Kelvingrove Park
Kelvingrove Park | |
---|---|
Type | Public park |
Location | Glasgow, Scotland |
Coordinates | 55°52′6″N 4°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.
History
Kelvingrove Park was originally created as the West End Park in 1852, and was partly designed by
Exhibitions
The park has been the site of three exhibitions: the
Location and features
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
There are three
Monuments
Kelvingrove contains a
The park also contains statues of physicist
Bandstand
The bandstand within the park was built in 1924 and designed by
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]
Flora
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.
In culture
- Scottish football club Rangers was formed by the four founder members who met at West End Park (today Kelvingrove Park) in March 1872.
- The Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre was the venue for the Lawn bowls event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
- The poet, Lyle, wrote a song about the park, entitled Kelvin Grove.[17]
- Much of Alasdair Gray's novel Poor Things takes place in and around the park.
- English music hall singer Mark Sheridan shot himself here in 1918.
- The Brisbane suburb of Kelvin Grove was named after the park.[18]
- The park and Kelvin Way appear in Louise Welsh's novel, The Cutting Room.
- OUTrun, a 5 mile race, hosted by Glasgow FrontRunners takes place in the park every August.
- The park features prominently in the Bill Forsyth film That Sinking Feeling.
- The Bathers, a Scottish band, published their album Kelvingrove Baby in 1997.
Gallery
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Vandalised bandstand in 2007, before its 2013 restoration.
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Bandstand after its 2013 refurbishment.
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The River Kelvin is to the right, withGlasgow Universitytower in the distance.
Notes
- ^ Lismore Castle Gardens: History. http://www.lismorecastlegardens.com/history/
- ^ "Design for Kelvingrove Park". The Glasgow Story. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Glasgow Museums: History of Kelvingrove Park". Archived from the original on 25 April 2010.
- ^ "Measuring Worth - Purchasing Power of British Pound". Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ "University of Glasgow :: Library :: Glasgow International Exhibition 1888".
- ^ Thomas Smith Boyd. "Flickr: Russian Restaurant, Glasgow International Exhibition 1901".
- ^ "The Friends of Kelvingrove Park: Environment".
- ^ "Stewart Memorial Fountain". Archived from the original on 25 October 2014.
- ^ "The Friends of Kelvingrove Park: News".
- ^ "Text of Pauline McNeill MSP's Motion to the Scottish Parliament about the Bandstand restoration".
- ^ "Government award grants to upgrade 16 historic buildings". BBC News. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ^ Vivienne Nicoll (7 May 2014). "Music in the Park: festival announced for Kelvingrove bandstand". Evening Times.
- ^ "Kelvingrove Park bandstand to host summer music festival". BBC News. 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Suffragette Oak is Scotland's Tree of the Year". Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ "Suffragette Oak is tree of the year". BBC News. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ "The Suffragette Oak". European Tree of the Year. Environmental Partnership Foundation. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ "Friends of Kelvingrove Park: Kelvin Grove song".
- ^ "Kelvin Grove – suburb in City of Brisbane (entry 49675)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
External links
- Media related to Kelvingrove Park at Wikimedia Commons
- The Friends of Kelvingrove Park