Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church, Glasgow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kelvinside Hillhead Church |
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| Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church | |
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| 55°52′39″N 4°17′36″W / 55.877520°N 4.293262°W | |
| Location | Glasgow |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Website | Church website |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Hillhead Parish Church |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Architect(s) | James Sellar |
| Completed | 8 October 1876 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kelvinside and Hillhead |
| Presbytery | Presbytery of Glasgow |
Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church is a church in Glasgow, Scotland. It is part of the Church of Scotland. The church serves the areas of Hillhead and Kelvinside. It is also part of the Presbytery of Glasgow. The church was first known as Hillhead Parish Church.
History of the Church
In the late 1800s, the Hillhead area grew very quickly. This was especially true after the University of Glasgow moved to Gilmorehill in the 1870s. The Church of Scotland decided to build a church to serve the growing community.
They first built a temporary church in 1871. It was made of corrugated iron. This temporary church was located in a field in front of what is now Athole Gardens in Hillhead.
Soon, more people joined the church than the temporary building could hold. So, a decision was made to build a permanent church. Finding a good spot was tricky because of old mine workings. However, the new church was finally opened on October 8, 1876.
At first, the church was overseen by Govan Old Parish Church. But in 1882, it became its own "quoad sacra" parish. This means it was a separate parish for church matters, but not for local government.
Other churches were also built nearby over time. One of these was Belmont Church. In 1950, Belmont Church joined with Hillhead Parish Church. Later, in 1978, Belmont and Hillhead Parish Church joined with Kelvinside (Botanic Gardens) Church. This is when it became known as Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church. The church continued to use the original Hillhead Parish Church buildings on Observatory Road.
The old Kelvinside Parish Church (Botanic Gardens) building was empty for four years. Then, it was turned into a restaurant and entertainment place called "Òran Mór". It opened in 2004. The famous Glaswegian writer and artist Alasdair Gray designed the ceiling inside.
The Church Building
The church building was designed by the architect James Sellars. It was finished in 1876. The design was inspired by the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, France. You can find the church on Observatory Road in Hillhead. It is a very important historical building, known as a Category A listed building.
Inside the main part of the church, there are nine windows with beautiful stained glass. One of these windows was made by the famous Victorian artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones. The newest window, called the Te Deum Laudamus window, was put in in 1958. It was created by Sadie McLellan.
The church also has a large organ in the gallery. It was built in 1876 by Henry Willis. The organ was rebuilt twice more by Willis and Sons, in 1906 and 1930. The original organ was placed under the rose window in the west gallery. In 1906, parts of the organ were enclosed. In 1930, many of the organ pipes were moved to their current spots.
The church roof was completely replaced between 2017 and 2018. This big project was managed by Page & Park Architects. Other improvements were also made to the flashing, pointing, and gutters.
Church Leadership
Currently, the church does not have a permanent minister. A team helps lead the church. This team includes Rev Dr Doug Gay. He is also a principal and lecturer at the University of Glasgow. Olive and John Drane also help support the ministry team.
See also
Other Churches Nearby
- Jordanhill Parish Church (Church of Scotland)
- Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church (Church of Scotland)
- Knightswood St. Margaret's Parish Church (Church of Scotland)
- St. John's Renfield Church (Church of Scotland)
- St. Luke's Cathedral (Orthodox)
- St. Mary's Cathedral (Episcopalian)
- Wellington Church (Church of Scotland)
