Dowanhill
Encyclopedia
Dowanhill is a district of Glasgow
, Scotland
, occupying the area west of Hillhead
, south of Kelvinside
and east of Hyndland
.
A residential district the area generally contains a mixture of terraced townhouses with private communal garden
s, detached villas with private grounds and a number of four-storey tenement buildings. Originally constructed from the middle of the 19th century onwards many of the buildings have now had their original interiors reconstructed to convert them into multiple-flatted dwelling houses, this type of redevelopment continues to the present day.
The area is seen as being desirable due to its location in Glasgow's West End, situated adjacent to Glasgow's Botanic Gardens
and also the popular Byres Road
area with its many bars, restaurants and shops.
In common with many areas of the West End continual development causes concern for many residents who fear the area becoming over-developed, this concern is highlighted in the bitter dispute over the proposed redevelopment of Dowanhill Tennis Club .
In 2005/06 due to increased traffic levels and to discourage rat running Glasgow City Council introduced traffic calming
measures and converted a number of streets into one-way traffic systems.
In 1869 Jefferson Davis
, the only President
of the Confederate States of America
, stayed in Dowanhill while visiting the Glasgow merchant James Smith .
The earliest known registered scout troop in the world, the 1st Glasgow Scout Troop, is still active in Dowanhill. Captain 'Boss' Young established the troop in 1907 and the group was registered with Scout HQ, London
on 16 January 1908 .
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, occupying the area west of Hillhead
Hillhead
Hillhead is a district of Glasgow, Scotland. Situated north of Kelvingrove Park and to the south of the River Kelvin, Hillhead is at the heart of Glasgow's fashionable West End, with Byres Road forming the western border of the area, the other boundaries being Dumbarton Road to the south and the...
, south of Kelvinside
Kelvinside
Kelvinside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde and is bounded by Dowanhill, Hyndland and Broomhill to the South with Kelvindale and the River Kelvin to the North...
and east of Hyndland
Hyndland
Hyndland is a residential area in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland.Bordering the Broomhill, Maryhill, Dowanhill, Kelvinside and Partickhill areas, it is a middle-class area populated mainly by professionals and young bourgeois bohemians including a number of noted authors, poets,...
.
A residential district the area generally contains a mixture of terraced townhouses with private communal garden
Communal garden
A communal garden is a normally formal garden for shared use by a number of local residents, typically in an urban setting. The term is especially used in the United Kingdom...
s, detached villas with private grounds and a number of four-storey tenement buildings. Originally constructed from the middle of the 19th century onwards many of the buildings have now had their original interiors reconstructed to convert them into multiple-flatted dwelling houses, this type of redevelopment continues to the present day.
The area is seen as being desirable due to its location in Glasgow's West End, situated adjacent to Glasgow's Botanic Gardens
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Glasgow Botanic Gardens is an Arboretum and public park located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace. The gardens were created in 1817, and run by the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow , and were intended to supply...
and also the popular Byres Road
Byres Road
Byres Road is a street located in Hillhead, Glasgow and is the central artery of the city's West End.- Location and history :Byres Rd is a mixed commercial, shopping and upmarket residential area consisting largely of traditional sandstone tenements with retail premises on the ground floor and...
area with its many bars, restaurants and shops.
In common with many areas of the West End continual development causes concern for many residents who fear the area becoming over-developed, this concern is highlighted in the bitter dispute over the proposed redevelopment of Dowanhill Tennis Club .
In 2005/06 due to increased traffic levels and to discourage rat running Glasgow City Council introduced traffic calming
Traffic calming
Traffic calming is intended to slow or reduce motor-vehicle traffic in order to improve the living conditions for residents as well as to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Urban planners and traffic engineers have many strategies for traffic calming...
measures and converted a number of streets into one-way traffic systems.
In 1869 Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
, the only President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, stayed in Dowanhill while visiting the Glasgow merchant James Smith .
The earliest known registered scout troop in the world, the 1st Glasgow Scout Troop, is still active in Dowanhill. Captain 'Boss' Young established the troop in 1907 and the group was registered with Scout HQ, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 16 January 1908 .