Glasgow, Springburn Park, Winter Gardens
Glasshouse (19th Century)
Site Name Glasgow, Springburn Park, Winter Gardens
Classification Glasshouse (19th Century)
Canmore ID 169078
Site Number NS66NW 240
NGR NS 60814 68449
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/169078
- Council Glasgow, City Of
- Parish Glasgow (City Of Glasgow)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District City Of Glasgow
- Former County Lanarkshire
Winter Gardens, Springburn Park, 1899, Simpson & Farmer, hothouse builders
55m- (180ft)-long glasshouse gifted by James Reid. Frame made by William Baird of Temple Ironworks. Elegant glazed cast-iron arched roof, carried by mild steel girders on tall red brick walls, with round-arched windows. Low clerestory across ridge, decorative thistle crest. Internal gallery all round, cast-iron stairs with decorative cast-iron balustrades. Today a skeleton, awaiting funding for restoration
Taken from "Greater Glasgow: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Sam Small, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
Large glasshouse, built by Messrs. Simpson and Farmer, Horticultural Builders, Heating and Ventilating Engineers of Partick Bridge using iron from the Temple Ironworks of Crow Road, Glasgow. Simpson and Farmer also assembled the Winter Gardens in Tollcross. The glasshouse extends for 180ft, with tall 12ft red brick walls punctuated by round-arched windows. These give rise to 7 arch-framed lattice girders supported the glass roof, which was curved at the angles and was made up of wide overlapping layers of glass. A low clerestory sits at the ridge, crowned by thistle design brattishing. The internal gallery is reached by cast-iron stairs and features decorative iron balustrades. (Historic Scotland)
It was once the largest glasshouse in Scotland at 842 sq. m. £10,000 was contributed by the Reid family of the neighbouring Hyde Park Locomotive works for the construction of the Winter Gardens. The Reid's having paid for the construction of nearby Springburn Public Halls, on the agreement that Glasgow Corporation would build a winter garden in Springburn Park. The building was spot listed in May 1985, two days before Glasgow District Council was to consider its demolition application, as reported in Building Design, 17 May 1985.
Laser Scanning (February 2014 - August 2014)
A laser scan survey of the Winter Gardens in Springburn Park, Glasgow was carried out by RCAHMS in 2014 as part of the Threatened Buildings survey work.
