Govan

Industrial Archaeology + Buried Landscape Narrative

There is a Green Hill ... ?

Govan's greatness predates the host city Glasgow's. It was forcibly consumed in 1912 ... its narrative as ever seems to lie in a process of cultural overwriting .. against its will ... again and again and again..

Govan's estuarine position, predating the dredging of the river Clyde allowed Boat at high tide and ease of paddling at low tide - the ebb and flow of that enabling controlled ease of movement from south to North - From lowlands to highlands...
It became in the 11th Century the Capitol of the Kingdom of Strathclyde - Hosting Royal Church , Royal Palace and Parliamentary or Justice hill .
The Kingdom of Strathclyde was dissolved, broken apart and eventually largely forgotten.
Govan's geographic importance however was sustained by other " ages of greatness." ( Driscoll )

It was later epicentre of the estuarine Salmon fishing Industry .
It was an epicenter of the Scottish handloom weaving Industry
It was the cradle of Clyde Shipbuilding whence from came ...all the major yards, managers and innovators that turned the Clyde into workshop of Empire.

And yet more than any other civilised place in Europe that has such a History .. it has been dismissed down graded, overlooked. stamped on and erased.

" It has fallen from grace and its narrative has been buried. I was born in Old Govan and ...as its Industrial Infrastructure was being vandalised in an attempt to take the power of the workforce of the Clyde away , my parents fled in horror. " A McAvoy

Govan has been on its knees since the late 1960s and displays the worst poverty indicators recordable in Western Europe.
The process of De - Industrialisation has left it largely vacuous and in waiting.

Some how it retains a sense of pride. Why ?

In the last years we have been working with many people to continue to try and unleash its buried Landscape narrative.

A very thorough introduction to what lies beneath can be found in the link attached to the Archaeological Structure report by Stephen Driscoll and Ingrid Shearer below.

Some of what has been discovered since then can be read in the attached Govan Fair Programme which has been used to publish small parts of Govan's story. The publication has allowed Andrew as editor, to invite researchers in various fields to address certain questions about Govan's History.

Note - The format for this was transposed from the Old Govan Club established by TCF Brotchie in 1918

CRITICAL OBSERVATION in 2016

If Govan needs new infrastructure or Architecture .. it should be grown out of a bottom up process which allows for local people to perform roles in - Evaluation, constructive Archaeology. design, careful listening and education. It might gladly embrace the Scottish Empowerment Act to be adopted in May 2016.

That would be a starting point.

At the moment what should be a " Common " at the heart of Govan, is being accelerated toward the advent of "Non place" by narrow agendas surrounding an alien Hospital, ill thought out car parking, knee jerk housing statistics, a fast link bus that has sped traffic up to 40mph and land value portfolio assessments.

These agendas affect private interests and not the commonties that this great old place and community require . The residents and particularly the children are seeing their environment depleted. A fast link bus ripping through the townscape does nothing to unlock Govan's rich narrative.

Again major factors affecting the Everyday are being forced on Govan by top down Process.

Every time you park your car at Water Row, you might just be dripping... fossil fuel on the Head of Saint Constantine. Is that really an Ancient Royal churchyard with Scotland's grandest assembly of carved Stones ?

The practice will continue to contribute to this research process via the second phase of an exchange with a related territory -The Imperial Gdansk Shipyard - Poland. It will do this via the Waterfront Heritage Sites of Northern Europe Exchange Program managed by UWS, to which it is contributing.

Come on Govan !

Govan in 1757 with its Green Hill or "Doomster" in place.

Hit the link to read this report by Stephen Driscoll + Ingrid Shearer

STOP PRESS - April 2016 Andrew spent the day discussing "Hidden Kingdoms" with Penelope Keith for Channel 4 and used this imagining drawing as a tool for discussion. Interview to be aired in June 2016 - watch this space.

Plan of Govan' s Elder Park with a few missing things back in place - Drawing by Andrew McAvoy

Govan Ferry + the Hillock 1826 before it was removed to facilitate Industry

Govan - Oh Aye its older than America - Imagining Drawing by Andrew McAvoy

The affluent North side of the River has a slipway - Why not Govan ?

Industrial Landscape with Cranes prior to removal in 2014

Route to the river blocked by Hospital Car Park where the Doomster Hill stood

Miraculous disappearance of the Harland and Wolff Tram lines in 2011 / 2012

The Govan Ferry and the slipway

The Graving Docks

FRom this arial photograph you can gain some sense as to the Utrban and Industrial Density In Govan at one time . Only the medievil heart shaped churchyard survives consumption.

Prior to the arrival of Harland + Wolff - flush access to the river was afforded at Govan.

The Remaining Industrial pageant THE GOVAN FAIR Has been a vehicle for research and Continuing the work started in 1918 by TCF Brotchie Hit the link to see the 2015 Heritage Related Programme Poster + Flier by A McAvoy + Liam O Sheah