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10 SITE CONTEXT

11 2.0 SITE CONTEXT

2.1 HISTORIC CONTEXT The district of Yorkhill (Scottish Gaelic: Cnoc Eabhraig) was previously named ‘Over Newton’.

In the early 19th century, the Western lands of Over Newton were owned by merchant Robert Fulton Alexander, who erected a mansion house on the hill in 1805.

In 1813 the grounds were sold to another merchant, Andrew Gilbert, who purchased adjoining lands and included these and the mansion under the general title of ‘Yorkhill’.

In 1907, the estate of Yorkhill was sold to ’s OS MAP CIRCA 1865 OS MAP CIRCA 1896 OS MAP CIRCA 1950 Royal Hospital for Sick Children. The mansion house (Yorkhill House) was demolished to make way for the building of their new hospital, which opened in 1914.

The area of Yorkhill is mostly residential, with the majority of the housing stock consisting of sandstone tenement housing built in the early 20th century by the Over Newton Building Company.

Historically, it is thought that a small Roman station existed on Yorkhill. In 1868, Roman remains were discovered while workmen were trenching ground on the summit of the hill. Prior to this, almost no traces of Roman footsteps had been found in what is now Glasgow.

Yorkhill Quay was built on the river in 1868, with the Yorkhill Basin added later in 1907.

In 1877, a substantial bridge was built over the , connecting Yorkhill to neighbouring . In the same year, the Pumphouse building (now Clydeside Distillery) was built to the East side of the Quay, housing hydraulic machinery for the Queen’s Dock (now Scottish Event Campus, SEC). The nearby Crane was also erected in 1931 to load huge locomotives onto ships.

Yorkhill Quay was used as the Glasgow base of the world- famous Anchor Line shipping company until the late 1960s when commercial use of the Clyde declined.

The adjacent historical maps and images show a variety of low-level warehouse structures, cranes and railway tracks that were previously located at Yorkhill Quay.

The site also overlooks the Grade A listed Graving Docks to the South of the river. YORKHILL QUAY HERITAGE & HISTORIC IMAGERY

12 2.2 CITY CONTEXT Yorkhill is located North of the in the West End of Glasgow. The district is bound by the River Kelvin to the West (Partick is on the other bank), the River Clyde to the South (opposite ) and the grounds of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to the North. The Eastern boundary of Yorkhill forms part of a continuous area of fairly dense urban development, with the historic neighbourhood of Kelvinhaugh lying between Yorkhill and Finnieston, towards .

The site at Yorkhill Quay is situated directly on the Northern banks of the river, in-between the Riverside 4 Museum and Scottish Event Campus (SEC). 3

Yorkhill Quay sits within a wider development context 7 involving a number of other major riverside sites.

These include the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), , , BBC HQ, Clydeside Distillery, SWG3 and the , which establish the basis of a creative, cultural and events 6 quarter linked across the River Clyde. 1 Some of Glasgow’s most notable landmarks face each other across the river in this location, including the 11 Finnieston Crane, Glasgow Tower, Clyde Arc, the SSE Hydro, SEC Armadillo and the iconic Riverside Museum. 2 The Riverside Museum has a prominent waterfront position to the West of Yorkhill Quay, with The Tall Ship Glenlee moored alongside. 5 8 The SEC, situated to the East, is a key economic driver KEY for the area with around 2 million visitors attending events there annually. 1. Yorkhill Quay 2. Govan 3. Partick 9 4. 10 5. SEC Campus & Pacific Quay 6. Finnieston 7. Woodlands 8. Lancefield & Central Quay 9. Springfield Quay 10. & Kingston Quay 11. Glasgow City Centre

CITY CONTEXT

13 2.0 SITE CONTEXT

2.3 CONNECTIONS Yorkhill Quay is bound to the North by Stobcross Road, the Clydeside Expressway and existing railway lines. The proposed future FastLink route also runs parallel to the Northern site boundary.

The development site sits within the context of a large network of transport hubs within the wider vicinity. These include; Exhibition Centre Station, Partick Interchange, Govan Interchange and Kelvinhall Subway Station, offering a variety of transport links by bus, rail and underground.

Vehicular access is via Stobcross Road, with dedicated car parking for the Clydeside Distillery and Riverside Museum to the East and West. The Museum is well serviced by public transport with a dedicated bus stop located adjacent to the main entrance. The Glasgow City Sightseeing tour bus also stops at both the Museum and Distillery at either ends of the site.

The North and South banks of the River Clyde are linked in this location by Bell’s Bridge, the Millennium Bridge and the Clyde Arc, with the Govan Ferry offering a limited service between Govan Pier and the Riverside Museum during the summer months. The Yorkhill Quay pontoon is also utilised by Clyde Cruises as a pick up/ departure point for sightseeing boat tours.

The proposed new Govan-Partick Bridge will be located to the South of the Riverside Museum, enhancing connectivity TRANSPORT LINKS northwards towards Partick, Kelvingrove and the West End.

At the North-East of the site, an elevated walkway lands at The Clydeside Distillery from Kelvinhaugh Street, linking over to nearby SWG3.

The core path route for pedestrians and cyclists currently runs along the Northern edge of the site. The realignment of this route onto the riverside would greatly improve connectivity to the wider area.

The development of Yorkhill Quay offers a unique opportunity to reconnect the riverfront, forming wider connections to Govan, the SEC, River Kelvin walkways and neighbouring communities in Partick and Finnieston.

In this location, the River Corridor has the potential to become a well-connected place that contributes to a wider green network of urban waterways. LANDMARKS GREEN WATERWAY NETWORK

14 2.4 SITE AS EXISTING Yorkhill Quay is currently derelict and inaccessible to the public causing dislocation, with the Riverside Museum and Clydeside Distillery being isolated visitor destinations at either end of the site.

As a key gap site, Yorkhill Quay is seen as a ‘Missing Link’ along the Clyde Corridor.

The enhancement of pedestrian connectivity along the riverfront in this location is vital to unlocking the site’s potential, linking these major city attractions to help facilitate a joined-up waterfront district.

PANORAMIC VIEW OF SITE AS EXISTING FROM NORTH-EAST ELEVATED WALKWAY

VIEW FROM DISTILLERY LOOKING WEST TOWARDS MUSEUM AERIAL VIEW OF SITE AS EXISTING FROM SOUTH-WEST

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