Southside Explorations

Govanhill was at one time, the beating heart of Industrial Glasgow; the iron and steel produced here, the ships and trains built here, fuelled a revolution and helped forge a city and an empire. The industrial days have long gone but Govanhill remains one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in Glasgow. On this guided walk, find out a little about the history, heritage and culture of a remarkable community and some of the people from around the world who have made their home here, the miners, the iron workers and the shipbuilders, the rifle regiment that became a football team, cinemas and roller-skating rinks, churches, mosques, synagogues, circuses and swimming pools.

Ownership of Pollok Park and surrounding areas can be dated back to 1124, but the history of the lands can be traced back to prehistoric times with a burial mound in Pollok Golf course and an Iron age fort in the North Wood. From the grandeur of Pollok House to the long-forgotten, hidden tree-lined drive, together we’ll walk some of the 361 acres of historical parkland of Glasgow’s only country park. As well as the heritage of the house and the lands you will learn about a long-forgotten town, witch trials, castles, escapee cows, iron-age forts, prehistoric burial mounds, mouse breeding and why the pope’s approval was needed.