Area Name:

Park

Part of Glasgow:

West (North of River Clyde)

Postcode:

G3 7__

The Park Area of Glasgow is a world class area without rival in the City for its standard of accommodation, architecture and its generous landscaped gardens. Although prices are expensive in Glasgow terms, they are eminently affordable given the quality of the properties available, its central location and the beauty and greenery of the area itself.

Location:

9 (out of 10)

Glasgow’s Park Area is a small but exclusive area of the city formed around Kelvingrove Park in the West End which is bounded by Sauchiehall Street, Woodlands Road and Kelvin Way.

The architectural importance of the area and its stunning beauty is reflected in the fact that it was designated as one of the first three Conservation Areas in the city under the 1967 Civic Amenities Act.

The development was originally called Woodlands Hill which reflected the fact that part of the development was predominately built on the Woodlands Estate.

It also highlights the prominence of the built form of the Park Area in general and Woodlands Terrace in particular which proudly overlooks Kelvingrove Park to its immediate West and beyond to the areas of Yorkhill and Partick.

The Park is a stunning location for living. As well as being on the doorstep of Kelvingrove Park, many of the properties share well tended Residents' Gardens which give the area a very green and suburban feel despite being in the heart of the city.

Aside from its status as a Conservation Area, the beauty of the Park Area is highlighted by the large number of buildings (approximately 60%) which are either Grade A or Grade B listed.

(Statistics identify that only 3% of all buildings are listed nationally between Grade A and C. Historic Scotland identify Category A buildings as “buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type”).

Transportation links are excellent. The area is only a few hundred yards from the Charing Cross Junction of the M8 which provides direct links to the south via the M74, to Edinburgh to the east and to Glasgow International Airport to the south west on the M8 which leads beyond to the Ayrshire Coast.

Charing Cross Railway Station is also only a few hundred yards away. The main train stations of Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central Station are also within walking distance.

Regular bus services operate from Sauchiehall Street, Woodlands Road and St Georges Road allowing access to all parts of Glasgow and to the outlying regions beyond.

9 (out of 10)

Despite being mainly residential in nature one of the many advantages of the Park area is its proximity to both the West End and the City Centre both of which are only a few minutes stroll away.

Kelvingrove Park is never more than a few hundred feet away from the Park and the many Residents Gardens offer secluded and exclusive privacy for those lucky enough to have access.

The Park area benefits from being on the doorstep to the City but does not have any of the drawbacks of noise, hustle and late night revelry which the City Centre dweller often suffers from. There are still several top restaurants nearby despite the loss of Nairns from Woodside Crescent.

There are an abundance of top bars both on Woodside Road, Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street many of which are listed later in this section.

Leisure facilities are available a short stroll away in the City Centre in nearby Finnieston or at the Kelvin Hall. Food shoppers are also spoiled by the wide choice of delis both in Woodlands Road, Great Western Road and the mainstream shopping of Sauchiehall Street with its large Marks and Spencer Food Hall.

The Park Area is predominately business and residential although many businesses are relocating out of the Park area encouraged by the very high capital values of the properties which are now worth much more as residential accommodation than they are as offices.

The Park only fails to score a full 10 out of 10 because of the fact that the schools are generally not of the highest academic standard. This is being partially addressed with the introduction of the Gaelic School to the community.

There are however a few outstanding Independent Schools nearby notably St. Aloysius and The Glasgow Academy both of which are a short walk away and offer educational standards of international renown.

9 (out of 10)

The standard of accommodation in the Park Area is unrivalled anywhere else in the city. The Park offers a mix of elegant 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments most of which have been created from townhouse refurbishments over the last 10-15 years.

Whilst there are a few townhouses still in a single ownership, these are generally occupied by businesses or by the extremely wealthy. The listed status of both the area and the buildings themselves has ensured that these refurbishments have generally been carried out to the highest standards.

Accommodation is normally generous with large floor areas, well lit rooms with high ceilings usually decorated with the most ornate plasterwork and delicate cornicing.

The large windows of the upper floor apartments allow light to flood into the spaces; the views from almost every apartment are to die for as many look out onto either Kelvingrove Park or their own Private Residents' Gardens.

Many of the apartments in Woodside Terrace, Park Gardens and Woodlands Terrace offer stunning views beyond the Parks over Glasgow itself and further beyond to the countryside and rolling Scottish Lowlands to the south and south west.

There are also many mews houses in the Park which have a totally different feel to the apartments. Created from coach houses of the original buildings, they are generally 2 stories in height and look out into the intimate cobbled back lanes which nest between the banks of the Crescents and Terraces of the area.

The mews houses are generally smaller in scale and more intimate in feeling.

There are also several tenement properties of later date which are generally located towards the Woodlands Road area of the Park on Lynedoch Place, Royal Terrace and Park Quadrant which provide more traditional and bespoke accommodation.

The introduction of parking permits and meters into the Park area has greatly benefited residents by discouraging city and indigenous office workers using the area as free parking. This has decreased the volume of traffic into the area which was never excessive in any event.

The area is generally very quiet especially at evenings and weekends and has a restrained business like air to it during the working week.

Population:

Unlike Dowanhill, there is a very low long term indigenous population living in the Park since the Park area was almost exclusively office accommodation until well into the 1990’s.

Consequently the population of the Park is predominately middle class professional couples or single professionals who work in the City.

The area is popular with professionals, local celebrities, interior designers and architects as well as solicitors, bankers and insurance brokers who appreciate the convenience and luxury the Park has to offer.

Parking:

Permits and meters.

History of Area

 As with many other parts of Central Glasgow, it the Park Area was constructed on one of the cities many drumlins (a small, oval, hummocky hill formed from the detritus of the retreating glacier which previously inhabited the Clyde Valley in the last ice age).

The Park area developed in the mid 19^th Century when Glasgow was rapidly expanding due to its position as the Second city of the British Empire.

As Glasgow turned from textiles and tobaccos in the 18^th Century towards the heavy industrial industries of ship building, iron founding and heavy engineering, the bourgeoning upper and upper middle classes moved from their bases in the Merchant City to the west to avoid the pollution, disease and overcrowding created within the city itself by these new found trades.

Since the prevailing wind came from the West of the city, the western boundary had the cleanest and freshest air. It was this; coupled with the natural beauty of the landscaped Estates which encouraged the masterplan created by Charles Wilson in 1830.

The area originally belonged to the vast estates and farmlands of the landed gentry and was feued in a piecemeal basis between 1830 -1848 from the wealthy country house estates of Wellfield, Clairmont and Woodlands.

The concept of Woodlands Hill originated from a pair of solicitors called McHardy & Fullarton who saw the potential of the land which stretched westwards over land originally belonging to the Campbell's.

Large areas of the estate had already been feued off to allow the construction of several country estate houses, most notably that of Woodlands House which was complete in 1801 for the editor of the Glasgow Herald.

Woodside Crescent was the first part of the Park to be developed in 1831 from the edge of the Charing Cross area, followed 4 years later by Woodside Terrace which extended the Crescent and created Pleasure Gardens to its immediate south for the sole use of its Residents.

Designed by George Smith, the renowned Edinburgh architect, Woodside Terrace combines the restrained use of Greek neo classic architecture with the sobre, imposing Doric honey ashlar porticoes standing majestically above the private residents gardens which are laid out to its immediate south.

As Glasgow continued to grow and expand westwards particularly with the creation of the thoroughfare of the Great Western Road, the affluent elite of Glasgow society increasingly moved further away from the city centre.

Over time as the boundaries expanded, so too did the commercial heart of the city and it was business use rather than commercial use which gradually moved into the Park Area from the turn of the 20^th century onwards, attracted by the prestigious nature of the area which also provided relatively cheap business premises located central to the City.

More recently the increase in the value of the properties in the Park, the many development restrictions placed upon building owners because of their listed status and the demand for residential accommodation in the Park has encouraged most businesses to relocate to other areas. Slowly but surely the Park is now regaining its mantle as the premier location in the city.

Local Council:

Glasgow City Council,

Telephone: 0141 287 2000

Website : http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/

Nearest Police Station:

City Centre, Glasgow, G2 4JS

Telephone: 0141 532 2000

Website :

Nearest Hospital:

Western Infirmary, Dumbarton Road,

Glasgow G11 6NT

Telephone: 0141 211 2000

Website : http://www.nhsgg.org.uk/content/default.asp?page=s2_2&loc_id=14/

Nearest Library:

Mitchell Library,  North Street,

Charing Cross, Glasgow G3 7DN
Telephone: 0141 287 2999

Website: http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/

Anderston Library, Berkeley Street,

Sandyford, Glasgow G3 7DX

Telephone: 0141 287 2872

Main Retail Area:

Sauchiehall Street, Woodlands Road, Great Western Road

Nurseries:

Park Nursery and Kindergarten, 7 Woodside Crescent,

Park, Glasgow. G3 7UL

Telephone: 0141 332 0366

Website: http://www.nurseriesinglasgow.co.uk/

Somerset Nursery (Kindergarten), 4a Clairmont Gardens,

Park, Glasgow. G3 7LW

Telephone: 0141 353 0001

Somerset Nursery,2a & 3 Parkgrove Terrace,

Kelvingrove, Glasgow. G3 7SD

Telephone: 0141 337 6655

Primary Schools:

Glasgow Gaelic School, 44 Ashley Street,

Glasgow G3 6DS

Telephone: 0141 353 2321

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GoingtoSchool/Findaschool/

Garnetbank Primary School, 231 Renfrew Street,

Garnethill, Glasgow G3 6TX

Telephone: 0141 332 5158

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GoingtoSchool/Findaschool/

Willowbank Primary School, Willowbank Crescent,

Woodlands Road Woodlands, Glasgow. G3 6NB

Telephone: 0141 332 6281

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GoingtoSchool/Findaschool/

St. Aloysius, 45 Hill Street,

Garnethill, Glasgow. G3 6RJ

Telephone: 0141 332 3190 (Independent Fee paying school)

Website: http://www.staloysius.org/

The Glasgow Academy Colebrooke Street

Glasgow G12 8HE

Telephone: 0141 334 8558 (Independent Fee paying school)

http://www.theglasgowacademy.org.uk/

Secondary Schools:

St. Thomas Aquinas, 147 Berkeley Street

Glasgow G3 7HP

Telephone: 0141 582 0280

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GoingtoSchool/Findaschool/

Notre Dame High School, 160 Observatory Road,

Dowanhill, Glasgow G12 9LN

Telephone: 0141 582 0190

Website: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/GoingtoSchool/Findaschool/

St. Aloysius, 45 Hill Street,

Garnethill Glasgow G3 6RJ

Telephone: 0141 3323190 (Independent Fee paying school)

Website: http://www.staloysius.org/

The Glasgow Academy, Colebrooke Street

Glasgow G12 8HE

Telephone: 0141 334 8558 (Independent Fee paying school)

Website: http://www.theglasgowacademy.org.uk/

Further Education:

University of Glasgow, University Avenue

Hillhead, Glasgow G12 8QQ

Telephone: 0141 330 2000

Website: http://www.gla.ac.uk/

University of Strathclyde, Cathedral Street,

City Centre, Glasgow G1

Telephone: 0141 582 0190

Website: http://www.strath.ac.uk/

Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road
City Centre, Glasgow. G4 0BA

Telephone: 0800 027 9171

Website: http://www.gcal.ac.uk/

Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew Street,

Garnethill, Glasgow. G3 6RQ

Telephone: 0141 353 4517

Website:  http://www.gsa.ac.uk/

Stow College 43 Shamrock Street

Cowcaddens,  Glasgow G4 9LD

Telephone: 0141 332 1786

Website: http://www.stow.ac.uk/

Nearest Airport:

Glasgow International Airport (6.6 miles)

Abbotsinch, Paisley, PA3 2SJ

Website: http://www.glasgowairport.com/

Train Stations:

Charing Cross Station (0.3 miles)

Elmbank Crescent, Glasgow, G2 4PR

Telephone: 0845 748 4950

Glasgow Queen Street (0.7 miles)

North Hanover St, Glasgow, G1 2AD

Telephone:  0845 748 4950

Glasgow Central Station (0.8 miles)
Gordon Street, City Centre,  Glasgow G1 3SL

Telephone: 0141 335 4352
Office Opening hours: 0730-1700 hours Monday – Friday

For train times, ticket information etc.:

First ScotRail – 0845 601 5929
Virgin – 0845 744 3366
GNER – 0845 722 5444

National Rail Enquiries 08457 48 49 50

Bus Station:

Buchanan Bus Station (0.9 miles)

Killermont St, Glasgow, G2 3NW

Telephone: 0141 333 3708

Taxi

Glasgow Taxis

Telephone: 0141 429 7070

Website: http://www.glasgowtaxisltd.co.uk/

Motorway

M8 Charing Cross Junction (0.2 miles)

Places to Visit:

Mitchell Library,  North Street,

Charing Cross, Glasgow G3 7DN
Telephone: 0141 287 2999

Website: http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/

Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow

Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Argyle Street,

Kelvingrove, Glasgow.G3 8AG
Telephone: 0141 276 9599

Website: http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=4

Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena 1431-1451 Argyle St,

Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, G3 8AW

Telephone: 0141 357 2525

Transport Museum, 1 Bunhouse Rd,

Kelvinhall, Glasgow, G3 8DP.

Telephone: 0141 287 2720

Website: http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=7

McLellan Galleries, 270 Sauchiehall Street
City Centre, Glasgow. G2 3EH
Telephone: 0141 565 4137

http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=6

Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew Street,

Garnethill, Glasgow. G3 6RQ

Telephone: 0141 353 4517

Website:  http://www.gsa.ac.uk/

Area Landmarks:

Trinity College Chambers, 1856-61 by Charles Wilson (Grade A Listed from 15/12/1970)

6-19 Woodside Crescent (Grade A listed from 15/12/1970)

Cameron Memorial Fountain (Grade B Listed from 15/12/1970)

1-22 Woodside Terrace (Grade A Listed from 15/12/1970)

1-28 Woodside Place (Grade A Listed from 15/12/1970)

1-21 Park Terrace (Grade A Listed from 15/12/1970)

18-24 Woodlands Terrace (Grade A Listed from 15/12/1970)

2-4 Park Terrace East Lane (Grade A Listed from 15/12/1970)

Woodlands Terrace Stairway (Grade A Listed from 15/12/1970)