Pollok Country Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pollok Country Park |
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| Type | Country park |
| Location | Glasgow, Scotland |
| OS grid | NS5545262170 |
| Area | 146 hectares (361 acres) |
| Operated by | Glasgow City Council |
| Open | Open all year |
| Awards |
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| Public transit access | Pollokshaws West railway station |
Pollok Country Park is a huge park in Glasgow, Scotland. It covers about 146 hectares (that's like 360 football fields!). This park is super special because it won awards. In 2007, it was named Britain's Best Park. The next year, in 2008, it was even named the Best Park in Europe! It beat parks from many other countries like Italy and France.
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Discovering Pollok Country Park
This amazing park is the biggest in Glasgow. A river called the White Cart Water flows right through it. For over 700 years, the Maxwell family lived on the land where the park is now. In 1966, Mrs Anne Maxwell Macdonald gave the land, including Pollok House, to Glasgow. She had one important rule: it had to stay a public park for everyone to enjoy.
Sports and Fun Activities
Pollok Country Park is a great place for sports. The Poloc Cricket Club started here in 1878. You can find many sports fields around the park. There are also two golf clubs nearby: Haggs Castle and Pollok.
In 1954, the Pollokshaws Bowling Club also moved into the park. It's close to the Pollokshaws West railway station, which is one of the easiest ways to get to the park.
What Else Can You See?
The park is home to the Burrell Collection. This is a special building filled with old art and antiques. A man named William Burrell collected all these amazing things and gave them to Glasgow.
You can also see some cool animals here! The park has a famous group of Highland cattle. These are big, shaggy cows with long horns. They are very easy to see up close in the park.
If you like biking, there are three mountain biking trails. They were opened in 2004 by Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy. The police also have their horse and dog teams based in the park. There are even two allotment gardens where people can grow their own plants.
Protecting Pollok Park
Sometimes, people have had to stand up for Pollok Country Park.
The Motorway Protest
In the early 1990s, there was a big protest. People were trying to stop a new road, the M77 motorway, from being built through the park. This road would have cut through the park and destroyed many trees. Protesters, including local schoolchildren, tried to stop it. They built treehouses and tunnels to live in. They even made a "Carhenge" with old cars to block the road.
Even though the road was built, the protest was important. It taught many people in Glasgow about speaking up for what they believe in. The motorway did make it harder for people from some nearby areas to get into the park.
Saving the Park from Go Ape
In 2008, another group called "Save Pollok Park" started. They were protesting against a company called Go Ape. This company wanted to build a high-wire adventure course in an old part of the park called the North Wood. Over five thousand people said they didn't want this to happen.
Images for kids
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A flower boat in the walled garden
