Town Plan of Glasgow – Gilbert Scott Building

By Sonny Maley on June 29, 2012 • ( 2 )

The Ordnance Survey Town Plans (OSTs) were the largest scale maps of towns and cities ever published by the Ordnance Survey. Over the coming weeks and months we will be presenting selected sheets from the 2nd edition of the Glasgow Town Plan as zoomable images which highlight areas of interest and cultural significance.

Sheet VI.6.16 of the 2nd edition of Glasgow’s Town Plan showing the Gilbert Scott building on the Gilmorehill campus. Click the image to see this sheet in greater detail.

It seems appropriate to begin with sheet VI.6.16 which shows the University of Glasgow’s Gilbert Scott building. Founded in 1451, the University was briefly housed in Glasgow Cathedral before moving in 1460 to a section of land on the east side of the High Street. For the next 400 years the University prospered and expanded, eventually outgrowing the High Street campus.

In 1870 a new campus was acquired on Gilmorehill in the West End of the city. Sir George Gilbert Scott designed the new main campus building in the neo-gothic style and echoed the original High Street campus’s twin quadrangle layout. The building was completed in 1879 by Sir Gilbert Scott’s son Oldrid, who later added a spire to the bell tower in 1887.

Published in 1896 this Town Plan sheet is an example of a practical and functional endeavour, that of large-scale urban mapping, which has produced something beautiful in its own right.

The zoomable version of this map can be viewed by clicking the image above or by clicking here. If you have any questions about this map, or any other maps held by the University Library, feel free to contact the Maps, Official Publications and Statistics Unit.

Other entries in the series:

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Pollokshields Town Houses and Villas

Cattle Market, Gallowgate

Queen Street Station and George Square

Sighthill Cemetery

Duke Street Prison

Western Infirmary