Glasgow, United Kingdom

Exploring Lost Springburn

Exploring Lost Springburn

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23 tour stops

1

Broomfield Road Gate - Springburn Park

Start the tour from the Broomfield Road Gate at Springburn Park

8 min
2

The Doulton Column and Lost Bandstand

Looking at the surviving Doulton Column

4 min
3

Mosesfield House

One of the original houses predating the park

4 min
4

Belmont House

Home of the Reid Family

2 min
5

Stobhill Hospital

Built as a Poor Law Hospital in 1904

4 min
6

Boating Pond, Flagstaff and Cockmuir Reservoir

The boating pond was used for model yachts and small rowing boats

2 min
7

Bowling Greens, Cricket Oval and other sports

As the 20th century progressed, new sports facilities were introduced.

2 min
8

The James Reid Statue

James Reid, locomotive industrialist and benefactor to Springburn

3 min
9

Springburn Winter Gardens

The architectural highlight of the park, it was constructed in 1900.

8 min
10

Original Park Railings

The last surviving example of the original park railings

1 min
11

Springburn Rockery

The original sandstone quarry, now a decorative rock garden and lily pond

2 min
12

Balgrayhill

The changes to Balgrayhill Road from the 1960s were part of Glasgow's housing boom.

2 min
13

Mackintosh Villas

Charles Rennie Mackintosh's first independent commission

2 min
14

Breeze's Tower

One of the original country houses that pre-dates the urbanisation of Springburn

2 min
15

Old Springburn Road at Balgrayhill

The old junction of Balgrayhill and Springburn Road, now entirely obliterated.

4 min
16

Springburn Road at Kay Street

The much changed heart of Springburn, the Balgray Recreation Ground and old Baths

3 min
17

Springburn Road at Hillkirk Street

Exploring more of the lost buildings of central Springburn

6 min
18

Springburn Cross

The old heart of Springburn

4 min
19

Springburn Library, Kenmure Lodge, Hyde Park Works

One of the original Carnegie Libraries

4 min
20

North British Locomotive Company Headquarters

Fine administration building designed by James Miller for NB Loco

6 min
21

Old Fire Station and Springburn Public Halls

The ill-fated Springburn Public Halls 1902-2012

7 min
22

Old Springburn Road to Sighthill Cemetery

One of Glasgow's most iconic cemeteries, opened in 1840

4 min
23

The St. Rollox 'Caley' Railway Works

The last of Springburn's iconic Railway Works

5 min

Overview

From winter gardens to locomotive works, this tour will explore the architectural and industrial legacy of a lost Springburn, that saw over 85% of its buildings demolished during the city's final 'Comprehensive Development' project in the 1970s and 1980s. From Springburn Park, the highest point in Glasgow and last Victorian park to be laid out in Glasgow, the tour will explore the role of the steam locomotive industry in rapidly building a world-leading industrial metropolis from a rural backwater at the start of the 19th century. Only the fragments of a once dense district of tenements, villas, pubs, schools, churches, railway workshops, co-operative society shops and public halls survive intact from the end of the 1960s, but those that do survive remain some of the finest municipal and industrial buildings in the city.

Itinerary 5.4 km / 2:30

Offline map included

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