Historic Dennistoun

Dennistoun Conservation Area

Masterplan by James Salmon

Alexander Dennistoun (1790-1874) had a vision to build a healthy residential suburb. He purchased Golfhill’s adjoining estates of Annfield, Bellfield, Whitehill, Broom Park, Meadow Park, Westercraigs and Craig Park until the whole combined estate extended to over 200 acres. It began with Annfield Place and in 1854 he employed architect, James Salmon (1805-1888), to masterplan this new suburb called Dennistoun. This was followed by Westercraigs and then many villas, terraces and communal gardens which now form the Conservation Area of Dennistoun were completed. Competition from the south and west of the city necessitated change and by 1870 the remainder of the estate was developed with tenement buildings, schools and churches. The street names which run north to south are named after the estates which formed Dennistoun and the Drives running east to west are related to the Dennistoun Family.

Historic Dennistoun

BROOMPARK DRIVE

23 - 49 Broompark Drive, G31 2JB
By James Salmon, 1870

The approach from Broompark Dr to Craigpark presents the original vision that Alexander Dennistoun had when creating his neighbourhood. The private gardens and grand terraces as well as semi-detached and detached houses are impressive and generous even when compared to the fine Victorian tenements in The Drives. The terrace on the north side of the street is the only completed terrace built by James Salmon, who was responsible for the masterplan of the original estate. There are some beautiful stone and iron details incorporated into the terrace, many of these details can also be found in the large corner house on Broompark Circus (formerly a nursery) as well as Kings Cross Place, the tenement on the junction of Duke St and Westercraigs. Other peculiar details to look out for around this area is the chevron pattern or ‘criss cross’ detail carved into many sandstone blocks which is thought to have been an attempt at creating a signature for the area, the only other area in Glasgow identified as using this technique is in Shawlands.

Historic Dennistoun

FINLAY DRIVE TENEMENT

Finlay Drive / Whitehill street, G31 2BD
By James Salmon, 1887

The tenement block to the south east corner of Finlay Drive and Whitehill Street is one of the most impressive and full of feature in the area. It is also among the first phase of building in red sandstone in the area. The chimney stack to Finlay Drive is especially interesting with sandstone carving which includes the buildings name ‘Hawthorn’, possibly referring to a mature and well loved Hawthorn Tree planted at this location as part of a screen between two former estates. Another unusual feature is the curved glass of the windows to the corner which along with other detailing distinguishes the block from its neighbours. Whitehill St was intended to be the central axis for the Salmon/Dennistoun plan and the tenements on this street are generally finer in detail and quality than the others. The main junction was to be Onslow Drive at Whitehill St.

Eat + Drink + Shop

NAKODAR GRILL

13 Annfield Place, G31 2XQ
Indian Restaurant.

Check out the lunch and pre-theatre deals.

Eat + Drink + Shop

CAFE TIBO

443 Duke street, G31 1RY
Cafe / Restaurant / Bar.

Relaxing spot to eat, drink and be social.

Eat + Drink + Shop

TAPA

19-21 Whitehill Street, G31 2LH
Organic Bakery / Cafe.

Amazing organic bread and beautiful coffee.

Eat + Drink + Shop

COIA’S

473 Duke Street, G31 1RD
Cafe / Restaurant / Deli / Gelaratia.

An institution on Duke Street since 1928!

Eat + Drink + Shop

CELINO’S

620 - 624 Alexandra Parade, G31 3BT
Trattoria + Delicatessen.

Authentic Italian ingrediants. Try their famous rice balls!

Eat + Drink + Shop

DRYGATE

85 Drygate, G4 0UT
Micro-Brewery, Bar and Kitchen.

"The UK’s first experiential craft brewery"

Eat + Drink + Shop

FORK + KNIFE CAFE

460 Duke street, G31 1QN
Cafe / Take Away.

Fill your belly at this traditional Glasgow cafe...

Eat + Drink + Shop

DENNISTOUN BBQ

585 Duke street, G31 1PY
Barbecue + Burger Restaurant / Take Away.

Massive, amazing burgers and more!

Eat + Drink + Shop

Bilson Eleven

10 Annfield Place, G31 2XQ

Fine dining in lovingly restored townhouse by chef Nick Rietz and his family.

Eat + Drink + Shop

REDMOND’S

304 Duke street, G31 1RZ
Bar.

Great craft beer selection and good food on offer.

Eat + Drink + Shop

THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET

380 Duke Street, G31 1DN
Bar / Restaurant.

New on the street with a great beer selection and bar menu.

Eat + Drink + Shop

AMORE D’ITALIA

502 Alexandra Parade,
Cafe / takeaway.

Fantastic Italian Cafe + takeaway

Eat + Drink + Shop

SWALLOW CAFE

582 Alexandra Parade, G31 3BP
Chip shop takeaway.

Been in Dennistoun for years.

Eat + Drink + Shop

REIDVALE COMMUNITY CAFE

Reidvale Neighbourhood Centre, 13 Whitevale Street, G31 1QW
Cafe.

Soups, sandwiches and more at community run hub.

Eat + Drink + Shop

FLORRESTER’S

447 Duke Street, G31 1RD
Florist

Beautiful, creative, family-run florist.

Architecture

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL CHURCH

75 Craigpark Drive, G31 2HD
By Gillespie, Kidd + Coia Architects
1966-68

See also: ST ANNE'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Architecture

ST ANNE'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

21 Whitevale Street, G31 1QW
By Gillespie, Kidd + Coia Architects
1931-33

This church and OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL CHURCH show the development of one of Scotland’s most important architectural practices of the 20th Century, Gillespie, Kidd + Coia. John Gaff Gillespie who had previously worked in Salmon+Son architects (see Historic Dennistoun) left Jack Coia as sole partner of the firm in 1928 and throughout the 1930’s Coia broke away from prevailing Gothic styles of the time in church architecture and built numerous churches for the Roman Catholic Church. In St Anne’s we see a neo-Romanesque style characterized by the semi-circular arches, this is said to be influenced by Coia’s previous study trip to Italy although this attraction to the bold arches and curves could also have been influenced by the art deco movement at this time. This along with the rejection of stone in favour of facing brick reveals the trajectory of the practice towards the 20th Century modernism that is embodied by Our Lady of Good Counsel. From the late 1950’s two young architects, Isi Metzstein and Andy McMillan assumed creative control within GKC and pushed the boundaries of modernist design in Scotland. Our Lady of Good Counsel continues the use of facing brick but starts to use this in a very different way, making a further break from aspects such as the crucifix plan and commonly associated religious building forms and moving towards a more experiential reference to religion. The interior, with a huge sweeping roof and ceiling, combines dramatic natural lighting with a use of brick on the interior to create a heavy, solid, protective vessel with a divine lightness above. Well worth checking service times to get a peek of this awesome interior.

Architecture

REIDVALE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

13 Whitevale Street, G31 1QW
By JM Architects
2008

Adjoing St Anne’s is a contemporary building housing the Reidvale Neighbourhood Centre. Set back from the streetline this building doesn’t try and compete with it’s imposing neighbour but rather sits subtly in the background with soft timber cladding and smart proportions. Inside there are a number of community spaces as well as a cafe that can act as a good excuse to stick your head in!

Architecture

REIDVALE HOUSING

Duke Street / Sword Street / Annbank Street
By Elder + Cannon Architects
1993

This building presents a contemporary take on the prevalent tenement housing typology in the city and was commended for sitting comfortably and confidently with it’s neighbouring Victorian buildings when it won a Saltire Award in 1994. The single use of the yellow brick and the relief features built in to the facade are interesting references to the sandstone tenements to either side as are the generous and vertically proportioned windows with their strong regular order. More contemporary features however include the bold and irregular openings to the gable facing Sword Street. Reidvale Housing Association, who commissioned the flats were commended at the time for their ambitious vision and are still doing very progressive work in the area.

Le Rendezvous Cafe, which is now preserved in the Riverside Museum was originally part of the tenement that this flat block replaced. The cafe sat on the corner of Duke Street and Sword Street and you can still take a seat and see the historic interior within the museum.

Architecture

GLASGOW CATHEDRAL

Castle Street, G4 0QZ
www.glasgowcathedral.org.uk
1963-68

Although not technically in Dennistoun, Glasgow Cathedral sits on the boundary of the area. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Glasgow needs no introduction here and could be combined with a walk over The Bridge of Sighs and around the Glasgow Necropolis before heading into Dennistoun proper. The Cathedral is regarded as one of the finest Gothic buildings in Scotland and was built between the 13th and 15th Centuries. Admission is free and you can learn of how the city grew from this point down High Street as well as its relationship with many other aspects such as the formation of University of Glasgow.

Architecture

BRIDGE OF SIGHS

Wishart Street (Cathedral Street - Glasgow Necropolis), G31 2GA
By David + James Hamilton
1834

Take a walk from the Cathedral to the Necropolis or from the city of the living to the city of the dead. This bridge was built and designed by D+J Hamilton in 1834 to cross the Molendinar Burn which ran along the line of what is now Wishart Street. It is called The Bridge of Sighs due to the processions of mourners travelling from funeral services in the Cathedral to bury their loved ones.

Architecture

ST ANDREWS EAST CHURCH

685 Alexandra Parade, G31 3LH
By James Miller (and James Salmon II), 1899

St Andrew’s East Church Hall, is an Art Nouveau Gothic building by James Salmon II, grandson of Dennistoun’s masterplanner James Salmon. This was orginally the church but in 1904 James Miller, instead of Salmon, won the commission for a larger church next door. Miller’s building is designed with assurance and originality but a major Salmon church was lost to the city. In the late 20th Century the Miller church was sold and converted into flats and the congregation moved back into the original church which was refurbished by Page\Park architects.

Architecture

‘THE DRIVES’

Between Cumbernauld Rd - Craigpark and Alexandra Parade - Duke Street
By various

The streets that form a square between Cumbernauld Rd and Craigpark to the East and West and Alexandra Parade and Duke St to the North and South are known locally as ‘the drives’. The beautiful Victorian tenement buildings that line the streets vary in style but the grid iron street pattern is only interrupted now and again by a church or green space. Very pleasant for a stroll around on a sunny day. Look out for the cast iron fences and detailing, many from the famous Saracen Foundry, as well as some interesting garden designs including one extra special mix of ‘neo-classism’, Disney and B+Q...

Architecture

DENNISTOUN LIBRARY / CARNEGIE ANGEL

2 Craigpark, G31 2NA
By James R. Rhind
1905

Still in use as a library, this is one of 15 new buildings erected after 1899 when a parliamentary bill was passed paving the way to establish neighbourhood libraries across the city. Andrew Carnegie, born to a poor family in Dunbartonshire, made his fortune after moving to America and having returned to his home country pledged over a third of the money needed to build this network of libraries. These are now known as the ‘Carnegie Libraries’. The architect, James R.Rhind, who designed seven of the libraries including Dennistoun’s, had a fruitful working relationship with the sculptor, William Kellock Brown. The sculptor’s work can be seen here with the Glasgow coat of arms above the entrance, the figures representing Literature/Art and Geography above the first floor central window and the winged female on top of the dome affectionately know as ‘The Dennistoun Angel’. The original Bridgeton Library is nearby and is another work by the architect/sculptor team. This building is now home to Glasgow Women’s Library and well worth the trip down.

Art + Culture

WASPS ART GALLERY + STUDIOS

77 Hanson Street, G31 2HF
www.waspsstudios.org.uk

These studios and art gallery are located in a former tobacco factory and is home to a vibrant community of artists. There is a community run cafe as you enter and occasional exhibitions by resident and invited artists. Check the website for details of the ‘Open Days’ which allow you to visit the studios, see the artwork being made there as well as getting a tour of the building.

Art + Culture

MARKET GALLERY

334 Duke Street, G31 1QZ
www.marketgallery.org

Market Gallery exhibits contemporary art from Thursday - Sunday (11am-5pm) on Duke Street. Check the website to make sure there is a show on when you visit. The gallery was established in 2000 and is run by volunteers who will be delighted to show you around.

Art + Culture

MILESTONE PROJECT

On wall between Duke Street and Annfield Place
Artist/Sculptor: Jim Buckley

Jim Buckley’s sculpture, commissioned by Dennistoun Community Council as one of seven ‘Glasgow Milestones for the European City of Culture in 1990, sits inconspicuously between the railings on the wall in front of Annfield Place. The work appears as a mini skyscraper and monolithic in form but also relates to the traditional Glasgow tenement referencing the forms of the stair turrets and windows. Inside the artist has placed a time capsule of objects of local significance and a piece of writing describing tenement life.

Art + Culture

BUFFALO BILL STATUE

Finlay Drive / Whitehill Street, G31 2LP
http://codyarchive.org/

William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” gained his nickname when working as an army scout in the 1860’s where he claimed to have killed around 4,280 buffalo to feed the workers constructing the Kansas railway. His reputation and persona grew and gained the attention of novelists who went on to write hundreds of novels based on his character. This fame led to Buffalo Bill establishing his own ‘Wild West’ show which included re-enactments of battles with Native American Indians, or ‘Redskins’. The Native Americans also performing in the show had been given the choice of joining the show or being incarcerated in their homeland! Cowboy skills, horsemanship and shooting were also on display in this show which made home in Dennistoun between November 1891 - February 1892. This statue of Buffalo Bill stands on a plinth in a community green space on the corner of Finlay Dr and Whitehill St and was commissioned by the developer of the adjoining flats.

Art + Culture

LADYWELL FOUNTAIN

Ladywell Street

The date of the Ladywell Fountain’s foundation is unknown and more than likely pre-dates most of the city. The road that it borders is one of the oldest in the city and used to follow the line of the Molendinar Burn (see Hidden Histories). The well was recorded as being in use in 1736 and the niche that it now sits in was built in 1835. The well is now capped and it’s prominence belies it’s place in Glasgow’s history.

Art + Culture

DAVID DALE GALLERY + STUDIOS

161 Broad Street, Bridgeton, G40 2QR
www.daviddalegallery.co.uk / 0141 258 9124

A short walk south from Duke Street takes you to David Dale Gallery, a contemporary art gallery amongst an industrial area of Bridgeton. The gallery, housed in a former building college training tilers and bricklayers among others, has some amazing original features retained. The gallery aims to promote “international pioneering contemporary visual art” and the gallery directors are usually on hand to give an insight into the work on show.

To Do...

TENNENT’S BREWERY TOUR

161 Duke Street, G31 1JD
www.tennents.com/tours/
info@tennentstours.com / 0845 166 6040

Take a tour of Tennent’s Wellpark Brewery and soak up the 450 years of brewing history on this site. The tour takes you around the various stages of “mashing, malting, brewing, kegging” the lager and you’ll finish with a drink in their in-house bar filled with Tennent’s memorabilia. The back catalogue of tv advertisements are a real highlight. Afternoon and evening tours are offered and last around an hour, perfect for groups or on your own as it’s a really sociable and relaxed tour.

To Do...

WHITEHILL POOL

240 Onslow Drive, G31 3QE
www.glasgowclub.org / 0141 276 0823

Go for a few lengths in the small but charming Whitehill Pool. There’s a 25m pool with gallery seating as well as a kids pool to the side. It’s a Glasgow Life venue and also has a gym and exercise classes throughout the week. Give it a miss on Wednesday mornings when it hosts the local school pupils.

To Do...

CRAIGPARK MASTERS SNOOKER CLUB (DENNISTOUN BATHS)

164 Craigpark Drive, G31 2HE
http://www.craigparkmasters.co.uk

The Craigpark Masters Snooker Club welcomes both members and non-members. Originally Dennistoun Baths, the building was opened in 1884 and was privately run for Gentlemen members until its closure in 1993. In addition to accessing the pool and Turkish baths, members also joined various clubs affiliated to the baths, such as the harriers running club or the water polo team. Look out for the stone carving in the arch above the right-hand window of the façade, giving a hint to the aquatic past of the building.

To Do...

ALEXANDRA PARK + FOUNTAIN

Alexandra Parade / Sannox Gardens, G31 3JE

This park has so much to offer and is a real unsung hero among Glasgow’s parks. It’s great to simply walk around or enjoy a picnic on a nice day, the kids can be kept happy feeding the ducks in the pond, watching the squirrels or having fun in the play areas. There is a 9-hole public golf course carefully planned around the park and a lawn bowling green to the north of the park. Views from the top of the hill are outstanding. To the north you can see the impressive blue cylindrical towers of Provan Gas Works. These have now been decommissioned and their future uncertain. You also have amazing views over the East, South and West of the city. The fountain in the centre of the park is a gem. It was originally commissioned for the 1901 International Exhibition in Kelvingrove Park and was manufactured by the famous Walter MacFarlane & Co’s Saracen Foundary. Look out for all the water based creatures and cherubs around the fountain as well as the bronze female figures representing Literature, Science, Art and Commerce.

To Do...

REIDVALE PLAYGROUND - R.A.P.A (FOR KIDS)

62 Garfield Street, G31 1DW
http://www.rapa.org.uk/

Supervised fun for infants to teens at this floodlit multi-use outdoor games centre. Pedal karts, zipline, football, tennis, sandpit, climbing frames, slides, swings, and much more to entertain any child. Indoor area features soft play, table tennis and dozens of rainy day activities.

Architecture | To Do...

GLASGOW NECROPOLIS

Main entrance behind St Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life + Art, G4 0UZ
http://www.glasgownecropolis.org/

Go for a walk around this inspiring landscape with views over the whole of the City of Glasgow and enjoy the fascinating and inspiring stories relating to the 50,000 people remembered and buried here. This internationally important historical Garden Cemetery of some 37 acres, inspired by Pere La Chaise, Paris, was officially opened in 1833. There are over 3,500 monuments created by some of Glasgow’s most famous architects: David Hamilton, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, Charles Rennie Macintosh, JT Rochead and sculpture by the most famous sculptors of their time. You can book online for a guided walk www.glasgownecropolis.org/tours. The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis raise funds for the much needed conservation and restoration of its outstanding architecture, sculpture and landscape.

Hidden Histories

OLD PRISON WALL + OLD STATION WALL

92 Duke Street, G4 0UW

The low sandstone wall to the north side of Duke Street marks the only structural remains of Duke Street Prison, which was formally established in 1798 as the North Gaol. 12 hangings took place here between 1902 and 1928. Protests at conditions by imprisoned Suffragettes and political activists led to closure of the prison in 1955. Demolition in 1958 made way for the early 1960s Ladywell housing scheme which currently occupies the site. The red brick wall and arches to the other side of the street belonged to a Goods Yard for the City of Glasgow Union Railway when the adjoining train station (High St. Station) was much larger in scale. The goods yards and the station date from 1871 after the University of Glasgow left its original home on this junction to move to the west end of the city.

Hidden Histories

GREAT EASTERN HOTEL

100 Duke Street, G4 0UW

This imposing piece of 19th century architecture was originally a cotton mill powered by the adjacent Molendinar Burn (42). Its structure included a very early example of the use of mass concrete combined with corrugated iron. Well-known in its subsequent incarnation as a homeless hostel throughout the 20th century it was closed in 2001 and recently re-opened and converted into domestic flats. The original ‘Alexander’s Mill’ owner James Alexander also opened a school for the families of his workers just west of the mill on Duke Street. This is now being used as Ladywell Business Centre although remnants of the school in the stone carvings and sculpture can still be seen. The six stone carved busts, by John Crawford, above the entrance depict Homer, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Milton and Newton.

Hidden Histories

THE WEAVER MEMORIAL - THE ROYAL INFIRMARY HOSPITAL

The Royal Infirmary, Castle Street - First Floor

The first floor of the Royal Infirmary’s Castle Street building hosts a six foot wall-mounted bronze commemorative plaque. This was first unveiled on January 1st 1927, in connection with a bequest from Glaswegian John Weaver, who’d died four years previously. He’d made his fortune in Brazil, and in return for leaving the then substantial sum of £27,000 to the pre-NHS Royal Infirmary he asked that a ward be named after his mother. A further condition of the Catherine Weaver Bequest guarantees Brazilians free hospital treatment at the Royal.

Hidden Histories

CATTLE MARKET + ABATTOIR

Bellgrove Street / Graham Square

The original Gallowgate meat market, established in 1879. The sheds that can be seen from Duke Street housed the cattle and meat markets. Their ruin is an interesting and thought-provoking spot in the city with great potential for the future. As you walk round the edge of this huge gap site you will find clues of its grandeur. The white ashlar entrance way to Bellgrove Street marks the way in to the former cattle market while to the Gallowgate / Graham Sq side two listed Victorian entrance archways would have led to the slaughterhouse. These have been retained and incorporated into the design of a new residential development by a number of leading contemporary architects in Scotland. The way that the abattoir would have interacted with and contributed to the streetscape of the city now seems a strange concept.

Hidden Histories

DENNISTOUN PALAIS

Roslea Street / Hillfoot Street

Opened in 1922 on the site of a skating rink, the well-loved Dennistoun Palais dance hall was said to be the biggest dance hall in Glasgow after being rebuilt following a fire in 1936. Ten times around the dance floor was a mile! The venue operated as a roller disco from 1965 and was later converted into a supermarket. The site was then incorporated into the ‘Dennistoun Village’ residential development in the mid 2000s.

Hidden Histories

MOLENDINAR BURN

Visible to the western side of the Great Eastern to the south of Duke Street

Running from Frankfield Loch in NE Glasgow, through Hogganfield Loch, north of Alexandra Park, between the Cathedral and the Necropolis, across Duke Street, eventually flowing into the Clyde west of Glasgow Green. It was the focus of St Mungo’s settlement when founding his church in the 6th century, and host to much industry since. Culverted in 1877 beneath Wishart Street but still visible, briefly, alongside the old Great Eastern Hotel.

Hidden Histories

WHITEVALE + BLUEVALE TOWERS

51 Whitevale Street + 109 Bluevale Street

By George Wimpey, 1963-68

These amazing brutalist structures were the tallest buildings in Scotland. They were characterized by their sculpted and well proportioned horizontal banding formed by continuous balconies to each of the 6 flats in the square plan. The vertical strips to the buildings ‘tips’ helps ventilate a drying area. Their silhouette could be seen for miles around however both towers have now been demolished. Check out local filmmaker and photographer, Chris Leslie’s film - ‘LIGHTS OUT - Gallowgate’.

Hidden Histories

THE RENDEZVOUS CAFE

Corner of Sword Street and Duke Street
Now reconstructed in the Riverside Museum

The Rendezvous Café was on Duke Street. In 1920, Mr Togneri travelled to Glasgow from Barga in Tuscany. Working first in a café in Anderston, Mr Togneri went on to set up his own, the Rendezvous with help from his cousin. Handmade ice cream was often the order of the day. Mr Togneri would get up at dawn to collect milk and start work. Courting couples often frequented the café. The Togneri family owned the Rendezvous until the 1970’s and if you pop along to the Riverside Museum, you can still enjoy its interior reconstructed within the museum.

About The Map

A Day Out In Dennistoun

A free map and guide of the area by Dennistoun Community Council

Dennistoun Community Council is delighted to present this guide to the area, A Day Out in Dennistoun.

Located in the east end of Glasgow within walking distance of the city centre this neighbourhood has a rich history and vibrant day to day life. We want this to be shared and enjoyed by visitors to the area as well as locals looking to learn more about their neighbourhood. The map is centred around the Dennistoun Community Council boundary area and we hope it is useful for finding your way around. There is a list of suggestions from local residents of all ages for things to do and see. Our aim is to present a rich mix, looking at the history and culture of Dennistoun as well suggesting places to eat, drink, shop and visit. The area is constantly evolving and if you think we’ve missed anything or want to make a suggestion then please get in touch at hello@dennistouncc.org.uk.

Enjoy your day out!

Dennistoun Community Council meet on the first Tuesday of every month and exist to ascertain, coordinate and express the views of the wider community. If you would like to find out more about the work of DCC and other local organisations, please visit:

www.dennistouncc.org.uk

All the photographic content was kindly taken by Dennistoun Photographers unless otherwise stated.

Created by Dennistoun Community Council
Designed by Dress for the Weather
Developed by Progressive Websites

With thanks to Dennistoun Conservation Society, Friends of Glasgow Necropolis, and Dennistoun Photographers