Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Walk south from Gallowgate, crossing London Road to:
5
Glasgow Green
Running along the River Clyde, this huge stretch of green became a public park
in the middle of the 19th century, although paths had been laid and shrubs
planted out 100 years earlier. Its landmarks include the red sandstone
People's
Palace
social history museum (p. 200) and adjoining Winter Garden, Doulton
Fountain, and Nelson's Monument. To the east, the influence of the Doge's
Palace in Venice is obvious in William Leiper's colorful facade of the old
Templeton Carpet Factory, which has a great brewery/bar, WEST (p. 241), on
the ground floor. The southern side of Glasgow Green offers walks along the
river as it begins its upstream meandering and the northwestern flank now
features modern apartments opened in the late 1990s as the so-called “City for
the Future.”
17
Walk west on Greendyke Street, turning right (north) on Turnbull Street to:
6
St. Andrew's Square
Styled after St-Martin-in-the-Field, London, and indeed once surrounded by
open space, the impressive sandstone St. Andrew's parish church was com-
pleted in 1756, making it the oldest post-Reformation kirk in Glasgow. Today,
it houses a center for traditional Scottish music and dance. Around the corner,
the only remaining bit of 18th-century residential property is no. 52 Charlotte
Street, now available as overnight accommodation from the National Trust for
Scotland.
Make your way back to Glasgow Cross and proceed west on the Trongate to:
7
Tron Steeple
The steeple with arches through which pedestrians can walk on the south side
of the Trongate dates to 1592, although the original Tron or Laigh Kirk was
founded 8 years before Columbus sailed to the New World. The tron was a
beam used for weighing goods. The Tron Theatre, which occupies the site
today, favors inventive new plays, as well as hosting musical events (p. 237).
The theater's modern bar (facing Chisholm St.) and Victorian-style pub and
restaurant are well-known hangouts for creative people. This neighborhood
also now boasts the new cultural center called Trongate 103 (p. 198).
Cross the Trongate and go north (right) on Candleriggs to Bell Street and the:
8
Merchant Square & City Halls
The old covered markets of Glasgow have been converted into trendy gathering
spots. The old Cheese Market is now a bar and nightclub, while more of the
original character of the former Fruit Market has been retained by the Mer-
chant Square development. A diverse array of bars and restaurants share the
communal and cavernous interior space on the cobbles. Just north of it are the
renovated City Halls, with acoustically celebrated performance spaces (p. 236).
Since the 1980s, warehouses in this area have been turned into loft apart-
ments, while newer flats have been constructed more recently.
