History

Doors Open Day 2023

Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is a free celebration of Glasgow’s architectural gems, with events, audio walking tours and activities for kids from 11th-17th September 2023. https://glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk/ On Sunday 17th September 2023 1pm-4pm, we will have historical displays and videos, including a birds-eye view from the top of the Spire – we will also offer free refreshments tea, …

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Doors Open Day 2022

We’re participating in #GDODF22. Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival is a free celebration of Glasgow’s architectural gems, with events, audio walking tours and activities for kids from 12th-18th September 2022. https://glasgowdoorsopendays.org.uk/ On Sunday 18th September 2022, 10am-2pm, we will offer free refreshments tea, coffee, juice and biscuits using the great facilities provided by our friends …

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Roystonhill Spire Park – online tour

Discover the history of a landmark building and the park project inspired by it. Roystonhill Spire is the only remaining part of Townhead-Blochairn Parish Church, built 1866 – which featured glass by Cottier and Morris, and sculptures by Mossman. This tour aims to give a flavour of what was one of the most beautifully decorated …

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155th Anniversary

Birds-eye view – a photo taken from the Roystonhill Spire by our steeplejacks. Today we commemorate that on 8th June 1866 – 155 years ago – the church on Roystonhill opened. The view must have looked very different back then. What is now called Roystonhill Spire is the only remaining part of Townhead-Blochairn Parish Church, …

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Merry Christmas

A Christmas look back at the interior of Townhead Blochairn church and its tree in 1974.   Photos taken by Catherine Houston, and her father Rev Freddie Houston can be seen in one pic. You can browse this website to see more of the stained glass and history of the church. In 2020 Rosemount Development …

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Spot The Spire

If you take a lockdown exercise in Glasgow Necropolis, then look out for the marking “J&G Mossman” on the base of many of the grave monuments. Mossman & Co were Glasgow’s greatest Victorian-era sculptors, and also made sculpted stone heads for Townhead-Blochairn church – now the Roystonhill Spire. Some of the very weathered remains of …

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Earliest photo?

We think this might be the earliest photo of Roystonhill and the Spire – zoomed-in from an image of Glasgow Cathedral in 1893… 127 years ago! Do you know of any earlier pictures? Back then there was the Monkland Canal where the M8 motorway now runs, and the houses to the left of the spire …

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History Project 2020

History Project

In 2019 Rosemount Development Trust’s local heritage project saw people from all ages and backgrounds getting together to look at the history (and pre-history) of the area. A series of ten workshops took place with local schools, a youth group, the 50+ Young at heart Club and at Rosemount Lifelong Learning. Three of Rosemount Development …

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People and Places

Mossman Heads, community and landscape The large pieces of stonework in the park are remnants of Townhead church (1866-1997) Townhead-Blochairn Parish Church, which stood on this site, featured a series of sculptures by John Mossman above the pillars that supported the gallery arches of the church. Mossman was a talented and prolific craftsman, the eldest …

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The Spire Park

Mosaics and Royston’s Rose The Spire Park’s landscaping outlines the footprint of Townhead-Blochairn Parish Church which stood here for over 130 years. Around the perimeter of the former church are a series of mosaics – artist Jane McInally worked with community groups of all ages to create 12 mosaic panels reflecting the history of Garngad …

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