Celebrating 20 Years of Scotland’s City Heritage Trusts

Posted December 19th 2024

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the first City Heritage Trusts in Scotland. Over two decades, Scotland’s seven City Heritage Trusts have made a significant contribution to the historic environment through the distribution of funding for building repairs, outreach and education. They have become an integral part of the Scottish heritage sector, recognised for their local knowledge and expertise and their ability to be creative and innovative, using public funds wisely to deliver on projects which make a difference to the cities where they operate.

This report showcases the Trusts’ achievements and highlights their ongoing importance in caring for the historic built environment and contributing to a more sustainable Scotland.

GCHT’s Window Display

Posted December 4th 2024

Photograph of front of GCHT office with brightly coloured painted buildings and wooden cutouts of tenements

A colourful screen print of a historic Glasgow tenement

"The Greenest Building is the One That is Already Built"

This idea was the jumping off point for Glasgow City Heritage Trust’s new window display from students in the Design Practice BA(hons) course at the City of Glasgow College. With the World Economic Forum estimating that the building sector creates almost 40% of the world’s carbon emissions, the students wanted to focus on how properly repairing and maintaining Glasgow’s historic buildings is a key part of a sustainable future and trying to reach net-zero.

By incorporating the colours of thermal imaging the design playfully contrasts the technological with the creative, merging the precision of modern building diagnostics with artistic expression to deliver a message about sustainability and built heritage.

Glasgow’s tenements are a major part of the city’s historic built environment, providing the city both with housing and a unique urban landscape. These older building, however, do require care and maintenance to avoid issues of damp, draughtiness and structural failures. As part of our window display, GCHT has put together some helpful resources and information about looking after tenement flats. We also regularly host “Taking Care of Your Tenement” events for homeowners, landlords and tenants to find out more about managing their flats. As a grant-funder GCHT might be able to help with the cost of repairs – see the section below about the Trust and its work.

Maintaining Glasgow's Built Heritage

The repair and maintenance of Glasgow’s built heritage is essential to preserving the city’s identity and ensuring it is able to meet goals around sustainability and lowering carbon emission. However, they require proper upkeep to ensure they remain functional, energy-efficient and appealing as spaces to live and work in.

Important Points to Consider

Maintenance is an ongoing process and buildings should be checked regularly. Dealing with smaller issues in the short-term (such as blocked gutters or poor ventilation) will prevent much larger issues that require more intensive and expensive solutions in the long-term.

Traditional buildings, typically those built before 1919, are designed to “breathe,” using vapour-open materials like lime, stone, and timber that allow moisture to move freely. When modern, impermeable materials (such as cement) are used for repairs they can trap moisture, leading to mould, rot, and structural damage. Therefore, it’s essential to use materials and techniques compatible with their original design.

Owners in tenements have a legal duty to maintain the parts of the tenement that provide support and shelter.

Resources

Under One Roof is a Scotland-wide charity that provides free and impartial information to tenement flat owners, and housing professionals, on issues related to tenement maintenance, common repair management, and retrofit.

Their website can walk you through the ins and outs of taking care of a tenement flat, including the types of repairs you might need to undertake, working with neighbours to do repairs and how to find the right contractors to do the works.

Link to Under One Roof's Website

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment. They regularly publish free guides on properly repairing and maintaining historic buildings.

HES Guide to General Historic Building Maintenance

HES Guide to Tenement Maintenance

Thermal Imaging & Energy Efficiency

Thermal imaging is a diagnostic technology that uses thermal cameras to detect infrared radiation, which helps show heat patterns and changes in temperature. By looking at heat patterns, we can identify and address building issues such as heat loss, dampness or insulation gaps.

HES Guide to Thermal Imaging

Energy efficiency means improving the way buildings work. More efficient buildings stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer, providing better thermal comfort for those inside while using less energy. This both lowers energy bills and, as the vast majority of households use gas to heat their homes, also reduces carbon emissions.

Sympathetically retrofitting historic buildings to improve their energy efficiency is a major part of making the historic built environment as sustainable as possible.

HES Guide to Energy Efficiency

HES Guide to Retrofitting Historic Buildings

More About Glasgow City Heritage Trust

Glasgow City Heritage Trust is an independent charity and grant-funder that helps people access funding and expertise which will ensure the sustainability of Glasgow’s heritage for current and future generations.

We do this by:

Grant-aiding historic building repairs, project development, traditional building skills training, education and outreach projects and other historic environment focussed projects.
Giving technical advice
Running a series of talks, events and other activities designed to engage people and communities with Glasgow’s heritage.

Find out more about our grants programme

Click here to join our mailing list

Let us know what you think of the window!

Workshop: Weave A Reindeer & Christmas Tree Decoration

Posted November 1st 2024

A willow Christmas tree and a willow reindeer decoration with fairy lights long the top

Thursday 5th December 2024 | 6:30-9pm | GCHT, 54 Bell Street, G1 1LQ

Join Max Johnson Basketry for weaving and mince pies at this cosy festive event! Max is a longtime forager, foodie and crafter, who lovingly weaves baskets & decorations using materials found in a range of landscapes, from idyllic rural riversides to derelict post-industrial sites.

People have been weaving with willow for at least 10,000 years. Using ancient willow basketry techniques with a modern twist, you’ll make both a reindeer and a Christmas tree to take home in this fun festive workshop.

This session is suitable for beginners, no weaving experience necessary. All equipment, materials and refreshments provided.

£30 per person

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Each year, our events help over 2000 people to understand and appreciate Glasgow's irreplaceable built heritage. Can you help us to reach more people?

We are hugely grateful for the support of our Friends whose subscriptions help cover the costs of these events, thereby ensuring accessible pricing for everyone in Glasgow in these challenging times.

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our Friends scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

Click to find out all the benefits of membership

In person tickets SOLD OUT, online still available Talk: Glasgow’s Gaelic Place Names

Posted November 1st 2024

Wednesday 20 November 2024 | 7-8pm | GCHT, 54 Bell Street, G1 1LQ and online via Zoom

Join Dr Alasdair C. Whyte – Scottish Government Gaelic Ambassador of the Year 2019 & 2020 and Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow – for this talk on the place-names of Glasgow.

Showcasing cutting-edge research from his new book Glasgow’s Gaelic Place-Names (Birlinn), Alasdair will tell the story of Glasgow through its place-names – in particular, its Gaelic story, which began around 1,000 years ago. Come along and hear about how and when Gaelic became the main community language in Glasgow and what Glasgow Gaelic sounded like in the past. Learn about the deep Gaelic roots of places like Auchenshuggle, Barlinnie, Cathkin, Cessnock, Garthamlock, Gartnavel, Shettleston and Yoker, to name a few!

You might even hear a Gaelic song or two composed on the banks of the Clyde. Glasgow hasn’t suddenly ‘gone Gaelic’; the language has been spoken in this city for around a millennium. Come along and hear for yourself!

This event will be held both in-person at our office on 54 Bell Street, Glasgow and streamed online via Zoom. Please pick the appropriate ticket option for you below.

Free, donations welcome, booking essential.

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SOLD OUT Workshop: Screen Print a Glasgow Building with Mobile Print Studio

Posted October 10th 2024

Sunday 10 November 2024 | 11am-4pm | Many Studios, 3 Ross Street, G1 5AR

This introductory workshop will give you a solid foundation in screen-printing. We will work with a combination of simple hand-cut stencils and pre-exposed photosensitive screens to create colourful multi layer prints.

The workshop will be themed around some of Glasgow’s iconic historic buildings, including the Tenement House, Kelvingrove Museum and the Barrowlands.

The class will consist of participants drawing, cutting out and printing two base layers, which will give the buildings colour and personality, before completing their images with a key line drawing layer to add architectural details and tie it all together.

This is a beginner friendly class and no previous experience is required. We will talk you through the process and demonstrate the steps on the day.

Equipment, materials and lunch provided. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting a bit messy!

Booking essential, £50 per person

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Talk: Brutal Glasgow

Posted October 3rd 2024

***IN PERSON SOLD OUT, ONLINE TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE***

Wednesday 23 October 2024 | 6:30-7:30pm | GCHT, 54 Bell Street, G1 1LQ or online via Zoom

Dive into Glasgow’s love-hate relationship with Brutalism with curator Rachel Loughran. In this lively talk, Loughran, a specialist in digital curation, will discuss the development of Brutal Glasgow, the latest exhibition from Glasgow City Heritage Trust. Expect captivating insights into the project’s core themes and insights into the creative process of Glasgow-based illustrator Nebo Peklo (Natalie Tweedie), who will join the discussion.

This interactive session promises a dynamic exploration of the exhibition’s multimedia content, highlighting the innovative ways technology brings Glasgow’s Brutalist legacy to life.

Rachel Loughran is a curator specialising in interactive multimedia. She holds a BA in English from The University of Cambridge and a Masters from the Glasgow School of Art. She collaborated with The Alasdair Gray Archive on Gray: Beyond the Horizon (2022) and curated Poor Things: A Novel Guide (exhibition in collaboration with GFT & Òran Mór X Grosvenor, 2024). Rachel is currently writing a book chapter on Alasdair Gray and digital afterlives for the University of Edinburgh Press. She runs ArtDep.

Natalie Tweedie is a Glasgow-based illustrator and artist. Qualified in Printed Textile Design, she uses her design skills to create unique illustrations of places and buildings in beautiful colourways.

Please note this event is hybrid so you can either attend in person by booking an in person ticket, or online via Zoom by booking an online ticket. Please ensure you book the correct one.

Free, donations welcome, booking essential.

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SOLD OUT Following in the Footsteps of Glasgow’s Witches

Posted September 10th 2024

View of Glasgow from John Slezer's Theatrum Scotiae (1693), with the Bishop's Castle visible to the left of the Cathedral

Thursday 10 October 2024 | 7-8pm | Friends of Glasgow Royal Infirmary Museum, Cathedral Precinct, G4 0QZ

***SOLD OUT***

From 1563 until 1736 witchcraft was a capital offence in Scotland – a crime punishable by death. The west of Scotland, second only to Edinburgh and Lothian, had a huge number of accusations during this time. Join Lorraine Murray to find out more about some of the places connected with cases in and around Glasgow.

Lorraine is a professional Archivist who works at the Watt Institution in Greenock and The Glasgow Academy Archive in Kelvinbridge. She has been researching historic witchcraft in Glasgow for the last 8 years.

Please note entry to the museum is via the old Royal Infirmary Entrance on Cathedral Square. There is accessible access via the main hospital entrance, off Castle Street. For more information please click here.

Free, donations welcome, booking essential.

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SOLD OUT The Development of Glasgow’s Commercial Architecture (Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival)

Posted September 5th 2024

Alexander 'Greek' Thompson's Grosvener building

Friday 20 September | 7-8pm | Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, G11 6EW

Join GCHT Director Niall Murphy to find out about the development of commercial architecture of Glasgow, as part of the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2024.

In his influential 1960 essay, “The Grid and the Urban Grain,” architecture critic Ian Nairn offers a vivid portrayal of Glasgow’s cityscape. He describes the city as ‘a kind of topographical epic with the buildings as incidents” and likens it to ‘a Beethoven symphony played over 150 years,” where the passage of time adds a unique power to the city’s physical landscape.

In doing so Nairn brilliantly captures the qualities of Glasgow’s gridded city centre. The commercial buildings which sit within this grid, so ruthlessly imposed on to the city’s hilly landscape, make up this strong urban matrix and give the city its unique character.

Discover the evolution of Glasgow’s gridded cityscape and the architects like Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, Sir John James Burnet, and James Miller who shaped its distinctive commercial architecture. This tradition is vital to preserving and enhancing Glasgow’s unique sense of place.

Free but booking is essential: Please note booking is managed by Doors Open Days.

Click here to go to the Doors Open Days website for booking

EXHIBITION: BRUTAL GLASGOW

Posted August 22nd 2024

Explore Glasgow’s love-hate relationship with Brutalism through this interactive, multimedia exhibition featuring the work of Glasgow based illustrator Nebo Peklo (Natalie Tweedie).

Journey from Anniesland Tower to the Gallowgate Twins gaining fascinating insights into the city’s Brutalist buildings past and present, with commentary from architects, academics and writers including Miles Glendinning, Diane Watters, Rory Olcayto, Johnny Rodger, Nick Haynes, and Owen Hatherley, as well as first-hand stories from those who lived and worked in these monumental structures.

Devised by Rachel Loughran, a curator specialising in digital design who has previously exhibited with the Alasdair Gray Archive, the exhibition brings Nebo Peklo’s works to life, offering a deeper understanding of this often maligned style of architecture.

Brutal Glasgow tells a uniquely Glasgow story and will make you see Brutalism in a whole new light. Don’t miss out – it might just change your mind about these concrete giants.

Visit the exhibition online here

Or you can visit in person:

Wednesday to Friday weekly until 25 October 2024

(Closed Friday 27th September due to the public holiday)

Plus weekend opening 26th & 27th October

10am – 4pm

Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQ

Free entry

How to get here:

The exhibition space is located in the Merchant City, which has excellent public transport links.

By Bus: More information via First Bus: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/greater-glasgow

By Train: We are around a 15 minute walk from Central Station, a 10 minute walk from Argyle Street Station, and 5 minute walk from High Street Station | More information via Scotrail: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/

By Subway: The exhibition space is located about a 15 minute walk from St Enoch Station | More information via Glasgow Subway https://www.spt.co.uk/travel-with-spt/subway/

Football’s Square Mile: The World’s Biggest Open-Air Football Museum

Posted July 17th 2024

A black arrow pointing right with Football's Square Mil written on it. In the head of an arrow is a white circle with a black outline of a person kicking a ball.

Thursday 22 August 2024 | 7-8pm | 54 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQ

Discover the trailblazing world of the Scottish pioneers (aka ‘Scotch Professors’) who developed the beautiful game and exported it to the world!

Graeme and Rory, from The Hampden Collection, will guide you through the story behind 21 heritage sites across Glasgow which make up Football’s Square Mile: the world’s biggest open air football museum, which is the cradle of the modern passing, running and combination game.

You’ll also hear about the 3 Hampden Parks and where the story began, how they went about creating Football’s Square Mile, and the work they’ve been doing to try and make this Glasgow’s first UNESCO World Heritage site.

Free, donations welcome, booking essential.

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