Glasgow, Bellahouston Park, 1938 Empire Exhibition, The Tower Of Empire
Restaurant (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Glasgow, Bellahouston Park, 1938 Empire Exhibition, The Tower Of Empire
Classification Restaurant (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Tait's Tower; Treetops Restaurant
Canmore ID 180625
Site Number NS56SW 39.02
NGR NS 5495 6380
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/180625
- Council Glasgow, City Of
- Parish Govan (City Of Glasgow)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District City Of Glasgow
- Former County Lanarkshire
ARCHITECT: Thomas S. Tait 1938
100m (300ft) Tower built at the top of the hill, claimed at the time to be the highest covered structure in Britain. The tower included two 18-passenger lifts which took less than a minute to gain the top. Three observation galleries in which 300 people could view out. A restaurant on stilts was built at the base.
Archaeological Evaluation (16 October 2008 - 10 December 2008)
NS 5495 6380 A topographic and geophysical survey was carried out on Bellahouston Hill on 16 October 2008 in order to locate the remains of the Tower of Empire, the focal point of the 1938 Empire Exhibition held in Bellahouston Park. The geophysical survey successfully located the foundations, most of which now lie below a parterre.
On 10 December 2008 an evaluation was undertaken to uncover some of the concrete foundations and ascertain their state of preservation. Three trenches were excavated by mechanical digger and concrete foundation blocks were found in two of the trenches. In the third the concrete had been deliberately broken up and capped with a layer of building debris and clay. A stone-filled drain, probably associated with Dumbreck House, was also found but was not excavated.
Archive: RCAHMS
Funder: House for an Art Lover
Christine Rennie – GUARD
