Old Photographs Of Port Glasgow Scotland

Tour Scotland wee video of old photographs of Port Glasgow, Scottish Gaelic: Port Ghlasch, the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area. The town was originally named Newark but due to ships not being able to make it all the way up the shallow river Clyde it was formed as a port for nearby Glasgow in 1668 and became Port Glasgow in 1775. Port Glasgow was home to dry docks and shipbuilding beginning in 1762. The town grew from the central area of the present town and thus many of the town's historic buildings are found here. Port Glasgow expanded up the steep hills inland to open fields where areas such as Park Farm, Boglestone, Slaemuir and Devol were founded. This area has subsequently become known as upper Port Glasgow and most of the town's population occupies these area. The grid pattern of the streets in the town centre was laid out in 1694 and took advantage of the flat area of raised beach. The grid pattern remains largely intact today, consisting of Princes Street, King Street, Bay Street, Fore Street, John Wood Street, Church Street and Scarlow Street. Star Hotel in Port Glasgow was built and owned by Mr Denniston of Greenock and was formally opened on 16th August 1870. The tenant Mr William Shaw entertained the provost and magistrates of Port Glasgow to an elegant luncheon to mark the opening where Mr Adam Patterson proposed a toast to the new hotel and noted it was about 30 years since the town had a first class hotel. Newark Parish Church was built in 1774, it is the oldest remaining church in Port Glasgow sited on the axis of Balfour Street. It is an austere, symmetrical 2 storey building with 5 windows in the long walls. The church was built in rubble and to a largely Classical design and has pavilion roofs and galleries. In 1920-22 the square apse was built to be an organ chamber. It was altered and refurbished to become a chancel by Mervyn Noad of Glasgow. There was excellent woodwork and stained glass by Archibald Dawson and Charles Bailey but this was removed some time ago. A steeple for the centre of the north front was always intended but was never built. The south side features a relatively new brick extension. The church congregation was forced to unite with another in recent years, resulting in this church closing down. Newark Castle stands very close to the shore of the Clyde, and dates to around 1484. It was home to the Maxwell Family until 1694. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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