's cargo tonnage grew from 4000 tons in 1820to more than a million tons by 1853. ln 1851, asGlasgow became a major industrial ciry supplyingcountries of the British Empire, Glasgow became thethird busiest port in the UK.

Prince's Dock had three basins, off a canting basin usedIor turning ships. The docks were buih to a design byJames Deas and occupied a 38 acre site, all at a cost of

Prince's Dock

f995,805. The quayshad two-storey shedsgiving 23 acres ofstorage space. QueensDock and Prince's Dockwere linked by a tunnelunder the river, the tworotundas, the circulardomed buildings you cansee in the distance, eachhad a lift for horse drawncarts. Goods could beeasily moved between the docks and to all parts of thecity. To the east of the old docks you can srill see rhechimney of the docks power station buih to givehydraulic power to the dock's 43 cranes. The buildingnow converted to offices, is still known as the FourWinds building. The chimney shows cherubs blowingwinds from the four main points of the compass.

Prince's Docks 1985

Prince's Dock was completed on 10 September 1897and was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York. TheClyde Port Authority sold the docks in 1977. ln 1988 thePrince's Dock was chosen as the Scottish site for aGarden Festival, an initiative by Government to regeneratederelict industrial areas throughout the UK. The GardenFestival was very popular, and was enjoyed by more than500,000 visitors in the six months it was open. The siteis now being developed for new businesses.

Plantation Quay is the riverside quay wall, and on this,and on Stobcross Quay, on the north bank, was placedone ol two identical steam powered "heavy lifts",

Fouminds Building

specially buih to lift '130 tons. The large electric poweredcrane that you can see now on Stobcross Quay can lift170 ton. These "heary cranes" were used to installboilers and large equipment into the hulls of nanr shipsbuilt in the nearby shipyards. The remaining giant, calledthe Finnieston Crane is more famously known for liftingthe steam locomotives, made in the North BritishLocomotive Company's works in Springburn, onto shipsbound for lndia, the West lndies, Africa, and elsewhere.

The Glmgow Science Centre is a futuristic complex ofthree shiny metallic buildings containing the ScienceMall, the IMAX Theatre and the Glasgow Tower. Thef75 million award-vtrinning complex was designed by theBuilding Design Partnership using titanium, and standson Plantation Quay as one of Scotland's premierlandmark lottery millennium projects. The 350 seatIMAX Theatre features a 80 ft by 60 ft film screen and a12,000 watt sound s)rstem. The Science Mall containshundreds of hands-on exhibits over the four floors onscience, technology, the human body and the world. Youcan have a 3D face scan, look inside a tornado, visit aI20 seat planetarium and the Virtual Science Theatre.The Glmgow Tower at 127 metres is Scotland's tallestfree-standing structure. The concept design for thistower wzls developed by architect Richard Holden andwas originally planned for St Enoch Square. Its designresembles an aircraft wing, two wings around a centralcore on top of which is a viewing cabin 100 metresabove ground from which you can enjoy 20 mile viewsover the city.

The Heritage Trail was researched and the telft written byTommy Stewart and members oI the GovanReminiscence Group.

Thank to Bill Hughes, Jack Simpson, StrathclydeRegional Archive, Glasgow City Libraries andRev T Davidson Kelly.

This Heritage Trail was made possible by funds fromGlasgow City Council, South West Area Forum.

Design and Original Sketches by the Graphics Section ofthe Glasgow City Council, Development andRegeneration Services.

'Upper Clyde Shipbuilders photographs reproduced bypermission of the Keeper of the Records of Scotland.'

Other photographs were tro, ,i" a,linual Mitchell"website see www.mitchelllibraryorg.

2nd Edition 19943rd Edition I gg54th Edirion 2003r'

Govan is situated in the southwest of Glasgow on thesouth bank of the River Clyde. Visitors can travel to thearea by car, bus or underground:-

By Car- From outside Glasgow you may reach GovanCross from Junction 24 on the M8.

From Glasgow Cty CenEF Follow signs for the ClydeTunnel, then take the first left as you exit the tunnel andfollow Govan Road to Govan Cross, or take the MBwestbound and leave at junction 24, following directionsto Govan.

By Bus Contact the Travel information Centre at StEnoch's Square. [tel 0l4l 226 4826).

By UndergrounG Take the underground to GovanStation.

Not all venues are accessible for peoplewih disabilities

The Gonan Hedage Exhibition shows you more aboutthe history of Govan. lt is on display in Elder ParkLibrary. (See contents number 20)

There is disabled access to the library.Hours of opening are available from thelibrary (telephone number0141 4451047)

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.r0.11.'t2.13.14.15.16.17.rB.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.

UNDERGROUND STATIONAITKEN MEMORIAL FOUNTAINNEW GOVAN PARISH CHURCHDOOMSTER HILLWATER ROWBANK OF SCOTLANDPEARCE INSTITUTE.BLACK MAN'BRECHIN'S PUBGOVAN OLD PARISH CHURCHST ANTHONY'S CATHOLIC CHURCHLYCEUM THEATREBAe SYSTEMS (FORMERLY FAIRFIELDS)ELDER PARKK-13 MEMORIALTHE PORTICOISABELLA ELDER STATUETHE DAPHNE MEMORIALJOHN ELDER STATUEELDER PARK LIBRARYHILIS TRUST SCHOOLTSB BANKGOVAN'S FIRST TOWN HALLNAPIER HOUSECOSSAR BUILDINGGOVAN DRY DOCKSGOVAN TOWN HALLPRINCES DOCKTHE GLASGOW SCIENCE CENTRE c-----'1q