Alexandra Park, Glasgow
History
- 1866: The City Improvement Trustees of Glasgow purchased the land of Alexandra Park from Mr Walter Stewart with the intention of giving the people of the north-east of Glasgow a place of leisure and recreation. When the land was purchased it was bare and barren with hardly any trees. Ordnance Survey maps of this time show the land named as Tollcross Park.
- 1867–1868: Hundreds of unemployed artisans and labourers were employed to begin the renovation of the park to give them something to do during the great trade depression.
- 1870: The park is officially opened and named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark who was the wife of the future King Edward VII.
- 1873: Becomes home of Alexandra Athletic.
Location
The park is located in the Dennistoun area (bordering Haghill) about two miles from Glasgow's city centre, It sits neatly between the M8 motorway to the north, Alexandra Parade/Cumbernauld Road (A8/A80) to the south, Provan Road (Riddrie) to the east and Sannox Gardens (Milnbank) to the west. It is about 42 hectares (100 acres) in area. Its most identifiable features are the two large pedestrian gates that can be seen from Alexandra Parade/Cumbernauld Road.
Features
One of the notable features of Alexandra Park is the 40-foot (12 m) cast-iron Walter MacFarlane-built Saracen Fountain, which was gifted to the city of Glasgow after the 1901 International Exhibition and remained in Kelvingrove Park for 12 years after the exhibition. In 1914, Glasgow Corporation took the decision to re-site the fountain to its present location. In 2000, the fountain was restored at a cost of £22,000.
Alexandra Park Golf Club is a nine-hole golf course situated inside the park.
See also
References
- ^ "Alexandra Park". Glasgow City Council. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "Ordnance Survey Map showing original name of Alexandra Park as Tollcross Park".
- ^ "A Brief History of Glasgow Scotland". Glasgow History. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "Alexandra Park Golf Courses". Scottish Golf Courses. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
External links
- Alexandra Park – Glasgow City Council