Description of the attraction
Glasgow Green is a park located in the eastern part of Glasgow, on the north bank of the Clyde River. This is the oldest park in the city, founded in the middle of the 15th century. In 1450, King James II donated a plot of land to Bishop William Turnbull and the residents of the city. In those days, Glasgow Green looked very different from what it is now. It was a swampy area, where the rivers Kamlahi and Molendinar Byrne flowed between green lawns. Here they grazed cattle, washed and bleached linen, hung out fishing nets to dry, and even went swimming.
Only in 1817 and 1826 attempts were made to improve the park. The rivers were removed into pipes, underground, the territory of the park was leveled and drained. Then, at different times, a variety of proposals and ideas for the reconstruction and use of the park arose - from the idea of digging a navigable canal to the project of coal mines (coal deposits were discovered under the park). All of these proposals were rejected by the city council or city residents.
In 1806, a year after the death of Admiral Nelson, a monument was erected in his honor in the park. It was the first monument to Nelson in Great Britain - Nelson's Column appeared in Dublin only two years later, and in London - three decades later. In 1810, the monument was struck by lightning, and the upper part was damaged. In 1855, the St. Andrews suspension bridge was inaugurated. In 1881, a fountain appeared in the park in honor of Sir William Collins, Lord Provost of Glasgow in 1877-1880 and an active member of the Temperance Society. The Doulton Fountain, depicting Queen Victoria surrounded by allegorical figures of Australasia, India, Canada and South Africa, was moved to the park after the 1888 World's Fair.
In 1898, the People's Palace was opened, a cultural center for East End residents. Reading rooms were located on the first floor, a museum on the second, and an art gallery on the third. The Glasgow History Museum has been opened in the People's Palace since the 1940s. The MacLennan Arch - a triumphal arch - changed its location in the park several times until it was installed in its current location in 1991 in front of the courthouse at the Salt Market.
In addition to these historical sights, the park has playgrounds and sports grounds, a winter garden, and a football field. The park hosts concerts and social events.
