Dennistoun
Encyclopedia
Dennistoun is a district of the city of Glasgow
, Scotland
. It is situated north of the River Clyde
in the east end of the city. It is made up of a number of smaller districts - Milnbank to the north, 'The Drives' in the centre of the area and Bellgrove below Duke Street to the south. In a 2004 census the area had a population of roughly 10,530. Although predominantly tenemental, the Victorian villas and terraces to the west (towards the city centre) illustrate part of Alexander Dennistoun's original plan for the whole area.
Unable to attract the middle-class residents intended by its original developers, it established itself as a respectable working class area for families. After the Second World War, the area's Victorian tenements were refurbished and extended rather than replaced with high-rise modernist blocks as in other working-class districts such as neighbouring Calton
and Parkhead
, and this, coupled with proximity to the city centre and Strathclyde and Caledonian
universities, has contributed to its gentrification in recent years; many of its residents are now students and young professionals.
, Duke Street
and Bellgrove
railway stations (all on the North Clyde Line
) as well as numerous bus
routes, offering commuter services to the city centre and on toward the western suburbs.
, which is bounded predominately by the M8/M80, Cumbernauld Rd & Provan Road. The Park takes its name from Princess Alexandra of Denmark
, the wife of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom
, who officially opened the Park in 1870. The park was established in 1866 when the City Improvement Trustees purchased Alexandra Park from Mr Walter Stewart of Haghill
under special powers conferred upon them by legislation. Mr Alexander Dennistoun, the proprietor of the adjoining estate of Golfhill, gifted 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of land to the City Improvement Trustees. This ground was situated near the south-west corner adjacent to Alexandra Parade, which now forms the principal pedestrian entrance.
The park is home to a 40 feet (12.2 m) cast-iron Walter MacFarlane Saracen Fountain which was gifted to the City 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 this magnificent piece of industrial architecture
to its present location. The fountain was restored to its former glory in 2000.
Whitehill Pool was opened in 1978 and is shared with the neighbouring school It provides a 25m pool, small teaching pool, fitness suite, health suite and spectator gallery with over 200 seats and is situated on Onslow Drive
Dennistoun also has one of Glasgow's original Carnegie libraries, deftly designed in the Edwardian Baroque
style by James Robert Rhind
.
Market Gallery, an artist-run contemporary art
gallery. It is located on Duke Street spread over three shop units. WASPS artists' studios, a charity providing affordable studio space to support up to 750 artists is located on Hanson Street.
The community is well served by two shopping areas on Duke Street
and Alexandra Parade. There are also two supermarkets and two long-established Italian delicatessens. Although the fortunes of local businesses have varied over the years, more recently a clear upturn in the number of independent retail and leisure premises has been apparent.
, Roman Catholic (including Our Lady of Good Counsel, designed by noted Modern
architects Gillespie, Kidd & Coia
), Baptist
, Salvation Army
, independent Evangelical
churches, Plymouth Brethren
, Charismatic, one Scottish Episcopal Church
and a Christadelphian presence.
In 2007 it was decided that the two Church of Scotland congregations, Dennistoun Blackfriars and Dennistoun Central churches would unite to form Dennistoun New parish church. This followed long vacancies dating from 2000 (Dennistoun Blackfriars) and 2004 (Dennistoun Central).
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is situated north of the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
in the east end of the city. It is made up of a number of smaller districts - Milnbank to the north, 'The Drives' in the centre of the area and Bellgrove below Duke Street to the south. In a 2004 census the area had a population of roughly 10,530. Although predominantly tenemental, the Victorian villas and terraces to the west (towards the city centre) illustrate part of Alexander Dennistoun's original plan for the whole area.
Unable to attract the middle-class residents intended by its original developers, it established itself as a respectable working class area for families. After the Second World War, the area's Victorian tenements were refurbished and extended rather than replaced with high-rise modernist blocks as in other working-class districts such as neighbouring Calton
Calton, Glasgow
Calton is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. The name Calton is derived from the Gaelic "coillduin", which means "wood on the hill". It is situated north of the River Clyde, and just to the east of the city centre...
and Parkhead
Parkhead
Parkhead is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road and Westmuir Street. Duke Street and Springfield Road also meet there, to form a turreted Edwardian five-way junction at Parkhead Cross...
, and this, coupled with proximity to the city centre and Strathclyde and Caledonian
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland.The university was constituted by an Act of Parliament on 1 April 1993 as a result of a merger between Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow....
universities, has contributed to its gentrification in recent years; many of its residents are now students and young professionals.
Transport
The district is served by Alexandra ParadeAlexandra Parade railway station
Alexandra Parade Railway Station is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland. The station is 3 km east of on the North Clyde Line...
, Duke Street
Duke Street railway station
Duke Street Railway Station is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is served by trains on the North Clyde Line 2 km north east of ....
and Bellgrove
Bellgrove railway station
Bellgrove Railway Station is a railway station in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. The station is east of and is managed by First ScotRail....
railway stations (all on the North Clyde Line
North Clyde Line
The North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
) as well as numerous bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
routes, offering commuter services to the city centre and on toward the western suburbs.
Amenities
Dennistoun benefits from a large Victorian park, Alexandra ParkAlexandra Park, Glasgow
Alexandra Park is a public park in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. It is located in Dennistoun, three miles east of the city centre. To the north is the M8 motorway. Named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, it opened in 1870...
, which is bounded predominately by the M8/M80, Cumbernauld Rd & Provan Road. The Park takes its name from Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, the wife of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, who officially opened the Park in 1870. The park was established in 1866 when the City Improvement Trustees purchased Alexandra Park from Mr Walter Stewart of Haghill
Haghill
Haghill is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated in the east end of Glasgow, north of the River Clyde. The housing includes tenements, former council houses and several more recently constructed homes. It is bordered by Riddrie to the north, Carntyne to the east and Dennistoun...
under special powers conferred upon them by legislation. Mr Alexander Dennistoun, the proprietor of the adjoining estate of Golfhill, gifted 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of land to the City Improvement Trustees. This ground was situated near the south-west corner adjacent to Alexandra Parade, which now forms the principal pedestrian entrance.
The park is home to a 40 feet (12.2 m) cast-iron Walter MacFarlane Saracen Fountain which was gifted to the City after the 1901 International Exhibition and remained in Kelvingrove Park
Kelvingrove Park
Kelvingrove Park is a public park located on the River Kelvin in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, containing the world-famous Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.-History:...
for 12 years after the exhibition. In 1914 Glasgow Corporation took the decision to re-site this magnificent piece of industrial architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
to its present location. The fountain was restored to its former glory in 2000.
Whitehill Pool was opened in 1978 and is shared with the neighbouring school It provides a 25m pool, small teaching pool, fitness suite, health suite and spectator gallery with over 200 seats and is situated on Onslow Drive
Dennistoun also has one of Glasgow's original Carnegie libraries, deftly designed in the Edwardian Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style by James Robert Rhind
James Robert Rhind
James Robert Rhind, architect, was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1854 and trained as an architect in his father's local practice.He was successful in the architectural competition for new libraries to be constructed in Glasgow following Andrew Carnegie’s gift of £100,000 to the city in 1901...
.
Market Gallery, an artist-run contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
gallery. It is located on Duke Street spread over three shop units. WASPS artists' studios, a charity providing affordable studio space to support up to 750 artists is located on Hanson Street.
The community is well served by two shopping areas on Duke Street
Duke Street, Glasgow
Duke Street is a street running to the East End of Glasgow from the High Street in the City Centre, through the residential district of Dennistoun, running past The Forge Shopping Centre, before terminating at a junction with the Great Eastern Road , Westmuir Street and Springfield Road, to form a...
and Alexandra Parade. There are also two supermarkets and two long-established Italian delicatessens. Although the fortunes of local businesses have varied over the years, more recently a clear upturn in the number of independent retail and leisure premises has been apparent.
Religion
The area has a proliferation of churches, including the Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, Roman Catholic (including Our Lady of Good Counsel, designed by noted Modern
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
architects Gillespie, Kidd & Coia
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia were a Scottish architectural firm famous for their application of modernism in churches and universities, as well as at St Peter's Seminary in Cardross. Though founded in 1927, it is for their work in the post-war period that they are best known...
), Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, independent Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
churches, Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
, Charismatic, one Scottish Episcopal Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
and a Christadelphian presence.
In 2007 it was decided that the two Church of Scotland congregations, Dennistoun Blackfriars and Dennistoun Central churches would unite to form Dennistoun New parish church. This followed long vacancies dating from 2000 (Dennistoun Blackfriars) and 2004 (Dennistoun Central).
Schools
There are three main primary schools in the greater Dennistoun area (excluding Haghill): Golfhill Primary, originally located on Circus Drive but now housed within the confines of Whitehill Secondary School (the original building still stands, although rather derelict. It was built upon the site of a filled quarry and this has led to significant structural problems), Alexandra Parade in Armadale St and St Dennis's in Meadowpark St. The only Secondary School in the area is Whitehill Secondary which is mainly fed into by pupils from Golfhill, Alexandra Parade, Haghill and a few from St James's. As it is a non-denominational school, most of the pupils from the Roman Catholic St Dennis's go to St Mungo's located in the Gallowgate.Famous current and former residents
- Alex KapranosAlex KapranosAlexander Paul Kapranos Huntley , commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a United Kingdom-based musician who is the lead singer and the guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand.-Early life:...
and Bob Hardy of Franz FerdinandFranz Ferdinand (band)Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in... - LuluLulu (singer)Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
- Rikki FultonRikki FultonRobert Kerr Fulton, OBE , more commonly known as Rikki Fulton, was a Scottish comedian and actor best remembered for writing and performing in the long-running BBC Scotland sketch show, Scotch and Wry. He was also known for his appearances as one half of the double act, Francie and Josie, alongside...
- Gordon RamsayGordon RamsayGordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
- Frank KellyFrank KellyFrank Kelly is an Irish actor, singer and writer, whose career has covered television, radio, theatre, music, screenwriting and film. He is best known for his role as Father Jack Hackett in the comedy Father Ted. He is the son of the cartoonist Charles E...
from the comedy series Father TedFather TedFather Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May... - Dorothy PaulDorothy PaulDorothy Paul is a Scottish actress, comedienne and entertainer. She is best known for her stage shows often at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.-Acting career:...
- Bruce MortonBruce MortonBruce Morton was a television news correspondent for both CBS News and CNN in a career which spanned over 40 years....
stand-up comedian - Alex McLeishAlex McLeishAlexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
football player and manager - William MillerWilliam Miller (poet)William Miller was a Scottish poet best known for the nursery rhyme Wee Willie Winkie.Miller, known as "The Laureate of the Nursery", was born in Glasgow and lived in Dennistoun, Scotland. He suffered from ill health and was unable to become a surgeon and instead took up woodturning and cabinet...
, author of Wee Willie WinkieWee Willie Winkie"Wee Willie Winkie" is a Scottish nursery rhyme, whose titular figure has become popular the world over as a personification of sleep. The poem, written by William Miller and titled "Willie Winkie", was first published in Whistle-binkie: Stories for the Fireside in 1841... - Stuart CosgroveStuart CosgroveStuart Cosgrove is a Scottish journalist, broadcaster and television executive. As a journalist Cosgrove served on the NME and The Face during the 1980s, before joining Channel 4 in April 1994, serving for eight years as Controller of Arts and Entertainment and currently as Head of Programmes...
- Alex Rae football player and manager
- Alan McManusAlan McManusAlan McManus is a Scottish professional snooker player, known for his tactical play and safety shots, giving rise to his nickname "Angles" McManus.-Career:...
snooker player
External links
- http://www.dennistoun.co.uk/ - Dennistoun Online - Local community forum and news pages.
- http://dennistouncc.org.uk/ - Dennistoun Community Council - group responsible for ascertaining, coordinating and expressing the views of the wider community.
- http://www.dennistouncommunitytogether.org.uk/ - Dennistoun Community Together - a grass roots not-for-profit group made up of local people promoting community interaction and a friendlier neighbourhood.
- http://www.dennistounconservationsociety.org.uk/ - Dennistoun Conservation Society - Local conservation society.