Glasgow has went through many different historical eras - and the evidence of that heritage can get lost a lot easier than you think - so today we’re taking a look around the city for some of Glasgow’s history that’s hidden in plain sight.
Glasgow’s been around for hundreds upon hundreds of years, so we can’t be expected to remember absolutely everything - but a lot of the stuff we’ve forgotten about is a lot more interesting than you might think.
Earlier this year we ran a story on some of the old factories, warehouses, former churches and post-industrial spaces of Glasgow that are now used for an all-together different purpose. You can read that article here!
Take a look below as we explore Glasgow’s hidden history.
Earlier this year we ran a story on some of the old factories, warehouses, former churches and post-industrial spaces of Glasgow that are now used for an all-together different purpose. You can read that article here!
9. Lion and Unicorn Staircase
The only real remnant of University of Glasgow's old campus on High Street in the East End is the Lion and Unicorn staircase. It is said to bring students good fortune. The lion is meant to symbolize the country of England, whereas the Unicorn signifies Scotland.
10. Wallace's Well
William Wallace is said to have drunk from the well in Robroyston whenever he visited Glasgow and also just before his capture by English troops commanded by Sir John Mentieth.
11. Glasgow Central's football tunnel
Glasgow Central Station tour guide and historian Paul Lyons in the "football tunnel" - according to Mr. Lyons: "The ‘football tunnel’ was used to segregate the crowds when Hampden saw attendances of 100,000. "Scotland fans came in via Hope Street [on the west side of the station], while England fans came in from Gordon Street [the main entrance, on the north side]. "It kept the supporters completely separate – never the twain shall meet." Picture: John Devlin
12. General Post Office tunnel network
At the junction of Cathedral Street and North Hanover Street a curious standalone building once served as a lift shaft which connects street level to a series of tunnels. The expansive network runs from the Royal Infirmary to the telephone exchange, or ‘Dial House’, on Bothwell Street and runs beneath the city’s subway lines. The telephone exchange is at the heart of the network and was commissioned by the General Post Office (GPO) to host the general processor for the west of Scotland. Built in the 1950s with the Cold War in mind, the exchange was built to withstand a nuclear bomb attack on Glasgow. Rumours surround the web of tunnels with some claiming that they served as an escape route for GPO staff to a bomb shelter under George Square - although the rumour of a nuclear bunker or emergency room underneath George Square or the City Chambers is unsubstantiated.
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