| Kelvingrove Park | |
|---|---|
 The River Kelvin passing through the park | |
 | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°52′6″N4°17′11″W / 55.86833°N 4.28639°W |
| Area | 34 hectares (85 acres) |
| Created | 1852 |
| Operated by | Glasgow City Council |
| Status | Open all year |
| Public transit access | Kelvinbridge subway station |
Kelvingrove Park is a public park located on the River Kelvin in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, containing the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Kelvingrove Park was originally created as the West End Park in 1852, and was partly designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, Head Gardener at Chatsworth House, whose other works included The Crystal Palace in London, Glasgow Botanic Gardens, and the gardens at Lismore Castle in County Waterford; [1] however, the park was mostly designed by architect Charles Wilson and surveyor Thomas Kyle. [2] The Town Council had purchased the land, which formerly represented parts of the Kelvingrove and Woodlands estates, that year for the sum of £99,569, [3] around £10.9 million as of 2021. [4] The park was intended to provide for the continued expansion of the city to the west, providing relaxation and recreation opportunities for the new middle class to the west, and an escape from the rapid slumming around Glasgow Green. [3]
The park has been the site of three exhibitions: the 1888 International Exhibition, the 1901 International Exhibition and the 1911 Scottish Exhibition. Large, impressive buildings were constructed in the park for the International Exhibitions, including a large Indian pavilion where the Art Gallery now stands, [5] and a Russian restaurant building. [6] These, however, have since been demolished. The Doulton Fountain was originally situated in the park for the 1888 Exhibition but was later relocated to Glasgow Green, [3] as was the Saracen Fountain for the 1901 Exhibition which is now in Alexandra Park.
The park is 34 hectares (85 acres) in size, [3] and located in the West End of Glasgow. It straddles the River Kelvin shortly before the river's confluence with the Clyde, and as such is an urban haven for wildlife. Birds found in the area include the grey heron, cormorant, kingfisher, mallard and goosander, and other animals include the red fox, brown rat and otters. [7] The park is flanked to the west by Gilmorehill and the University of Glasgow, to the south by Finnieston, Kelvingrove and Yorkhill, to the east by Charing Cross and to the north by Hillhead and Woodlands. This central location makes it a popular route for pedestrians and cyclists commuting to the city centre, leading quickly from the West End to Charing Cross whilst avoiding traffic. The park is also popular with dog-walkers and students from the university.
Kelvingrove sits around the contours of a large hill, on which is sited the Park District in Glasgow. This was formerly a highly desirable residential area before falling out of fashion and being taken over mostly for office space and student accommodation. However, recent high-class developments there have led to much of the neighbourhood returning to residential use. The area is also home to 22 Park Circus, the city's former registry office, and to the Glasgow branch of the Goethe-Institut, a German culture institution.
There are three Glasgow subway stations in the vicinity of the park, Kelvinbridge to the north being the closest via the Kelvin Walkway, with Hillhead to the northwest and Kelvinhall to the west also within walking distance, as are Exhibition Centre and Charing Cross railway stations to the south and south-east respectively. There are frequent buses on various routes using Argyle Street, Sauchiehall Street and Great Western Road which flank the park to the north and south.
![The Stewart Memorial Fountain [de], celebrating the establishment of the Loch Katrine and Milngavie waterworks Fountain in Kelvingrove Park - geograph.org.uk - 932595.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Fountain_in_Kelvingrove_Park_-_geograph.org.uk_-_932595.jpg/220px-Fountain_in_Kelvingrove_Park_-_geograph.org.uk_-_932595.jpg)
Kelvingrove contains a bandstand, skatepark, bowling and croquet greens, and various statues and monuments. The largest monument is the Stewart Memorial Fountain , built to commemorate Lord Provost Robert Stewart (1851–1854) and his achievement of providing the city with fresh water from Loch Katrine. [8] The fountain was built in 1872 to a design by James Sellars, who later designed the nearby St. Luke's Orthodox Cathedral and Kelvinside Academy. It is built of granite, sandstone, marble and bronze, features imagery of the Trossachs, and is topped by a figure of Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake . The fountain is currently undergoing a half-million pound refurbishment supported by the City Council, Glasgow City Heritage Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Water. [9]
The park also contains statues of physicist Lord Kelvin, writer Thomas Carlyle, Field Marshal Lord Roberts and chemist Lord Lister, as well as the Cameronians War Memorial and a memorial to the Highland Light Infantry. The park is popular with dog-walkers and joggers, and is convenient for tourists, being adjacent to Kelvin Hall Sports Arena, on the opposite side of Argyle Street. The park also contains the renowned Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
The bandstand within the park was built in 1924 and designed by James Miller. It was a popular location for outdoor music until it became neglected and vandalised around 1995. It played host to thousands of events from military bands to old-time Music Hall acts, Glasgow's first-ever Steel Band Festival to the Radio Clyde Rock Concerts. It was also used for charity fundraising concerts such as the 'Woodlands Fun Days for Children' with Yorkhill Hospital's Radio Lollipop between 1993 and 98. Scottish bands and musicians such as Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, Franz Ferdinand, Eddi Reader, Carol Laula and Horse have all expressed support for the restoration of Kelvingrove Park's Bandstand. MSP Pauline McNeill also presented a motion to the Scottish Parliament about the bandstand restoration. [10]
In April 2012, the Scottish Parliament provided a £245,000 building repair grant for the restoration of the bandstand. [11] On 7 May 2014, after several months and £2 million of restoration work, it was announced that the Bandstand would host a summer music festival over two weekends in August 2014. Acts announced for the Magners Summer Nights Festival were Steve Earle, The Waterboys, Alison Moyet, Capercaillie, Teenage Fanclub and Squeeze. [12] [13]
On 20 April 1918 suffrage organisations planted a sessile oak in the park, now known as the Suffrage Oak, to commemorate women being granted the right to vote earlier that year. [14] In 2015 the tree was named Scottish Tree of the Year by the Woodland Trust after being nominated by Glasgow Women's Library. [15] It was then a nominee for the 2016 European Tree of the Year. [16] The tree was subsequently damaged in 2017, and so Glasgow City Council had to reduce its height.
Media related to Kelvingrove Park at Wikimedia Commons
Kelvinbridge is the common name of the Great Western Bridge, a cast iron road and pedestrian bridge located in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, built to carry the Great Western Road (A82) at a high level across the River Kelvin. Completed in 1891 by Bell & Miller, it replaced an older stone bridge, and has a similar design to the Partick Bridge crossing the same river, located a short distance to the south-west. It has been a Category A listed structure since 1986.
Hillhead is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. Situated north of Kelvingrove Park and to the south of the River Kelvin, Hillhead is at the heart of Glasgow's fashionable West End, with Byres Road forming the western border of the area, the other boundaries being Dumbarton Road to the south and the River Kelvin to the east and north.
Woodlands is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. Situated on the north-west edge of the city centre, Woodlands is located within Glasgow's fashionable West End, east of Hillhead, south of Woodside, north of the Park District and Kelvingrove Park, and west of Charing Cross and Garnethill.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland, managed by Glasgow Museums. The building is located in Kelvingrove Park in the West End of the city, adjacent to Argyle Street. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of Scotland's most popular museums and free visitor attractions.
North Kelvinside is a residential district of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
The River Kelvin is a tributary of the River Clyde in northern and northeastern Glasgow, Scotland. It rises on the moor south east of the village of Banton, east of Kilsyth. At almost 22 miles (35 km) long, it initially flows south to Dullatur Bog where it falls into a man made trench and takes a ninety degree turn flowing west through Strathkelvin and along the northern boundary of the bog parallel with the Forth and Clyde Canal.
The city of Glasgow, Scotland, has many amenities for a wide range of cultural activities, from curling to opera and from football to art appreciation; it also has a large selection of museums that include those devoted to transport, religion, and modern art. In 2009 Glasgow was awarded the title UNESCO Creative City of Music in recognition of its vibrant live music scene and its distinguished heritage. Glasgow has three major universities, each involved in creative and literary arts, and the city has the largest public reference library in Europe in the form of the Mitchell Library. Scotland's largest newspapers and national television and radio companies are based in the city.
Yorkhill is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated north of the River Clyde in the West End of the city. It is known for its famous hospitals and remains the location of the West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital.
The Kelvin Hall, located on Argyle Street in Glasgow, Scotland, is one of the largest exhibition centres in Britain and now a mixed-use arts and sports venue that opened as an exhibition venue in 1927. It has also been used as a concert hall, home to the Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena to 2014, and from 1988 to 2010, Glasgow's Museum of Transport. As part of the economic redevelopment of Greater Glasgow promoted by the Scottish Development Agency and local authorities to enhance the city's tourist infrastructure and to attract further national and international conferences, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre was designed as the Hall's successor for exhibitions and entertainments, built in 1983 and opened on the nearby Queen's Dock in 1985 with an exhibition area equal in size to the Kelvin Hall but with the benefit of extensive car parks and land for other complementary buildings. The Hall is protected as a category B listed building, and is served by city bus services and by Kelvinhall subway station.
Glasgow Corporation Tramways were formerly one of the largest urban tramway systems in Europe. Over 1000 municipally-owned trams served the city of Glasgow, Scotland, with over 100 route miles by 1922. The system closed in 1962 and was the last city tramway in Great Britain.
Glasgow Women's Library is a public library, registered company and charity based in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the only accredited museum dedicated to women's history and provides information relevant to women's culture and achievements. It tries to operate on feminist principles. The library was awarded Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland status in 2015, as the collection contains valuable resources pertaining to women and their lives. In 2018, it was shortlisted for Museum of the Year. The museum supplies and encourages training and education, as well as skill-sharing via volunteers and/or staff.
The International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry was the first of 4 international exhibitions held in Glasgow, Scotland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It took place at Kelvingrove Park between May and November 1888. The main aim of the exhibition was to draw international attention to the city's achievements in applied sciences, industry and the arts during the Industrial Revolution. However, it was also hoped the Exhibition would raise enough money for a much-needed museum, art gallery and school of art in the city. The exhibition was opened by the Prince of Wales, as honorary president of the exhibition, on 8 May 1888. It was the greatest exhibition held outside London and the largest ever in Scotland during the 19th century.
Anderston/City/Yorkhill is one of the 23 wards of Glasgow City Council. Created as Anderston/City in 2007, it returned four council members, using the single transferable vote system. The same criteria applied in 2012. For the 2017 Glasgow City Council election, the boundaries were changed, the ward slightly decreased in size and was renamed Anderston/City/Yorkhill, still returning four councillors.
The Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls and Tennis Centre is a sports complex located in Glasgow, Scotland. Located on Kelvin Way off Sauchiehall Street and adjacent to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove Park and the Yorkhill and Kelvingrove residential neighbourhoods, it is owned by Glasgow City Council and was a venue for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and has been used for the purpose since at least 1910. In addition to a number of lawn bowls greens, the facility has six artificial grass tennis courts which are available to the public to play for free.
The Suffrage Oak is a Hungarian oak tree in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow, planted in 1918. It was named Scotland's Tree of the Year in 2015.
Kelvinhaugh is a neighbourhood in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated directly north of the River Clyde in the West End of the city.
Kelvingrove is a neighbourhood in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated north of the River Clyde in the West End of the city, and directly borders Kelvingrove Park to the north and the grounds of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to the west. Its other boundaries are not precisely defined, but roughly correspond to Sauchiehall Street to the south opposite the Sandyford neighbourhood, and the Charing Cross area to the east.
Sandyford is an area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is north of the River Clyde and forms part of the western periphery of the city centre. Formerly the name of a ward under Glasgow Town Council in the first part of the 20th century, it is within a continuous area of fairly dense urban development bordering several other neighbourhoods whose mutual boundaries have blurred over time, and is possibly less well known than all of the places which adjoin it, particularly Anderston and Finnieston.
