A History of Glasgow
Glasgow's proximity to Scotland's beautiful Highlands and the
legendary friendliness and humour of its inhabitants are
probably the most commonly cited reasons for its position as
third most visited city in the UK (after London and Edinburgh).
This overshadows the fact that Glasgow is without doubt one of
the most architecturally remarkable cities in the British Isles.
>From the tall confident early Victorian neoclassical buildings
of the city centre to the 'space-age' Clyde Auditorium (or
Armadillo) and Science Centre, Glasgow's architecture exudes a
dynamism which has emerged from a complex and often dramatic
history.
Glasgow's massive expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries did
much to destroy evidence of early settlement in the area.
Nevertheless, what remains is of tremendous interest. Amongst
the earliest traces of inhabitation are the remains of a Roman
bathhouse, at Bearsden in Greater Glasgow. This is the last
visible part of a fortified complex built by the 20th Roman
Legion on the Antonine Wall, which marked Glasgow as a dangerous
outpost on the northernmost frontier of the empire.
Nonetheless, it is St Kentigern (or St Mungo) who is usually
regarded as being Glasgow's founding father. His journey in the
6th century BC to find the burial ground, dedicated by St Ninian
a century earlier, brought him to the green hollow where Glasgow
Cathedral now stands. The small church he built here became his
burial place. The tomb remains the focal point for one of
Scotland's outstanding medieval buildings, as well as the
resting place of one of northern Europe's most influential
missionaries.
Nonetheless, it was 3 centuries after St Kentigern's death and
across the River Clyde at Govan that real political power first
came to the Glasgow area. The Kingdom of Strathclyde built its
capital here, possibly at the site of a prehistoric burial
mound, after Viking attacks made the continuing occupation of
Dumbarton Rock untenable. For the following three hundred years
Govan remained the capital of this sizeable realm, until its
incorporation into Scotland by King David I in the 12th century.
Govan's ancient origins can most clearly be seen at Govan Parish
Church, once the site of the royal complex. The highly decorated
hog back grave markers and stone crosses on display constitute
the largest collection of such stones in Scotland outside of
Iona.
As part of a policy designed to crush the aristocracy of
Strathclyde, David I moved the centre of power in the area to
the site of Kentigern's church. In the centuries that followed
the cathedral began to take shape as well as the adjacent
Bishops Palace (on the site of the Museum of Religion). Other
stone structures began to spring up such as the 15th century
Provand's Lordship, opposite the Museum, which is now Glasgow's
oldest house. Once similar houses continued all the way down
High Street towards Glasgow Cross and the imposing 17th century
Tolbooth Steeple, which once greeted travellers arriving along
the Gallowgate from Edinburgh.
Much of the centre of the Glasgow we know today began to take
shape from the 18th century onwards. The so called 'Tobacco
Lords' were the first in a long line of entrepreneurs and
businessmen to leave their mark on the city. Having become
extraordinarily wealthy and powerful re-exporting tobacco from
the Americas to the continent, a trade which they all but
monopolised until US independence, they fashioned great mansions
and palaces for themselves in what became Glasgow's Merchant
City, to the west of High Street. At this time Glasgow was
considered by some to be the most attractive town in the newly
formed United Kingdom.
The Tobacco Lords were followed by the first generations of
industrialists, whose pioneering spirit became the foundation of
the British Empire. The exportation of textiles and later
industrial goods required the development of Glasgow's port and
led to a huge demand for ships. Consequently, Glasgow's era as
shipbuilding capital of the world began. Glasgow also became the
major supplier of ships for the Royal Navy and, resultantly, the
centre of the empire's munitions industry. Machine tools, sewing
machines and locomotives were amongst Glasgow's other
specialities. Glasgow became the so called Second City of the
Empire and Workshop of the World; the industrial city of the
industrial age.
Glasgow's extraordinary success as an industrial giant is
reflected in her rich architecture. Arguably no other city has
been bequeathed with finer examples of both Edwardian and
Victorian buildings. Two Glasgow architects whose buildings are
amongst the city's finest are worth a special mention; Alexander
'Greek' Thomson (1817-1875), acclaimed for his innovative
reinvention of the classical Greek style, and the world renowned
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), whose unique style
remains highly influential internationally.
The wealth apparent in Glasgow's finest buildings was not shared
equally. Industrial Glasgow gained a reputation for its extreme
poverty. Frustration with social inequality was expressed
through the arts, football, sectarianism and politics. While the
idea that the city was perpetually on the verge of Revolution is
rather far fetched the legends of 'Red Clydeside' play a large
part in both Glaswegian and Scottish identity. In more practical
terms, Glasgow's industrial environment was the birthplace of
the British Labour movement.
Glasgow remained an industrial giant until the after WWII. Some
suspect governmental industrial policies and increased foreign
competition led to a decline in the shipbuilding sector by the
late 1950s, which culminated in the failure of Glasgow's
industrial economy as a whole. In the years since, the service
sector and tourism have done much to reverse the trend in
Glasgow's fortunes. At the same time successes such as the
Glasgow Garden Festival and accolades such as the award of
European City of Culture and European City of Architecture have
gone a long way in enhancing Glasgow's image both at home and
abroad. Glasgow remains a great city and as Scotland's largest
city and the economic and cultural centre of the West of
Scotland is arguably the major generator of modern Scottish
culture. One of Glasgow's new titles, 'The First Post Industrial
City', suggests that yet again Glasgow may well be at the
cutting edge of economic, social and cultural developments. For
more Glasgow services and information:
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