Description

Victoria Park is set in western Glasgow, adjacent to the districts of Scotstoun

Scotstoun

Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...

, Whiteinch

Whiteinch

Whiteinch is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde between the Partick and Scotstoun areas of the city...

, Jordanhill

Jordanhill

Jordanhill is an affluent area of the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The area consists largely of terraced housing dating from the early to mid 20th century, with some detached and semi-detached homes and some modern apartments....

 and Broomhill

Broomhill, Glasgow

Broomhill is a district of the Scottish city of Glasgow, in the West End. It is situated north of the River Clyde and is bounded by Thornwood and Partick to the south, Hyndland to the east, and Jordanhill, Scotstoun and Victoria Park to the west....

. The park was created and named for Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1886. The main entrances to the park are from Westland Drive, Victoria Park Drive North, and Balshagray Avenue. Victoria Park is open from 7.00a.m. till dusk.

Friends of Victoria Park (FoVP) is a West Glasgow group set up protect and develop this community asset

Main Features

There are a number of features within Victoria Park:

• A memorial honouring the local residents who died in World War I and World War II
• A pond, with two small islands. The larger island is connected on both sides by iron bridges
• A fully restored four-dial miniature lamp post clock, donated by William Gordon Oswald in 1888, which is still functioning today
• The Jubilee Gates situated at the Victoria Park North Drive entrance were erected and funded by the 'Ladies of Partick' in 1887. They were manufactured by Macfarlane's Saracen foundry at a cost of £100. They bear the Partick Burgh coat of arms. In 1987 - the gates' centenary year - they underwent a restoration
• The Fossil Grove - During the park's construction in the late 19th century, when a pilot channel for the road was cut through a large area of rock, the builders discovered preserved fossilised tree trunks. The route for the road was then diverted and the sand and shale further excavated to reveal more fossils

Facilities

Victoria Park has the following facilities;

• An orienteering
  Orienteering
  Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
  
   course
• A model yachting
  Model yachting
  Model yachting is the pastime of building and racing model yachts. It has always been customary for ship-builders to make a miniature model of the vessel under construction, which is in every respect a copy of the original on a small scale, whether steamship or sailing ship...
  
   course
• Children's play areas
• Bowling greens
• Tennis courts
• Basketball courts
• A putting course
• Several gardens.

History

The park was formally opened by the Provost of Partick, Sir Andrew McLean on the 2nd of July, 1887. The arboretum

Arboretum

An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...

 section of the park was originally designed as an educational facility. During the 1960s, a large section of the park was removed in order to make way for the approach roads to the Clyde Tunnel

Clyde Tunnel

The Clyde Tunnel is a crossing beneath the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Two parallel tunnel tubes connect the districts of Whiteinch to the north and Govan to the south in the west of the city.-History:...

 and Expressway.

Events

Victoria Park plays host to several events such as the Whiteinch Fair Festival and the Indian Summer music festival. The park is also home to the Victoria Cricket and Hyndland FC rugby club. Throughout the summer, the Countryside Rangers

Scottish Countryside Rangers Association

The Scottish Countryside Rangers' Association is the professional association supporting rangers and other countryside professionals in Scotland...

 arrange walks to educate children about the environment. The park is now home to the fledgling Scottish Australian Rules Football League clubs, the Glasgow Sharks

Glasgow Sharks

The Glasgow Sharks is Australian rules football club in Glasgow, Scotland.-History:The Sharks were formed in late 2003 by Australian Andrew Butler and local rent-boy Mick Tonner, entering the Scottish Australian Rules Football League for the 2004 season...

 and the Glasgow Magpies and is understood to be the UK's only dedicated Australian Rules Football ground.

Travel

• Rail - Train stations situated in Hyndland
  Hyndland railway station
  Hyndland railway station is a railway station in Hyndland in Glasgow, Scotland. The station is 5 km west of Glasgow Central and 4 km west of Glasgow Queen Street on the Argyle and North Clyde Lines...
  
   and Jordanhill
  Jordanhill railway station
  Jordanhill railway station is a side platformed suburban railway station in the Jordanhill area in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. The station, which is governed by Transport Scotland and managed by First ScotRail, lies on the Argyle Line and the North Clyde Line...
  
  , both of which are approximately a fifteen minute walk away.
• Bus - Several routes operate from Glasgow city centre
  Glasgow city centre
  Glasgow city centre is the central business district of Glasgow, Scotland. Is bounded by the High Street to the east, the River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to the west and north which was built through the Townhead, Charing Cross, Cowcaddens and Anderston areas in the 1960s...
  
  to Dumbarton Road, Crow Road and Balshagray Avenue. All of these are within five minutes walk from the park gates.
• Car - There is some parking around the park perimeter, in particular along Victoria Park Drive North.

Controversy

There is ongoing controversy over plans to convert former football pitches within the park into permanent car parking facilities.