Govan Old Parish Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Govan Old Parish Church |
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| The Parish Church of St Constantine of Strathclyde | |
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| 55°51′53″N 4°18′46″W / 55.8646°N 4.3129°W | |
| Location | Glasgow |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Website | Church website |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | c.5th to 6th Century |
| Dedication | Constantine |
| Dedicated | 19 May 1888 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Museum & Historic Church |
| Architect(s) | Robert Rowand Anderson |
| Years built | 1884-1888 |
| Groundbreaking | 6 December 1884 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Govan & Linthouse |
| Presbytery | Presbytery of Glasgow |
Govan Old Parish Church is a very old church in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland. It was used for regular Sunday services from the 5th or 6th century AD until 2007. In that year, the Church of Scotland decided to combine the Govan churches with Linthouse. This meant Govan Old was no longer needed for daily services.
Even though it's not used for regular Sunday services anymore, the building is still a place of worship. It has a morning service every day and is open for visitors in the afternoons. The church is dedicated to a saint named Constantine. It is a beautiful building with a Scottish Gothic Revival style, which means it looks like old Scottish churches. It is very important historically and is listed as an 'A-Listed' building by Historic Environment Scotland. The churchyard is also a protected ancient site.
Inside the church, you can find an amazing collection of old stone carvings called the Govan Stones. These carved stones were all found in the churchyard. They include a special stone coffin called the Govan Sarcophagus, four tall crosses with detailed pictures and patterns, and five unique stones shaped like a hog's back. There are also many flat burial stones. All these stones seem to be from between the 9th and 11th centuries AD.
Contents
A Look Back: Early Church History
It is thought that Christian activity first began at this site around the 5th or 6th century AD. During digs in the 1990s, archaeologists found two very old Christian burials under the church. Tests showed these burials were from between AD 435 and 601.
Govan Old became very important in the 9th and 10th centuries. Before that, there are not many records about Govan. One old book, Historia Regum, mentions a place called 'Ovania' in AD 756. This was when an army returned from attacking Dumbarton Rock.
The Annals of Ulster, which are old Irish records, say that Dumbarton Rock was the main place for the Brittonic Kingdom of Alt Clud. This kingdom was later known as the Kingdom of Strathclyde. In AD 870, the records mention a Viking attack on Dumbarton Rock. After this, the kings of Clyde Rock are not mentioned anymore. Instead, in 872, the records talk about the kingdom of Ystrad Clud, which is the Kingdom of Strathclyde. This suggests that the main power moved from Dumbarton Rock to Govan.
The large size of the churchyard and the many old stone carvings found there suggest that kings and powerful people supported the church. The site has been used continuously for a very long time, so we cannot know what the first church looked like. However, it has always been a Christian place.
The Church Building
Govan Old Parish Church is a beautiful and important building. It was designed by Robert Rowand Anderson. Its style was inspired by features seen at Pluscarden Abbey in Scotland.
Most of the church you see today was built between 1884 and 1888. However, the site itself is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in Scotland. It is unusual because the church was built to face north-south instead of the usual east-west. This allowed the main door to open onto the main street to the south.
The church also has some lovely stained glass windows. Two of these windows were given by Robert Malcolm Kerr. One, called the Emmaus window, was added in 1891. The other, showing Christ blessing children, was added in 1902. Both were made by a company called Heaton, Butler and Bayne.
The Govan Stones Museum
The church has a museum collection of early medieval Christian carvings, known as the Govan Stones. This collection is very important around the world. People first truly understood its importance in December 1855. This was when a stone coffin, a sarcophagus, was found while digging a grave.
This exciting discovery led scholars to draw and record the Govan Sarcophagus and other old stone monuments in the churchyard. A collection of photographs of forty-six carved stones was made. For this, plaster casts of each stone were created. These casts were then photographed in special lighting to show off the carvings. These photos were used in a famous book called Early Christian Monuments of Scotland.
Today, thirty of these monuments are on display inside the church. One flat stone from the medieval period is still in the churchyard. Sixteen other stones were thought to be lost or buried after a factory building was taken down in 1973. However, a recent community archaeology dig found at least three of these lost stones!
Among the thirty-one monuments on display at Govan Old, there is:
- One sarcophagus (stone coffin)
- Two cross-shafts (parts of crosses)
- Two upright cross-slabs (flat stones with crosses carved on them)
- Five hogbacks (stones shaped like a hog's back)
- Twenty-one recumbent cross-slabs (flat stones with crosses, lying down)
Govan Old and the Govan Stones museum are open daily from April 1 to October 31, from 1pm to 4pm. If you want to visit outside these times, you can contact the museum to arrange a tour. Entry to the museum is free, but visitors can make donations. There is also a small gift shop that sells books and local crafts. The money raised helps to look after the church and its collections.
Changes and Future Plans
In 2007, the Church of Scotland decided to combine the three local churches in the Govan area. Govan Old, along with two other churches, became part of the Govan and Linthouse parish. This meant Govan Old no longer had its own regular services.
After 2007, people were unsure about the future of Govan Old Parish Church. In 2008, a study was done to find ways to use the church. Funding was secured in 2011 to re-display the stone carvings. This work was finished in 2013. Govan Old's future became more secure in 2016 when the Govan Heritage Trust received a grant from the Scottish Government. The Trust wants to turn the church into a community-run museum and business center. They need more financial help to make this happen.
The church is located close to Govan Station on the Glasgow Subway. Its main entrance is next to the Govan War Memorial, which is just west of the Pearce Institute on Govan Road.
Archaeological Discoveries
The TV show Time Team, which is about archaeology, dug in the graveyard of Govan Old Parish Church in 1996. This was shown on TV in early 1997.
In March 2019, community archaeologists working with a schoolboy named Mark McGettigan found some medieval stone carvings that had been lost for a long time. People thought these stones were destroyed by accident when a nearby factory building was taken down in the 1970s.
Professor Stephen Driscoll said, "This is the most exciting discovery we have had at Govan in the last 20 years. The Govan Stones are very important around the world. These recovered stones show that Govan was a major center of power a long time ago."
Notable Ministers
Many important ministers have served at Govan Old Parish Church:
- Andrew Melville (1577-1580)
- Thomas Smeaton (1580-1584)
- Patrick Sharp (theologian) (1585-1614)
- Robert Boyd (university principal) (1615-1621)
- Hugh Binning (1650-1653)
- Very Rev Matthew Leishman DD (1794-1874) was minister for a remarkable 53 years, from 1821 to 1874. He was also the leader of the Church of Scotland in 1858.
- George MacLeod (1930-1938) left Govan to start the Iona Community.
- David Orr (1960–1980) helped create the Govan Housing Association.
- Tom Davidson Kelly (1989-2002) started the Friends of Govan Old. He also helped bring attention to the old stone carvings by getting scholars to study them at a meeting in 1992.
- Moyna McGlynn (2008-2016) helped keep the building going after it closed. She also supported the old church community, allowing time for a local trust to take over the site.
See also
