Parks in Glasgow
For a large city, Glasgow has a surprising number of parks and green spaces; there is more parkland here than in any other British city. The most famous of these is Glasgow Green. Founded by Royal grant in 1450, Glasgow Green has slowly been enclosed by the city and evolved from grazing land into a modern public park. The highlights are:
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If you should fall in
Glasgow Green is the home of the Glasgow Humane Society. The Society was founded in 1790 and is the world's oldest practical life-saving body. Until June 2005 the society volunteers were responsible for rescuing those unfortunate to fall into the River Clyde. Unfortunately modern heath and safety regulations require two life boat men on duty and a lack of volunteers has forced the sole lifeboat man, George Parsonage, to stand down the service after 215 years. The rescue service is now performed by the Strathclyde Fire Brigade.
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Nelson's memorial - an obelisk or needle: built to commemorate Nelson's victory at the battle of Trafalgar
The Peoples Palace Museum and Winter Gardens - displaying details of Glasgow life (including one of Billy Connolly's banana boots)
The Templeton carpet factory - with its ornate brick work; now a business center
The Doulton fountain - recently renovated, it's the largest terracotta fountain in the world
"The Green" as its known to the locals is also one of the major venues for concerts and open air events in Glasgow. The best way to get there is on foot from either Bridgeton or Argyle Street railway stations or from the bus routes along London Road. There is limited official parking in or around the green and the area is notorious for car crime. Be aware the council will tow away illegally parked vehicles and charge you up to £250 pounds to get them back!
Kelvingrove Park in the city's West End is also a very popular park, particularly with the students from the nearby University. The most prominent landmark here is the Art Gallery and Museum on the banks of the River Kelvin which runs through the park. It also contains a recently constructed skate park. The other major park in the West End is the park area surrounding the Botanic Gardens which contains extensive tropical and temperate plant collections from around the world. Other parks of note include Queen's Park , Strathclyde Country Park , Bellahouston Park , Victoria Park and Mugdock Park , but there are numerous others.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Glasgow
