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A History of Glasgow

Glasgow's proximity to Scotland's beautifulMuseum, which is now Glasgow's oldest house.
Highlands and the legendary friendliness andOnce similar houses continued all the way
humour of its inhabitants are probably thedown High Street towards Glasgow Cross and
most commonly cited reasons for its positionthe imposing 17th century Tolbooth Steeple,
as third most visited city in the UK (afterwhich once greeted travellers arriving along
London and Edinburgh). This overshadows thethe  Gallowgate  from  Edinburgh.
fact that Glasgow is without doubt one of the
most architecturally remarkable cities in theMuch of the centre of the Glasgow we know
British Isles. From the tall confident earlytoday began to take shape from the 18th
Victorian neoclassical buildings of the citycentury onwards. The so called 'Tobacco
centre to the 'space-age' Clyde AuditoriumLords' were the first in a long line of
(or Armadillo) and Science Centre, Glasgow'sentrepreneurs and businessmen to leave their
architecture exudes a dynamism which hasmark on the city. Having become
emerged from a complex and often dramaticextraordinarily wealthy and powerful
history.re-exporting tobacco from the Americas to the
continent, a trade which they all but
Glasgow's massive expansion in the 18th andmonopolised until US independence, they
19th centuries did much to destroy evidencefashioned great mansions and palaces for
of early settlement in the area.themselves in what became Glasgow's Merchant
Nevertheless, what remains is of tremendousCity, to the west of High Street. At this
interest. Amongst the earliest traces oftime Glasgow was considered by some to be the
inhabitation are the remains of a Romanmost attractive town in the newly formed
bathhouse, at Bearsden in Greater Glasgow.United  Kingdom.
This is the last visible part of a fortified
complex built by the 20th Roman Legion on theThe Tobacco Lords were followed by the first
Antonine Wall, which marked Glasgow as agenerations of industrialists, whose
dangerous outpost on the northernmostpioneering spirit became the foundation of
frontier  of  the  empire.the British Empire. The exportation of
textiles and later industrial goods required
Nonetheless, it is St Kentigern (or St Mungo)the development of Glasgow's port and led to
who is usually regarded as being Glasgow'sa huge demand for ships. Consequently,
founding father. His journey in the 6thGlasgow's era as shipbuilding capital of the
century BC to find the burial ground,world began. Glasgow also became the major
dedicated by St Ninian a century earlier,supplier of ships for the Royal Navy and,
brought him to the green hollow where Glasgowresultantly, the centre of the empire's
Cathedral now stands. The small church hemunitions industry. Machine tools, sewing
built here became his burial place. The tombmachines and locomotives were amongst
remains the focal point for one of Scotland'sGlasgow's other specialities. Glasgow became
outstanding medieval buildings, as well asthe so called Second City of the Empire and
the resting place of one of northern Europe'sWorkshop of the World; the industrial city of
most  influential  missionaries.the  industrial  age.
Nonetheless, it was 3 centuries after StGlasgow's extraordinary success as an
Kentigern's death and across the River Clydeindustrial giant is reflected in her rich
at Govan that real political power first camearchitecture. Arguably no other city has
to the Glasgow area. The Kingdom ofbeen bequeathed with finer examples of both
Strathclyde built its capital here, possiblyEdwardian and Victorian buildings. Two
at the site of a prehistoric burial mound,Glasgow architects whose buildings are
after Viking attacks made the continuingamongst the city's finest are worth a special
occupation of Dumbarton Rock untenable. Formention; Alexander 'Greek' Thomson
the following three hundred years Govan(1817-1875), acclaimed for his innovative
remained the capital of this sizeable realm,reinvention of the classical Greek style, and
until its incorporation into Scotland by Kingthe world renowned Charles Rennie Mackintosh
David I in the 12th century. Govan's ancient(1868-1928), whose unique style remains
origins can most clearly be seen at Govanhighly  influential  internationally.
Parish Church, once the site of the royal
complex. The highly decorated hog back graveThe wealth apparent in Glasgow's finest
markers and stone crosses on displaybuildings was not shared equally. Industrial
constitute the largest collection of suchGlasgow gained a reputation for its extreme
stones  in  Scotland  outside  of  Iona.poverty. Frustration with social inequality
was expressed through the arts, football,
As part of a policy designed to crush thesectarianism and politics. While the idea
aristocracy of Strathclyde, David I moved thethat the city was perpetually on the verge of
centre of power in the area to the site ofRevolution is rather far fetched the legends
Kentigern's church. In the centuries thatof 'Red Clydeside' play a large part in both
followed the cathedral began to take shape asGlaswegian and Scottish identity. In more
well as the adjacent Bishops Palace (on thepractical terms, Glasgow's industrial
site of the Museum of Religion). Other stoneenvironment was the birthplace of the British
structures began to spring up such as theLabour movement.
15th century Provand's Lordship, opposite the



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