GLASGOW
 Cathedrals |  Royal Britain |
Scotland's second, and largest city Glasgow, grew at such a phenomenal rate during the Industrial Revolution that little remains of its medieval glory as an ecclesiastical centre and seat of learning. However, despite much of the old city lying buried beneath 19th century Glasgow, there are still substantial historical remains and evidence of the city's past that can be discovered with a little effort.
Traditionally, Glasgow was founded by St Kentigern, also called St Mungo, who built his church on the site in 543, in what was then called Glasgu. In 1136 a cathedral was erected over his remains, and it is the only complete medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland. The cruciform structure, with its low central tower and spire, although begun in the 12th century, was not completed until the following century. The outstanding feature of the cathedral is the fan vaulting around St Mungo's tomb in the crypt; elsewhere, the choir has much fine work, including a 15th century stone screen. The cathedral is best viewed from the neighbouring Necropolis, a cemetery laid out in 1833 full of ornate monuments to Glaswegian merchants. Until the Reformation, the cathedral was a much-ornamented place of pilgrimage, but 16th century zeal 'purged' it of all traces of 'idolatry'. The present furnishings are mostly 19th century, and many of the windows modern stained glass.
Opposite the cathedral stands Provand's Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow; built for a priest in 1471, it is now a museum with furniture and domestic displays dating from 1500 to 1918. The centre of the city is George Square, the oldest of Glasgow's public squares, laid out at the end of the 18th century, and named after George III. A large quota of statues within the square includes replicas of Queen Victoria, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns. Filling one end of George Square is the massive bulk of the City Chambers, built in 1888; an Italian Renaissance style building with a 240ft Tower, and opulent interiors full of mosaics and marble. The banqueting hall has murals depicting the city's history.
In 1451 Bishop Turnball obtained Papal authority for the establishment of a university at Glasgow. The High Street was the university home for 400 years, and when moved to its present Gilmorehill site in 1870, part of the old college façade was used to construct the lodge. The tower of the main building dominates the site and provides magnificent views across the city and surrounding hills. The splendid Hunterian Museum forms part of the university. Opened in 1807 as the city's first museum, it houses a superb collection of coins; early printed books; Roman relics from the Antonine Wall; illuminated manuscripts, notably the York Psalter of about 1175 and paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Whistler.
Much of Glasgow's ancient past can only be caught in glimpses of what was, by means of the limited remains and relics left to us. The Tron Steeple, forming an arch over the footpath, is the only surviving part of St Mary's Church, built in 1637 and burnt down in 1793 by drunken members of the Glasgow Hell Fire Club. The nearby Tolbooth Steeple, seven storeys and 126ft high, is the sole remnant of a 1626 tolbooth; emblems of St Mungo and various royals decorate the lintels. Sir Walter Scott describes the prison that once occupied this site, in his novel 'Rob Roy'. Southward stands the Merchant's Steeple built into the Fish Market of 1872. This steeple is all that remains of the old Merchant's House built in 1651/9; it has charming details in Gothic and Renaissance style, rising in four diminishing square towers to 164ft.
As a counter to this paucity of ancient historical sites, Glasgow's growing reputation as a major cultural centre for the fine arts, compensates for what is gone and irretrievable. The city's art galleries and museums have rightly gained international renown. At the forefront is the Glasgow City Art Gallery and Museum, housing the finest municipal collection of British and European art in Britain. It is rich in work of the Dutch, modern French and Scottish schools, and the museum features a famous array of European arms and armour. Glasgow's domestic history is documented and illustrated in the People's Palace on Glasgow Green. Pollok House, designed by William Adam and built in 1752, has one of the best collections of Spanish paintings in the UK. The Mitchell Library, founded in 1874, is Europe's largest public reference library, with over a million volumes, including Celtic literature, Scottish poetry and the world's largest Robert Burns collection. Glasgow School of Art, built in 1907, is a fine example of 'new' architecture in the city, the masterpiece of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a pioneer in the field.