Alexandra Park, Glasgow
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Alexandra Park, Glasgow
Alexandra Park is a public park in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. It is located in Dennistoun, three miles east of the city centre. To the north is the M8 motorway. Named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, it opened in 1870. The users of this park have always found the park pleasant and an enjoyable place to relax and do activities such as sunbathing, playing sports and going for walks or runs. The highest point of the Park gives views North to Ben Lomond and South to the Tinto Hills. The park is generally open from dawn to dusk daily but the facilities inside the park have separate opening and closing times accordingly.[1]
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History
- 1866: The City Improvement Trustees of Glasgow purchased Alexandra Park in from Mr. Walter Stewart. The park was bought was the intention of giving the people of the north-eastern Glasgow a place of leisure and recreation. When the park was purchases it was bare and barren with hardly any trees.
- 1867 - 1868: Hundreds of unemployed artisans and labourers were employed to begin the renovation of the park to give them something to do during the great trade depression.
- 1870: The park is officially opened and named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark who was the wife of the future King Edward VII.[2]
- 1870–present: The park has been used as a place of sport and relaxation by the people of Glasgow.
Location
Approximately three miles from Glasgow city xentre, The park is located in the Dennistoun area. It sits neatly between the M8 motorway and Alexandra Parade/Cumbernauld Road (A8/A80) to the north ans south respectively, as well as Provan Road and Sannox Gardens to the east and west. To be precise, Alexandra Park is located on 10 Sannox Gardens, Glasgow (G31 3JE). It occupies approximately 42 hectares (104 acres). Its most identifiable features are the two large pedestrian gates that can be seen from Alexandra Parade/Cumbernauld Road (A8/A80) Just after the Alexandra Parade Railway station.
Features
One of the notable features of Alexandra Park is the 40 foot cast-iron Walter MacFarlane Saracen Fountain which was gifted to the City after the 1901 International Exhibition and it remained in Kelvingrove Park for 12 years after the exhibition. In 1914 Glasgow Corporation took the decision to re-site the fountain to its present location. In 2000, the fountain was restored to its former glory at a cost of £22,000
Facilities
The park has a wide variety of facilities available to people of all ages including:
- Bowling greens
- A golf course - within the park there is a popular 9 hole, 2800 yard, par 31 golf course
- Playgrounds
- A small picnic area
- Orienteering course
- Public toilets
- Public telephones
Uses
Clubs
Alexandra Park Golf Club
Alexandra Park Golf Club is an inviting little nine-hole golf course situated inside the park. The course is slightly hilly with a fair share of surprises, despite being only nine holes.
There are some superb par threes, some of which are over 200-yards. On a windy day club selection can vary from a 4-iron to a 9-iron, a characteristic which makes this course so interesting to play. At barely 4, 000-yards for 18 holes and with a par of 60, big hitters will find this relatively easy. It has been stated that the course is one of the best nine-hole offerings in the Central region.[3]
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| length | 351 | 221 | 212 | 132 | 155 | 146 | 217 | 244 | 330 | 2008 |
| Par | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 30 |
Accessibility
Alexandra park is located just 3 miles east of the city centre (40min walk).
The park has several bus stops just outside the gates which the numbers 6, 13, 32, 38, 42, 51, 93 and 96 can be caught to.[4]
Just around the corner from the main gates is the Alexandra Parade railway station where you can catch a southbound train to Glasgow Queen Street railway station every half-hour Monday to Saturday.
Crime
The park on the whole is a nice family friendly park but it occasionally it has been the location of criminal activity. A wide range of crimes have been committed in park ranging from common assault to drug possession.[5] These intermittent crimes have not affected the general public's view of the park and they still see it as a safe environment to spend their spare time.
Controversy
There has been some controversy over the safety of Alexandra park, Some parents won't let their children even go to the park due to this. The park has no lifebelts in case someone falls into the pond, no helpline stations, the toddler's play area is fenced off but is just metres away from the main pond and fountain. The parks path is level with the pond and has only a few metres of rusted fencing around it. The park has many steep slopes that have no protection at the top or at the bottom next to the ponds. It has been stated: "It is appalling that there is so little fencing around the duck pond, or even a sign to warn visitors. Child safety is vital in parks. I would not let Archie play by himself without me, especially outside of the toddler's area".[6]
References
- ^ "Alexandra Park". Glasgow City Council. http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/Parks_gardens/alexandrapark.htm. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "A Brief History of Glasgow Scotland". Glasgow History. http://www.localhistories.org/glasgow.html. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "Alexandra Park Golf Courses". Scottish Golf Courses. http://www.scottishgolfcourses.com/central/alexandrapark.html. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "Glasgow Bus Routes". Glasgow Bus Route Maps. http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/glasgow/journey_planning/maps. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
- ^ "BA 24 Crime Stats". Glasgow Crime Stats. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/go/police/ba#BA24. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
- ^ "Don't Go Near The Water". Glasgow Humane Society. http://www.glasgowhumanesociety.com/newsarticles/news_article062.html. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
See also
External links
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