18
i;N'r's The Heritage Trail was rcscarchcd antl thc: (cxl written by Rob and Linda Cault lill tlrc (iovlrlr Reminiscence Group. Thanks to Bill Hughes, Jack Sinrpsorr, Strathclyde Regional Archivc, antl (ilrrsgow City Libraries, and Rev T. Dnviclson Kclly This Heritage Trail was nraclc possil'rle hy funds from the City of Glargow l)istric( Council, South West Area Managcrrrcrrt Comrnittee. _l nd Original Sketches hy thc (iruplrics of the City of Glagow l)istrict Planning Departtrnt. Clyde Shipbuildeis phokrgraphs fff 3JJ,""H' ::fll$f" .cc;';c r . L r':c (.1 !f h ffi*4'- GOVAN iNh

The lill GOVAN - WordPress.com · TOURIST INFORMATION Govan is situated in the Southwest of Glasgow on the south bank of the River Clyde. Visitors can ffavel to the area by car, bus

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i;N'r's

The Heritage Trail was rcscarchcd antl thc: (cxlwritten by Rob and Linda Cault lill tlrc (iovlrlrReminiscence Group.

Thanks to Bill Hughes, Jack Sinrpsorr,Strathclyde Regional Archivc, antl (ilrrsgowCity Libraries, and Rev T. Dnviclson Kclly

This Heritage Trail was nraclc possil'rle hyfunds from the City of Glargow l)istric(Council, South West Area ManagcrrrcrrtComrnittee.

_l

nd Original Sketches hy thc (iruplricsof the City of Glagow l)istrictPlanning Departtrnt.Clyde Shipbuildeis phokrgraphs

fff 3JJ,""H' ::fll$f" .cc;';c r . L r':c

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GOVAN

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TOURIST INFORMATIONGovan is situated in the Southwest of Glasgow on thesouth bank of the River Clyde. Visitors can ffavel to thearea by car, bus or underground.By Car: From outside Glasgow you may reach GovanCross from Junction 24 on M8.From Glasgow City Centre: Follow signs for the ClydeTunnel, then take the first left as you exit the tunnel andfollow Govan Road to Govan Cross, or take the M8westbound and leave at junction 24, followingdirections to Govan.By Bus: Contact the Travel Information Cenffe at StEnoch's Square, Telephone number 041-226 4826.By Underground:Take the underground to the GovanStation.

Not all yenues are accessible to the disabled.

The Govan Heritage Exhibition shows you moreabout the history of Govan.It is on display in Elderpark Library. @ There isdisabled access to the library.Hours of opening are available from the library.Tel No 041 - 445 1041.

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Map, circa 1837

Govan is situated at the confluence of therivers Clyde and Kelvin. It was oncesurrounded by fertile lands and woods. Theplace name of Govan has its roots in Gaelicwith similar words found in Celtic and Welsh(Britons). Gofan, Gowain, Gwvane, Govaine,Gohan and Goven translate to mean Smith orLand of the Smith. Govan may have beennamed for its reputation as an area wheremetal was worked. Indeed the presence ofDoomster Hill and the round shapedgraveyard of Govan Old Parish Church wouldsuggest that there was a community longbefore the Romans arrived.

The ecclesiastical history of Govan datesback to the early monastery founded byConstantine around 565 AD. Constantine wasa contemporary of Columba and Kentigern.He was reputed to be a Cornish King,

although recent historians prefer Irish orScottish origins. The date of his Martyrdomwas around 596.

It was not until around II41 lhat the nameof Govan was historically recorded whenKing David I gave to the church of Glasgu,'Guven' with its 'marches free and clearforever'. It was during this period that thechurch in Govan was made a prebend (anassociated church) of Glasgow Cathedral inor around 1153.

Govan was primarily a fishing andfarming community, although by the 16thCentury there were extensive coal mineworkings in the Craigton and Drumoyneareas.

The village grew as new trades and craftswere established such as weaving, silkmanufacture, pottery, and the dyeing ofcotton. The Govan Weavers Society wasformed in 1756 as a guild of master weavers.The Society held an annual parade on the firstFriday of June, known as Govan Fair Day.

After the Treaty of Union in 7707 and theincrease in the tobacco trade with America,

Glasgow merchants realised the need to bringthe raw materials of commerce closer to thecity.

ln 1759, the Clyde Navigation Act waspassed and the task of deepening the riverbegan allowing larger ships to make theirwayup the Clyde to the city centre. Improvementsto the steam engine and the spread of theIndustrial Revolution were to change Govandramatically. In 1841, Robert Napier laid outhis shipyard and the first of the Cunarders waslaunched.In the decades that followed, otheryards were laid out and Govan came to theforefront of the Industrial Revolution.

During the 68 years from 1836 to 1904,Govan expanded dramatically from a villageof 2,122 people to a town of 90,908 people.In 1864, in recognition of its importance as acenfre of commerce and industry, Govan, a'town' of some 9,058 people, was grantedburgh status by the Sheriff of Lanarkshire. ALord Provost was elected and a Town Clerk

Salmon fishing at Water Row l9l5

and a Chief Medical Officer were appointed.The Govan Coat of Arms with the motto'Nihil sine Labore' - 'Nothing withoutLabour' was adopted. As the industries grew,waves of Irish immigrants and Gaelicspeaking Highlanders moved to Govan tomeet the ever increasing demand for a largerwork force. Govan became the fifth largestburgh in Scotland and stretched fromKelvinside to Cathcart. In 1912, Govan wasannexed to Glasgow. Many Govanitesthought that it should have been the other wayaround.

Heavy engineering industries and theClydeside shipyards continued to employ tensof thousands of men and women, but as theorders for new ships declined and theprosperity of the traditional industrieslevelled-off, the growth of Govan slowed.

circa.1960

After World War II, the decline ofshipbuilding and the general demise of theheavy engineering industries brought a fall inthe population of Govan.

With the redevelopment of the oldshipyards and the slum clearanceprogrammes of the 1960s, streets wererealigned or they sometimes disappearedcompletely as the face of Govan began tochange.

Govan was one of the earliest of the city'sComprehensive Development Areas. Its firstHousing Association, the Central GovanHousing Association (21 years old in 1993),pioneered new initiatives in urban planning.

1. THE UNDERGROUND

In December 1896, the Glasgow DistrictSubway Company, opened a 'subterraneanrailway' - or 'subway' - with two circulartunnels which ran for nearly seven miles toserve 15 stations.

Designed and engineered by DavidMorton, it was unique in that it was theworld's only underground passengertransport system with a cable between eachtrack to haul the trams.

It was purchased by the GlasgowCorporation n 1922 and electrified in 1934.It is now part of the Strathclyde Transportsystem and is still a convenient and widely

O riginal Subw ay Station.Circa I 900

used means of transport within the City. Areplica of part of the subway and carriages areon display at the Museum of Transport,Kelvingrove.

Cross Goyan Rd , turn left and walk to the square

2. AITKEN MEMORIALFOUNTAIN

Doctor John Aitken was appointed as thefrrst Medical Officer of Health in the newlyformed Burgh of Govan in 1864. Thismemorial of a domed cast-iron drinkingfountain was erected in 1884 by the people ofGovan as testimony to Dr Aitken's worthycharacter and the caring contribution he madeto the welfare of the community.

Looking north towards the river from the AitkenMemorial Fountain was the site of the Doomster Hilland to your right is New Govan Church.

3. NEW GOVAN CHURCH

Originally called St Mary's Free Church,New Govan Parish Church stands close to thesite of the ancient Doomster Hill. Built in1873 by architect Robert Baldie in a Gothicstyle, it has an imaginative interior with noseat further than ten rows from the front. NewGovan Parish Church has absorbed thecongregations of St Kiaran's, Dean Park, StColumba's, Summertown Road, CoplandRoad and Fairfield Churches.

4. DOOMSTER HILL

From drawing by Paul 1757.

Its exact origin is lost in the mists of time,but its first use was probably as a barrow, anartificial pre-Christian burial mound of whichthere are many examples found throughoutBritain.

Doomster Hill was sited beside what wasa very shallow part of the River Clyde. Thisarea was a natural crossing point for the river.It may have been used by the Romans andothers to guard and tax any movement ofpeople or goods crossing the river. Itmay alsohave served as a 'law hill', a moot or a placeof assembly where judgements andpunishment were administered.

5. WATER ROW

Water Row was a lane leading down to aford and stepping stones across the river toPartick. By the 16th Century, a ferryman wastaking passengers from one side to the other.Soon the 'Ferrie Bote Inn' was established asa staging post for horse drawn coaches toRenfrew and beyond. By the 17th and 18thCenturies, there were stone built, thatchedfishermen's cottages lining the lane.

L 6. BANK OF SCOTLANpIAcross the square from New Govan parish

Church stands the Bank of Scotland at thecorner of Govan Road and Water Row. Thiswas built originally forthe British LinenBankfrom a design by Salmon, Son & Gillespie in1897-1900 underlining the imporlance of theweaving industry in the community.

Its architectural free style includes a tallnarrow cornerbay topped with an open crownon the roof. Above the entrance to the Bank,there is a carved ship complete with a tiny

figurehead, with its sail being filled bywinged wind gods.

From the Bank of Scotland building continue alongGovan Road to Pearce Inne and you will come to thePearce Institute.

7. PEARCE INSTITUTE

The building was gifted to the people ofGovan foruse as acoflrmunity centre by LadyPearce in memory of her husband, SirWilliam Pearce. The Pearce Institute wasdesigned by Sir R. Rowand Anderson andopened in 1906. It is a combination of Dutchand Scottish Renaissance architecture. Itsexterior features are crow stepped gables, atower with a balconied cupola, oriel windows,a clock and a fully rigged sailing ship frnial.The Macleod Hall has a magnificent organ,stage and gallery. The original Reading Roomis now the Lithgow Theatre which is used bymany community groups. There is also adining room, kitchens, a Billiard Room aswell as many other rooms. The Institute is

Govan Ferry. Late 19th C.

Directly across the streetInstitute is the statue of Sir

from the PearceWilliam Pearce.

now run as an independent voluntaryorganisation retaining its traditional linkswith Govan Old Parish Church.

8. 'BI,ACK MAN'

Designed by Onslow Ford and erected in1894 the statue is a tribute to a man who, alongwith the Elders and Napiers, did much tomake the Clyde the greatest shipbuilding riverthe world has ever known.

Born in 1833 in Kent, William Pearcetrained in the Royal Dockyards in Chatham asa shipbuilder. In 1863 he came to the Clydeand became the general manager at RobertNapier and Son. He joined the firm of JohnElder and Co (later Faifield) in 1869 and nineyears later became the sole proprietor. Herealised the need for fast passenger transpoftbetween Europe and North America andunder his supervision at Fairfield built someof the fastest and most technologicallyadvanced ships of the era.

Much to his credit,"he continued thepaternalistic practices of John Elder andcontributed much to the welfare of hisworkforce and the people of Govan.

In 1885 he became Govan's first Memberof Parliament:

9. BRECHIN'S PUB

John Cardell was an enthusiastic workerfor the cause of temperance in the 1880s,when it was said there was a pub at everystreet corner in Govan. The hall was built in1894 as headquarters for temperance workers.By the 1900s, the temperance movement wason the wane due to stricter licensing laws anda rnore enlightened attitude towards strongdrink. The Cardell Hall eventually closed.Ironically, today the ground floor is a publichouse.

known locally as the 'Black Man' (due to thebronze being discoloured and tarnished by theelements).

On the Burleigh Street side of the buildingif you look up on the wall, you will see acarving of a cat. It is said that ships bringingflax from Europe for the Govan Weavers alsobrought with them plagues of rats. These ratsmade their way to Govan Cross where therewas a common 'midden' (communal refusedump). They were so numerous and ferociousthat even the local dogs avoided the area. Oneday a large cat appeared on the scene and itbegan picking off the rats until only the 'KingRat' was left. The battle that followed leftboth animals mortally wounded, but the spiritof the cat is immortalised on the wall.

Walk acro.s,s Govan Rd from Brechin's Pr,tb, youwill come to the entrance of Govan Old Parish Church.

To the right of the gate is a memorial to themen and women of Govan who gave theirlives for Britain during war.

The shape and size of the Graveyardpointsto the importance of Govan and its Christian

community in the 9th and 10th Centuries. Itis the only pafi of pre-industrial Govan tosurvive and contains l7th, lSth and 19thCentury gravestones. A walk through thegraveyard will reveal the changing nature ofthe trades and crafts of old Govan as bothagric ultural and i n dustrial revoluti on s alteredthe environment, the community and its wayof lifc.

The present Church is at least the fburthparish church to be built in this ancientgraveyard. It was designed by Sir R. RowandAnderson (who also designed the PearceInstitute), and erected 1B84-8 under theministry of Dr John Macleod (after whom theMacleod Hall in the Pearce Institute wasnamed). The design of this churchtransformed Scots Presbyterian churchplanning towards the end of last Century andthe early years of this Century.

Govan Old Parish ChtLrch

The importan[ collection of stained glassis unusual because one man controlled thechoice of subject matter and selection of

The Steven Chapel,East Window.AngeLs,made by thestudio oJ Clayton & Bell ,lnndon installed 1894

artists, the minister Dr John Macleod. Thewindows in the Steven Chapel are by Heaton,Butler & Bayne, Burlison & Grylls andClayton & Bell. Shrigley & Hunt made thewindows for the Baptistry. All themagnificent windows in the main church areby Charles E. Kempe.

Also within the church are 30 sculptedstones, one of the most remarkable collectionsof early Christian sculpture in Scotland. Thecollection includes the shafts of four free

standing crosses.Among these are the'CuddyStane', a man on horseback, possibly an earlyrepresentation of Christ riding into Jerusalemon Palm Sunday; the Sun Stone which has onone side the carving of a horseman playingpipes and on the other side, the sun with itsrays radiating clockwise; the Govan Cross ,ofwhich only the shaft sur.yives, the upper halfprobably disappearing during theReformation; the Govan Sarcophagus (ashrine coffin); 5 hogback stones that suggestViking settlement in the 1Oth Century.

Down the centuries, the Christiancommunity in Govan has been led by aremarkable series of men of faith and vision,some of whom made an enormouscontribution to the whole country. Bytradition, the early medieval monastery onthis site was founded by St Constantine, Kingand Martyr.

The Reformer, Andrew Melville ( 1577-80)who pioneered the Presbyterian structure ofthe Church,af Scotland was Minister herebefore his appointment as Principal of StAndrew's University. He was the first of fourRefbrmed Ministers of Govan to be Principalof Glasgow University as well.

The liturgical and theological pioneer,John Macleod (1875-98) had this churchbuilt. George F Macleod (Lord Macleod ofFuinary) (1930-38) made an impact that isstill felt today, and on leaving Govan foundedthe Iona Community, which has madedistinctive contributions to issues of peaceand justice worldwide.

Stone Sarcophagu,s

Return to Govan Rd and turn right

11. ST ANTHONY'S

St Anthony's Catholic Parish Church wasfirst established in 1864. Its congregationgrew due to the large influx of immigrantsfrom Ireland and the Highlands. The presentchurch was built in 1879 from a design byJohn Honeyman. It is an unusual ItalianRomanesque style with polychromestonework. However, its exterior does little toprepare one for the magnificence of theinterior which includes giant Corinthiancolumns in the nave and a marble lined apse.

12. LYCEUMThe Lyceum was originally designed as a

music hall. In 1899 it was opened by the RoyalCarl Rosa Opera Company with aperformance of 'Carmen' before an audienceof 3,000 headed by Govan Provost Kirkwoodand the Govan Town Council. By 1912, the

Lyceum was established as one of Scotland'sleading picture houses and variety theatres. Itbecame a full time cinema in 1923, but wasdestroyed by fire in 1931. Designed by C JMcNair the new Lyceum with 2,000 seatingcapacity was one of the new super cinemaswhich became so popular in the 1930s and1940s that led to Glasgow being known as'Cinema City'. With its sweeping curvearound the corner, it is one of the finestremaining examples of the type built in thatera.

13. KVAERNER-GOVAN

Although not the oldest of the Govanshipyards, Kvaerner-Govan (formerlyFairfields) was and still is at the forefront ofshipbuilding technology. It was at thisshipyard that the pupils of Napier, Elder andPearce helped to make the River Clyde andthe term 'Clydebuilt' renowned the worldover for excellence and durability. In 1864,

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M ain gate F airfie ld ( now Kv ae rne r -Gov an)

part of the Fairfield farm was purchased byJohn Elder, an engineer, and CharlesRandolph, a millwright, for the laying out ofa new shipyard. Their combined talentsestablished ayard that has been continuouslybuilding ships for over 128 years. Under thecompany name of Randolph, Elder and Co.,ships with their newly patented compoundsteam engine were able to travel greaterdistances using 30-40Vo less coal. In 1869,Charles Randolph retired and John Elderbecame sole proprietor.

After John Elder's untimely death in 1869,Mrs Elder arranged a partnership with herbrotherJ. F. Ure, J.L.K.Jamieson andWilliamPearce and the name of the company waschanged to John Elder and Company, in hismemory.

In the ensuing years, the control of theCompany came under the sole guidance ofWilliam Pearce.

He developed new business opportunitieswith the creation of a new class of transportships. The first of these'AtlanticGreyhounds', the SS Arizona, won thecoveted 'Blue Riband', initiated by WilliamPearce, awarded for the fastest time betweenBritain andNew York.In 1B85 hereorganisedthe yard and renamed it the FairfieldShipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. On hisdeath three years later, the control passed tohis son, Sir William George Pearce who ledthe company to its greatest period ofprosperity. He died in 1907 and the yard wasacquired by the Northumberland ShippingCo. which continued until 1935 when it waspurchased by Sir John Henry Lithgow for theLithgow Group. It continued under theirleadership until 1965 when the receivers were

called in as Glasgow's biggest shipbuilderfaced bankruptcy. The events that followedproved to be a turning point for Clydeshipbuilding and indeed for Britishshipbuilding as a whole.

In 1966, the government intervened andset up a new company, Fairfields which wasbacked by Government, private industry, andthe Labour Unions. The'FairfieldExperiment' brought together managementand employees in a way hitherto unknown inClydeside shipbuilding, 'No more Bowlersand Bunnets'. (Bowlers being themanagement and Bunnets being thetradesmen, who had an adversarialrelationship.)

ln 1967, the Government proposedamalgamating all of the Upper ClydeShipyards (Brown, Connel, Stephen,

I nside F airfields wor kshop.

Fairf,relds and Yarrow). The group becameknown as the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders orU.C.S. This consortium was doomed tofailure. What appeared to be a good solutionin theory was in reality unworkable as eachyard specialised in building different kinds ofships.

The Doric entering the fitting basin.

Yarrow withdrew in l97l and U.C.S.collapsed and went into liquidation. In July ofthatyear, the workers staged a work-in whichlasted for 14 months after which a new mergertook place and Govan Shipbuilders was born.The yard limped along until 1977 when it wasnationalised by the Government.

In 1988, the yard was purchased byKvaemer who brought in new methods of shipconstruction putting the formerFairfield Yardonce again at the forefront of shipbuildingtechnology.

Cross Goyan Road and enter Elder Park beyond thePrimary school.

14. ELDER PARK

Elder Park was presented to the people ofGovan by Mrs Isabella Elder as a memorial toher husband, John Elder.

Part of the original Fairfleld Farm, it is ofsome thirty-five acres and was laid out byJohn Honeyman. It was opened by LordRosebery on 27 June 1885.

In donating the park, Mrs Elder followedthe tradition of many Glasgow merchants andindustrialists who gave land for the recreationand enjoyment of their workers whichprovided respite from their grim and oftenunhealthy living conditions.

As you pass through the gate, you will come to theK-13 Memorial. - '

15. K.13 MEMORIAL

It was ergcted by the employees and4management-of Fairfield Shipbuilding &Engineering Co. as a tribute to the thirty-onemen who died when the K-13, a steampowered submarine, sank during its trials inthe Gareloch.

Built at Fairfreld's, the K-13 was the firstof the four 'K' class submarines to be built onthe Clyde. On 29 January 1917, she left theGovan yard to begin sea trials with fifteenFairfield employees and sixty-five navalpersonnel on board. During her third dive, herboiler room flooded and she sank in twentymetres of water. Thirty-one men weredrowned.

It took six weeks to raise the K- 13 from theGareloch after which she was towed to

Fairfield, refitted and eventually saw serviceas the K-22.

Curiously, there is a K-13 submarinememorial park in Carlingford, New SouthWales, Australia.

Follow the path to the right and walk beyond theboating pond,keeping it on your right.

16 THE PORTICO

Passed the model boat pond, you will frnda stone portico, a fragment from the formermansion house of the Linthouse Estate. The

Linthouse area of Govan lies on the west sideof the Kvaerner-Govan Shipyard and wasnamed after the flax industry that onceflourished in the area. The Estate waspurchased in 1868 by the shipbuilders,Alexander Stephen and Sons. As the yardgrew, the mansion house was demolished, but

the portico was preserved and erected in ElderPark in 1921.

Across from the portico is one of theoriginal Fairfleld Farm houses

Return to the pond, turn right and cross the park.

Mrs ElderThe statue of IsabellaElderby MacFarlane

Shannon was erected in 1906 and sitselegantly in its own garden facing the Elder'sShipyard. It was the first statue of a woman inthe City.

After John Elder's death, Isabella Eldercontinued her husband's munificence indonating and endowing many gifts to thepeople of Glasgow and Govan. She also gavef50,000 to build the Elder Cottage Hospital

IT.ISABELI,A ELDER

and the Training Houses for the CottageNurses, on the corner of Langlands Road andDrumoyne Road.

Tum left follow the path to the rear of the library.

18. JOHN ELDER STATUE

The statue of John Elder with his handresting on a compound steam engine wassculpted by Sir J E Boehm and erected in1 888.

John Elder, like Robert Napier, was trulyone of the fathers of modern ship building. Itwas his development of the compound steamengine (every bit as important as JamesWatt's condenser) that gave the River Clydeand Randolph, Elder and Co the technological

edge which led to the Clyde being at theforefront of the world shipbuilding industry.

He encouraged his workers to attendevening classes and even paid the fees ofthose who could not afford them.

His influence was such that mostbusinesses in Govan closed as an expressionof respect at the news of his death.

19. ELDERPARK LIBRARY

The Elderpark Library was another gift tothe people of Govan from Mrs John Elder. Itwas originally areading and reference librarywith funds provided for the acquisition ofreading materials for the enjoyment andedification of the working class men andwomen of Govan.

It was opened in 1903 by theScots-American industrialist, AndrewCarnegie (himself a renownedphilanthropist).

Itwas designedby J.J. Bumet (1901-1903)in the style of a park pavilion. At the entrancea colonnade curves out following the domed

bow facade. On the balusfrade is the GovanCoat of Arms. In the hallway are marble bustsof John and Isabella Elder.

Cross Innglands Rd diagonally ,walk passed newhouses to Golspie St.Tum right.

20. HILL'S TRUST SCHOOL

The old Hill's Trust School in GolspieStreet was named after Abraham Hill, a nativeof Govan who made his foftune as a merchantin Wolverhampton. Irr ll5l, Abraham Hillbequeathed the sum of f200 for the purchaseof land in or around the parish of Govan. Until1868, the land, some 13 acres was let foragriculture.

The revenue from the use of the lands waspaid to a school master who educated boysand girls from the poorest families who wereunable to pay school fees, preference wasgiven to those named Hill.

Continue along Golspie St and Govan Rd.

21. TSB BANK, POTTED HEIDBUILDING

On the corner of Broomloan Road andGovan Road stands the 'potted-heid'building. This building, once the GlasgowSavings Bank, was designed by E ASutherland and built in i906. It is knownaffectionately as 'potted heid' because themottled colouring of its granite facingsresembles a Scottish meat dish.

Tum into Orkney St.

2Z.POLICE STATTON (OLDMUNICIPAL BUILDINGS)

When Govan attained municipal status in1 864, the Burgh Chambers were built by JohnBurnet in Orkney Street. Built in a 2-storey

Italian style, the Burgh Chambers were thesite of principal administration for the police,health and sanitation services. Theaccommodation included a large hall used asa court room plus offices for the CommissionBoard for the Burgh of Govan. Althoughnearly destroyed by fire in 1882, theChambers were restored and today are still inuse as a police station, being the 'G' Divisionheadquarters.

As the Burgh of Govan grew a largerfacility was needed for the administration ofmunicipal ser.,zices. The Govan Town Hall inGovan Road was built to meet this need.

Continue along Govan Rd for 23,24,25, and 26

23. NAPIER HOUSE

Napier Street was named after RobertNapier, 'The Father of Clyde Shipbuilding'whose shipyard was here from 1842 to 1900.Napier House was alodging house for seamenwhose ships were berthed on the Clyde orunder repairs at the Govan Dry Docks.

William James Anderson, its architect,used an experimental design. The buildingwas partly steel framed using concretewithout designed reinforcement. It is of an ArtNouveau Glasgow style. The top floorbecame Govan's first telephone exchange. Itwas built between 1897-99.

24. COSSAR BUILDINGThe Cossar Building was built by Frank

Stirrat in 1890 to house the John Cossar PrintWorks. John Cossar printed and distributedthe town's first newspaper, the 'GovanChronicle' in 1875 and followed withpublishing 'The Govan Press' in 1878.

After his death, his wife and latertheirtwosons continued with the printing business andadded the 'Renfrew Press' and the'Clydebank Press' to their publications. Thefirm closed down on 4}day 1983. The bustson the front of the building are Robert Bums,Sir Walter Scott, William Caxton, JohannGutenberg and of Mr and Mrs Cossar.

I 25.(;()\',AN {}ttY tX)(.KS

At Stag Street and Govan Road (where thelast stag in Govan was alleged to have beenslain) you will come across the former GovanDry Docks. The Dry Docks were built on thesite of Salters Croft (farm land) at the easternend of the old village. Constructed under thesupervision of James Deas, they were built tomeet the growing demand for ship repair

Dock No3.

facilities on the Clyde. Dock no 1, nearest theriver, was opened in 1875, dock no 2 in 1886and dock no 3 in 1898, their lengths being 551feet,57 5 feet and BB0 feet respectively. Dockno 3 could be divided into two separate docksallowing two ships to be serviced at once. TheDry Docks were closed in 1988.

At the bottom of Stag Street was HighlandLane, leading to a ford which was used to runcattle across the river.

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Opened in 1901, the Govan Town Hallprovided a complete suite of rooms for theGovan Provost, the Govan Town Council andAdministrative Departments for the burgh ofGovan.

Designed by Thomson and Sandilands anderected betwden 1897-1901, the compositionof red ashlarmakes itoneof thebestexamplesof an elaborate Beaux Arts building in theCity.

On each side of the main entrance aremedallion busts of Provost James Kirkwoodand Baillie John Marr: over the north entranceis a bust of Councillor Richard Russell. Insidethe main entrance hall is a mosaic of theGovan Burgh Coat of Arms set in the floor.

On the Summertown Road entrance. thereis the Italian facade of the concert hall whichat one time could seat 2500. It is still used formany civic functions, concerts and dances.

Return to stort oJ the traiL by going back alongCovan Rd .

1. UNDERGROUND STATION2. AITKEN MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN3. NEW GOVAN PARISH CHURCH4. DOOMSTER HILL5. WATER ROW6. BANK OF SCOTLAND7. PEARCE INSTITUTE8. 'BLACK MAN'9. BRECHIN'S

10. GOVAN OLD PARISH CHURCH11. ST ANTHONY'S CATHOLIC

CHURCH12. LYCEUM THEATRE1 3. KVAERNER-GOVAN SHIPYARD14. ELDER PARK15. K-13 MEMORIAL16. THE PORTICO17. ISABELLA ELDER STATUE18. JOHN ELDER STATUE19. ELDER PARK LIBRARY20. HILL'S TRUST SCHOOL21. TSB BANK22.POLICE STATION23. NAPIERHOUSE24. COSSAR BUILDING25. GOVAN DRY DOCKS26. GOVAN TOWN HALL

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