Govanhill Park has been at the heart of the community for over a century. It’s a key local space, shaped by history, restored through redevelopment and brought to life each year by the Govanhill International Festival and Carnival. In this article, local pupil Yahya Mahoud explores its heritage

*A view of Govanhill Park from the play area*

Words and Photos by Yahya Mahmoud

As I walked along the winding criss-cross of paths that make up Govanhill Park, I began to wonder: why is the park like this? Who designed it, and why did they design it this way? I set out to find out more about a park that people pass through every day without giving it a second thought.

My research found that during the 1880s and 1890s, Glasgow Corporation wanted to annex the burgh of Govanhill to take control of it. Govanhill resisted, and the Corporation made a proposition: they could join forces with the larger burgh of Coplawhill, which would be developed, new houses would be built, and Govanhill could be expanded but Govanhill would only agree to this if a new park was built in Govanhill too.

In Bruce Downie’s book Loved and Lost: Govanhill’s Built Heritage, he outlines that Govanhill insisted that “the new estate would not be overdeveloped, but that the Corporation provide a public park within the new estate.”

To that, Glasgow Corporation said yes but the cost of the park would be expensive, at around £12,000; most of the money came from the Hutcheson’s Hospital trust.

It was originally referred to as the Govanhill Recreation Grounds, with the park being on two levels–the first being a football pitch for boys under the age of twelve, and on the other side, a gymnasium that would become known as “the swings.” In the middle was a tiny building made as a park-keeper’s office and bathrooms, decorated with trees, shrubbery, and benches plotted along the walking path.

The park was created as a way for people to come together and relax–for families to enjoy, as well as for recreational activities like tennis and football.

The park is split into quadrants by tree-lined paths. The reason for this is hard to find online, but a quick search on Google Maps shows that the paths wiggle their way around the outer perimeter of the park, right up to the fences that define its edges. Therefore, we can see that the paths were designed to ensure the park isn’t just full of straight lines, and the use of the infield makes it an intriguing and attractive place to be.

In 1912, a bandstand was built in the park and opened on a Saturday by Mr William Lorimer, who had contributed £170 towards its construction. But due to the mass vandalism that certain individuals indulged in by the 1980s, it no longer exists.

Today, the park is still split into four quadrants. One contains a basketball court and a larger pitch that’s often used for football. Two others boast climbing frames and swings for infants and older children. The last quadrant is green space ringed by trees.

Nearly a century after its creation, Govanhill Park had fallen into serious decline, with damaged swings and a bandstand defaced by graffiti. In 1996, the park was temporarily closed for redesign and essential repairs, and it officially reopened on 27 June the following year.

As I walked through the park, I bumped into Karen, a long-term resident who moved to Govanhill in the late ’80s. Karen had fond memories of the park but also noted that, like in many parks, rubbish is an issue. Dotted around the park are signs asking visitors to put their rubbish in the bin or take it home with them, and several signs urge people not to feed the pigeons, as it attracts vermin–an issue many Govanhill residents have spoken out about.

For me, one of the most interesting things about the park is the annual parade, part of the Govanhill International Festival and Carnival, which begins at Govanhill Park every year on the first Saturday of August (this year it will be on 2 August). Groups and individuals from across the Southside march their way to Queen’s Park’s Bandstand, bringing the whole community together. It’s magnificent to see the community of Govanhill coming together to celebrate a wonderful day in the spirit of anti-racism.