Welcome!
Inverclyde Tourist Group (ITG) (image 1) welcomes you to this virtual walking tour of Greenock's Historic Quarter. For a brief guide for first-time users of the PocketSights app, copy and paste this link into your browser: inverclydeheritage.network/doors-open-day-2021Being a circular tour, it returns to the starting point. However, it can also be completed in sections or in its entirety, on the ground or from the comfort of your armchair! Walking directions are typed in italics. The majority of the tour should be suitable for wheelchairs and prams. It is mainly on flat ground; exceptions are the optional Wellpark Loop and the Shipbuilding loop. These points are highlighted in the commentary and rejoining information is included. Alternative wheelchair access to the Wellpark Loop is via Regent Street; access to Scotts' Dock & Memorial is via parking in Westburn Way, and for the 9/11 cairn and fire station parking is available in St Andrew's Street.Being outside, there is nothing to prevent you from bringing your dog too! Please note, there are no public toilets on this route. Refreshments can be bought in a number of outlets in William Street, Cathcart Street, Brymner Street, Customhouse Hotel (behind Customhouse) and Morrisons (on the Shipbuilding Loop).Please take care on cobbled surfaces which can become slippery when wet and use pedestrian crossings where possible to cross roads. Care should be exercised when near the river's edge and.Let's get started!Click the green START TOUR button further up the page then head to Clyde Square and find the Greenock Town Trail plaque (image 2) on the ground at the top of the wide set of stairs. As you approach the plaque, the audio should start (if selected); if not, press the green button - I'M HERE OR CAN'T GET ANY CLOSER. Once you have read the text/the text has been read to you, press the green CONTINUE TOUR button.
Clyde Square
Clyde Square is a pedestrian area on the south side of the Municipal Buildings.In the 1960s, the Square and Municipal Buildings were seperated by a busy road called Hamilton Street (image 1). More recently the arcade behind the columns at the bottom of the building were glazed (image 2) to provide extra space for council offices.Since Inverclyde Tourist Group published this walking tour some years ago, Inverclyde Council has recently installed road signage (Image 3) to indicate the main streets included in Greenock's Historic Quarter. Look out for them throughout the walk.Continue by walking down the stairs and forward a few steps to Pin 3: Greenock Municipal Buildings. Click CONTINUE TOUR.
Greenock Municipal Buildings
The imposing Greenock Municipal Buildings were built originally in the 1880s but have undergone additions and updates well into the 21st Century (image 1). This southern facade has the official entrance to the former Burgh's administration which was denoted by the official pair of lamps (image 2) on Hamilton Street which is now part of the pedestrianised Clyde Square. Designed by Glasgow architects H&D Barclay, and entitled 'Art and Science', the earlier Town Hall was retained in the centre of the new structure. The interior is ornately decorated while the exterior is finished with red Peterhead granite columns.The Municipal Buildings housed the District Court, the fire service and the police service, plus many administrative departments for the Burgh. Today, the Municipal Buildings form the administrative centre for the whole of Inverclyde.The video link is a tour of the inside of the buildings.Continue by turning to your right and walking forward a few steps to Pin 4: Cowan's Corner. Click CONTINUE TOUR.
Cowan's Corner
The open area at the right-hand corner of the Municipal Buildings is known as Cowan's Corner (image 1), after a local businessman who refused to sell his property when the council was acquiring the land needed to build the award-winning design, and subsequently the original design had to be changed (image 2).Ironically, this property was destroyed by a bomb during the May 1941 blitz, leaving the present gap.Tap image 1 to see the full picture. (Close is in top left corner.)Recently, the council have added Historic Quarter information boards to this area. (images 3 & 4)Continue by walking forward a few steps to the edge of Clyde Square to Pin 5: Victoria Tower. Click CONTINUE TOUR.
Victoria Tower
Rising above the buildings, the 75 metre (245 feet) high Victoria Tower exceeds the height of the tower on Glasgow City Chambers, allegedly built this high in a bid of one-upmanship over the city.Tap the image to see the full picture. (Close is in top left corner.)Continue by turning left and walking forward towards the Carriageway entrance to Pin 6: The 'Zoo'. Click CONTINUE TOUR.
The 'Zoo'
Above the entrance arch to the Town Hall Carriageway (image 1), notice a set of carvings.These relief sculptures depict a 'zoo' of animals, some possibly inspired by Greenock's seafaring links with travel to foreign shores such as the parrot, monkey and turkey (image 2).Continue by turning round and walking to the post box on the corner to Pin 7: William Street.
William Street
William Street (image 1) was named after William Alexander, the first feuar of this land and was one of the first streets in Greenock to be named. It leads down from Cathcart Square and originally went down to the shore which later became a harbour.It is one of Greenock's oldest thoroughfares and is the birthplace of one of Greenock's most famous sons, the engineer and inventor James Watt (1736-1819) (image 2).Continue by turning left down William Street and walking forward a few steps to Pin 8: The Dutch Gable House. Click CONTINUE TOUR.
The Dutch Gable House
The Dutch Gable House (image 1), is one of the oldest surviving buildings on William Street. It was built in 1755 and has been renovated and refurbished in recent years by a local group.Behind the Dutch Gable house is the oldest house in Greenock (image 2).Continue by walking forward a few steps to Pin 9: Watt Memorial Engineering and Navigational School.
Watt Memorial Engineering & Navigational School
The red sandstone building next to the Dutch Gable House was part of the expansion to the Watt Memorial Engineering and Navigation School. The original entrance is around the corner in Dalrymple Street.The School originally opened in 1908 in just two rooms, one on top of the other, following a donation of £10,000 by Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. His donation recognised the critical role played by James Watt's development of the steam engine in driving forward the industrial revolution.The school was built opposite the site of the house in William Street where James Watt was born on 19th January, 1736 (image 2).Having expanded into this adjacent building, it eventually outgrew this space and moved to a new building in Finnart Street in 1972 and become the James Watt College. It is currently part of the West College Scotland.Continue by walking forward a few steps to Pin 10: James Watt Memorial Statue.
James Watt Memorial Statue
This bronze statue (image 1) is on the corner of William Street and Dalrymple Street. The sculptor was Henry Charles Fehr and it was created as part of the Carnagie memorial funding. It shows Watt holding a Watt Indicator in his right hand and its tablet in his left hand.It stands on an octagonal plinth of red sandstone. The plaques on each side of the plinth are decorated with relief sculptures of the tools which Watt would have used as an instrument maker and as an engineer (image 2).If you walk towards the modern building at the bottom of William Street, you will get a better view of the building, including the original front entrance on Dalrymple Street.Tap image 2 to see the full picture. (Close is in top left corner.)Continue by turning round and walking up the other side of William Street to Pin 11: Mince Collop Close.
Mince Collop Close
Heading back up the other side of William look out for the entrance to Mince Collop Close (image 1) tucked in behind the modern building. It is named after a local culinary staple made from minced meat and oats.This is an example of one of the narrow and overcrowded streets which grew up in this part of the town (image 2).Continue by walking forward a few steps to Pin 12: No. 9 - The Tenement Building.
No 9 - The Tenement Building
Built in 1752, this is the oldest building in William Street.In the past it has been an inn and a public house. Today it is used for offices and for housing.Continue by walking forward a few steps to Pin 13: The Old Bank Building.
Martini's Bar
Also on this side of the street, in what is now Martini's Bar, was the premises of the Greenock Provident Bank. Built in 1861/1862, the architects were Baird and Thomson.Continue by walking up William Street then turn left into Cathcart Square and following the pavement round to Pin 14: Clydesdale Bank Building.
Clydesdale Bank Building
Currently a steak house called 134, the Clydesdale Bank Building (image 1) was built on the north east corner of Cathcart Square in 1899 on the site of the former White Hart Inn (image 2). The Inn, founded in 1770, was the final stop on the stage coach journey from Glasgow and was an important meeting place.The present building was designed by the architect James Thomson and was constructed in 1899. The relief sculptures above the windows depict Greenock's connections with shipbuilding and trade.Continue by walking across the Square towards heading to Pin 15: The Lyle Fountain. Be aware of traffic.
The Lyle Fountain
Situated in the middle of Cathcart Square, the Lyle Fountain was gifted to the town in 1880 by Abram Lyle, a successful businessman who founded the sugar refinery Abram Lyle & Sons. It later merged with a rival in 1921 to become Tate & Lyle. Lyle was Provost of Greenock from 1876-1879.The circular fountain was designed by F A Scudamore of Coventry. It has a filigree dome supported by six columns. 18 bronze shields bearing the crests of prominent families of the time can be seen at the base of the dome.Continue by walking round the fountain to the left to Pin 16: The Gallows. Be aware of traffic.
The Gallows
A horseshoe is set in the stone paving between the Fountain and the Church, close to site of the gallows used for public hangings of the condemned who were lodged in the nearby prison. The gallows was in fact located in front of the church steps.Continue by turning left and walking a few steps across the Square to Pin 17: The 'Toon Kirk'. Be aware of traffic.
The 'Toon Kirk'
The Wellpark Mid Kirk sits at the southern end of Cathcart Square (images 1 and 2). It is known locally at the 'Toon Kirk' because it is used for civic occasions such as 'Kirking the Council'.The church was built on land gifted by Lord Cathcart in 1758. Its classical design features an iconic portico and 44.5 metre (145 feet) high steeple modelled on St. Martin's-in-the Field Church in London. The building holds up to 1,600 worshippers in an arrangement originally planned by James Watt, Sr.Continue by turning left and walking a few steps to Pin 18: Bank Street.
Bank Street
Bank Street is in the south east corner of Cathcart Square. The first building on this street was a bank, hence its name.NB: If you do not wish to walk up the hill, you can follow the tour on the app and then continue the walk from Pin 28: Cathcart Street.Continue by walking up the right side of Bank Street past the church buildings to Pin 19: Site of the former County Buildings.
Site of former County Buildings
Just behind the buildings of Wellpark Mid Kirk - the 'Toon Kirk' - is the former site of the County Buildings (images 1 and 2) built in 1834 where the Sheriff Courts and Justice of the Peace Court met. The Royal Coat of Arms (image 1) is clearly seen at the front of the building.The County Buildings were demolished to allow for the extension to the Caledonian railway line to Gourock and nothing now remains to be seen.The Sheriff Court was transferred to Nelson Street and the District Court was relocated inside the Municipal Buildings.Continue by walking further uphill to the path on your right to Pin 20: The Bridewell Prison.
Site of the entrance to the former Bridewell Prison
The pathway is roughly where the entrance to the Bridewell Prison was located. Costing £1,500, the prison was built half way up Bank Street in 1808 in the style of an old castle complete with two towers in front and battlements on top. It closed in 1869 when new buildings were opened in Nelson Street. It was one of several buildings that was demolished in 1887 to allow the Glasgow to Greenock railway to be extended to Gourock.Condemned prisoners were marched from here, first to the Mid Kirk or 'Toon Kirk' and then to the gallows in Cathcart Square. Records show that thief Moses McDonald who stole food and £4 from a local grocer, was literally let off the noose and dropped to the ground when the rope snapped at his hanging. He was taken back to the Kirk until a new rope was fitted and successfully hanged at the second attempt.Continue uphill a few steps to Pin 21: Renfrewshire Bank Building.
Renfrewshire Bank Buildings
Looking uphill from this point you can see the Renfrewshire Bank Buildings, the first building on the street. The architecture is Georgian with a horseshoe stairway and was completed in 1811. Banking here ceased in 1842.It has also been used as a girls secondary school and more recently as a rehabilitation facility for Jericho House. It featured in the BBC adaption of the Agatha Christie book Ordeal by Innocence (2018).NB: Pins 22 to 26 form the optional Wellpark Loop. This is inaccessible for wheelchairs and prams due to the stair access. You can continue the walk from Pin 27: Radical War Memorial.For Pins 22 to 26: the Wellpark Loop, cross Bank Street and walk further uphill to the entrance steps.For Pin 27: Radical War Memorial, cross Bank Street.
Wellpark Loop
To the left of the Renfrewshire Bank Buildings is an entrance leading up to the Wellpark.The Wellpark is formed on the grounds of the old Mansion House, previously the Castle of Wester Greenock, home of the Schaw family.Continue by walking up the steps and steep pathway into the park then follow the path, bearing left where it splits past the children's play area. After passing the building on the left, bear left and take a few steps along the short path to Pin 23: site of the former Mansion House.
Site of the former Mansion House
Looking across the park wall in an easterly direction is the derelict site (image 1) of the former Mansion House (image 2). Although the House was demolished in 1886, the Laird and his family had moved its home to Ardgowan House outside Inverkip many years before. It is believed this site was slightly east of the earlier manorial home of Wester Greenock Castle.A new Mansion House was built at Ardgowan Square (images 3 and 4) which was used to administer the Shaw-Stewart's Ardgowan Estate.After demolition, the ground was undermined by a tunnel to expand the railway network into Gourock.Continue further along the short path towards its end to Pin 24: Sir Johns's Brae.
Sir John's Brae
A pair of acorn-topped pillars (image 1 and 2) can be seen at the north end of Lyndoch Street. They are at the top of a set of stairs called 'Lord John's Brae' which leads down to Terrace Road and thereby to Cathcart Street.The pillars can be seen in this 1863 painting by David Maitland McKenzie (image 2), painted before the house was demolished.As Cupbearers to the King, a covered goblet appears in the Arms of the Stewart family, and it has been suggested that these are representations of covered goblets rather than acorns. What do you think?For safety reasons, please do not take Sir John's Brae to Cathcart Street. Exit the park the way you came in after visiting the Cenotaph then continue the tour on Bank Street.Continue by retracing your steps along the short path to Pin 25: The Well of the Old Mansion House.
The Well of the old Mansion House
This was the well for the Mansion House, the source of fresh drinking water for the household. It gives its name to this now public park.It was built in the Scottish Renaissance style and has short columns supporting a pyramid. It is engraved with the date 1629.Continue by turning back towards Bank Street then bear left and follow the path to Pin 26: Greenock Cenotaph.
Greenock Cenotaph
Wellpark is also the site of the town's main war memorial built in 1924.Continue by the smaller path back towards the entrance steps and Bank Street to Pin 27: Radical War Memorial.
Radical War Memorial
As you walk down Bank Street you will see the Wall Inscription (images 1 and 2) by landscape artist James Gordon. This is part of a commemoration for those killed on Saturday, 8th April 1820 as part of what has become known as the Radical War or the Scottish Insurrection. This incident followed a series of strikes and protests by low paid craftsmen calling for reform. The unrest came to a head on Saturday when a group of radical weavers from Paisley were brought to Greenock to be imprisoned.Local people who supported the weavers jeered and threw stones at the militia. The militia managed to get their prisoners into the Bridewell but had to fight their own way back out through the crowds.The militia opened fire and eight local people, including an eight year old boy (image 3), were killed. Although the militia escaped, the crowd stormed the prison and freed the weavers.Further down the hill is the 'Hands of the Fallen' memorial (images 4 and 5) by sculptor Angela Hunter. Tap on images 2 and 4 to see the full picture.Continue by walking downhill to the corner to Pin 28: Cathcart Street.
Cathcart Street
Cathcart Street (images 1 to 3) was named after the Cathcart family. When Charles, 8th Baron Cathcart, married Marion Schaw in 1718, this was the beginning of a long association with the town.It was one of the first streets to be officially named by the town council, and developed as the commercial centre of the town with banks, coffee rooms, a sugar exchange, assembly rooms and a railway station.Continue by crossing Cathcart Street then walking along it, parallel to the open car park to Pin 29: The Long Well.
Site of the Longwell
The site of the Longwell is marked by a plaque on the wall (image 1) inside a carpark of an office building (only accessible on week days). If the gate is open, you may choose to go in and view the wall plaque and the engraved stone well covering on the ground nearby that marks the spot of the former Longwell (images 2 and 3).Dating back to 1682, the 15 metre (50 feet) deep well was supplied by a natural spring. It provided the only water supply for the surrounding area consisting of an overpopulated maze of small lanes and filthy closes running straight down to the river. It was mainly inhabited by poorer families, often sharing single rooms.With the influx of labourers for the rapidly growing shipbuilding and sugar trades, the population exploded -1701 - 746 people1841 - 40,000 people.This, with the lack of any sanitation or running water, led to frequent outbreaks of smallpox, cholera and typhus.By 1877, when the area was cleared under the Artisans' and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Act, workmen rediscovered the well, which had by this time been infilled.Continue by walking along Cathcart Street to Pin 30: The Blitz.
The Blitz
The Greenock Blitz transformed the face of the town. It destroyed many historic buildings which in turn made way for new developments (images 1 to 4).The first wave began on the evening of 6th May, 1941. 50 enemy planes followed the River Clyde from the east and carried out a two hour bomb attack on the area. The following night, there was a relentless three-wave attack by an estimated 250-300 planes.Cathcart Street and James Watt Dock were ablaze; 1,000 homes in the town were destroyed and 10,000 were damaged. 1,200 people were injured and 280 died.Across the road, the terraces along the eastern side of Cathcart Street, from Bank Street to Terrace Road, became the site of temporary air raid shelters to provide a safe refuge for local people during WW2. These shelters were themselves bombed during the Blitz.Continue by walking along Cathcart Street Pin 31: Site of the former Post Office and original Tontine Hotel.
Site of the former Post Office and original Tontine Hotel
In 1801, the original Tontine Hotel, a handsome building, (images 1 and 2) was erected. It contained a large hall, 12 sitting rooms and 30 bedrooms. Large stables for the use of customers was in the adjoining street.A tontine is a way of raising money through subscription and as each member of the tontine dies, their share is inherited by the remaining subscribers. For this building, 400 subscribers applied for membership in only two days. At £25 per share, this raised £10,000.In 1892, the site was sold to the government and became the main Post Office Building which had previously been in Wallace Square. At present, it is the James Watt Public House (image 3).The Tontine Hotel moved its premises to Ardgowan Square and is still operating as an hotel.Continue by walking along Cathcart Street Pin 32: Site of the former Sugar Exchange and Assembly Rooms.
Site of the former Sugar Exchange and Assembly Rooms
Across Cathcart Street, on the site now occupied by CVS Inverclyde, was the site of Greenock's Sugar Exchange and Assembly Rooms. They were located on the first floor of the building. The Sugar Exchange had its own exit to the Greenock Central Station next door. The rail link and sugar exchange helped the town to compete worldwide in the sugar trade, with brokers travelling daily by rail to and from Glasgow.______Map: Bartholomew Survey Atlas of Scotland, 1912: Plan of GreenockContinue by walking further along Cathcart Street to Pin 33: Greenock Central Station.
Greenock Central Station
There was great excitement on 31st March 1841 when Greenock Station (1841-1878), later Greenock Cathcart Street (1878-1889), opened on Cathcart Street, marking the start of a new era of rail travel. Flags were flying and bands playing when two locomotives, the 'Witch' and the 'Eagle', pulled out to take 12 carriages holding a total of 300 passengers on the 65 minute journey to Glasgow, with 19 carriages making the return. This inaugural journey was so successful that 240 gentlemen sat down to a celebratory dinner just across the street in the Tontine Hotel after their return journey.As well as being of prime importance for the growth of the sugar trade, the station was also of great importance for the development of the shipping trade and bringing passengers close to the quayside.The original location of the station frontage was on the opposite side of Cathcart Street where the carpark and the road now are. With offices at ground level, the railway platforms were above street level and accessed from Cathcart Street by a staircase. This raised line can be seen by looking through the entrance arch in the picture (image 1: 1841). The rising, curving road seen through this arch is near the current Station Avenue, which leads to today's Central Station.When it was decided to extend the line to Gourock in 1889, the entrance to the station was moved back to the top of Station Avenue (image 2: 1967 & image 3: 2021) and the name was changed to Greenock Central.Tap image 1 to see the full picture.Continue by turning left at the end of the row of buildings and walking forward to Pin 34: Ginger the Horse.
Ginger the Horse
Ginger the Horse (2011), is a steel wire sculpture by Andy Scott, who also created The Kelpies at Falkirk.The statue celebrates the contribution made to the industrial life of the docks, shipyards and sugar refineries. It also commemorates the tale of the Clydesdale horse called Ginger who was said to have fallen into the river and drowned in 1889 while transporting sugar along the quayside.Continue by walking through the gap in the hedge and use the pedestrian crossing to cross Rue End Street then turning right walk forward for a few steps then bear left down the path into the gardens to Pin 35: Admiralty Anchor.
Admiralty Anchor
Crossing Dalrymple Street at the Pedestrian Crossing will take you to the gardens at Customhouse Place and the Admiralty Anchor which was presented to the town in 1972 by the Royal Navy to commemorate the many seafaring links of the area.Continue by taking the path to the left to exit the gardens to Pin 36: Brymner Street.
Brymner Street formerly East Quay Lane
This was a very busy and noisy area, and probably a bit dirty and smelly too! When it was formerly known as East Quay Lane (images 1 and 2), this street was a chaotic bustle of carters and their horses plus sailors and passengers all rushing back and forth between the Station and the ships sailing from the docks. Today only one original building survives (image 3).Pins 37-41 will take you down to the riverside via Customhouse Quay where currently the cobbles are being relaid in this area. Please follow any warning and direction signs given by the workforce.Continue by turning right and walking down Brymner Street to the waterfront to Pin 37: Migration.
Migration
Greenock was a major immigration port in the 1840s and 50s. Scots looking for pastures new following the Highland Clearances and people from Ireland escaping the Great Famine headed for the town and the work opportunities made possible by the expansion of shipbuilding and shipping.Greenock also played a major role as an embarkation port in the mass emigration of the 19th and 20th centuries. Encouraged by Government incentives, thousands of men, women and children sought new lives in Commonwealth countries and the USA.Other schemes saw convicts, ex-soldiers and orphaned children likewise transported overseas.The image which is part of the Watt Institutions's collection, shows a painting entitled 'The Emigrants' (1926) by David Shanks Ewart (1901-1965) which shows a couple sitting in a tender boat waiting to take them to the liner in the background before heading down the Clyde. His companion painting 'The Return' (1927) showing the couples's return some years later, is owned by The National Galleries of Scotland.Continue by turning right and walking along the quayside to Pin 38: Customshouse Quay.
Customhouse Quay formerly Steamboat Quay
Customhouse Quay (image 1), previously known as Steamboat Quay, was the main port for the booming shipping trade and passenger travel of the 19th century.Ships still call at the Quay (image 3), incuding the PS Waverley (image 2), and it has been a focal point when the Tall Ships Race visited the Clyde.Tap image 3 to see the full picture.Continue by walking towards Pin 39: The Beacon Tower.
Beacon Tower
This elaborate tower (image 1) incorporates a clock, weather vane, bell, fog horn and light plus a post box and 2 water fountains (image 2).It was designed by local marine artist William Clark and constructed in 1868 by Rankine and Blackmore at the Eagle Foundry in nearby Baker Street.Tap images 1 and 2 to see the full picture.Continue by walking around the beacon and towards the large sandstone building to Pin 40: Customhouse.
Customhouse
To facilitate this growth in trade, the Customhouse (image 1) was built between 1817 and 1819 at a cost of £30,000. Every vessel coming into the area had to pay duty. In 1728, gross receipts were £15,231 which rose to £455,596 in 1828.The site was on the east side of the old West Harbour which has now been filled in. This building replaced former small offices in Cathcart Street and West Quay. The Coat of Arms on the building depicts the Scottish unicorn and English lion (image 2).The columned entrance at the eastern end was the entrance for the excise department (image 3). Its main entrance faced the river and features a Grecian portico with Doric columns.Completed in 2017, a major refurbishment of the building saw it repurposed as premium office space. Its main door is now the entrance to The Greenock Burns Club Museum: details of opening times are available from their website.Continue by turning to the left and walking forward to Pin 41: Beacon Arts Centre.
Beacon Arts Centre
A more recent addition to Customhouse Quay is the Beacon Arts Centre. Check their website for opening hours.There are two main performance spaces, rehearsal rooms and a bar.It has also featured in at least two television dramas: Shetland (2013-2021) and Annika (2021).Continue by walking to the end of the Arts Centre then bear left and follow the roadway round to the end of the Arts Centre car park to Pin 42: Shipbuilding.
Shipbuilding
Greenock's and Port Glasgow's rise as a major shipbuilding area (images 1 and 2) had its roots in the 18th century when it provided the vessels for the thriving local herring fishing industry. The skills learned in building these herring busses became the springboard for local shipyards to take advantage of the growing demand for ocean-going vessels to trade with the West Indies and warships for the Napoleonic Wars.Scotts' Yard, to the east of Customhouse Quay, (image 3) was at the forefront of this expansion of shipbuilding, it being the first shipyard on the River Clyde to build a vessel for non-Scottish owners in 1765 and its first warship, The Prince of Wales, in 1806.As shipbuilding flourished, Greenock became the second largest port of registry in Scotland in 1828 with 425 vessels registered. This also encouraged the growth of many associated trades such as ropeworks, canvas manufacturers, foundries and sawmills.Pioneering work on the development of the steam engine led to the launch in 1812 of 'The Comet' (image 4) at Port Glasgow which was the first steam powered vessel in Europe to carry paying passengers. This and the extension into building iron ships with steam engines cemented the future of local shipyards.The years 1875 to 1914 saw the greatest development of Inverclyde's shipbuilding industry.In the years after World War 1, depression hit the industry which was briefly relieved by the need for shipbuilding during World War 2. After 1945, the industry faced competition from abroad, restructuring and finally closures.Many harbours, including the former West Harbour, have now been filled in and together with former shipyard land, redeveloped for shopping, leisure or new industries.If you do not wish to walk the Shipbuilding and Fire Station Loop, retrace your steps to the end of the Arts Centre, bear left and go through the Admiralty Anchor Garden then cross back over Rue End Street. Turn right to rejoin the tour at Pin 47: Police Station.Continue the full tour by walking to the lights at Viginia Street and Rue End Street Turn left, cross Virginia Street then follow the pavement to Pin 43: Site of Scotts' Dry Dock.
Site of Scotts' Dry Dock
Scotts' Dry Dock (image 1) was constructed in the 1800s and the oldest surviving of its kind in Scotland. Also known as a Graving Dock, the stepped structure (image 2) enabled boats to be propped upright with struts. The underside of the hull could then be cleaned by graving, that is, by scraping.Continue by walking past the dock and turn left to Pin 44: Commemorative Shipbuilding Cairn.
Commemorative Shipbuilding Cairn
East of this Dry Dock near the roundabout, is a cairn built on the site of Scotts' shipyard to commemorates 300 years of shipbuilding in this area.This modern-style cairn was built in the same colour of brick as the walls of Scotts' offices. Continue by retracing your steps back to the first pedestrian crossing on Rue End Street, turn right and follow the pavement to Pin 45: 9/11 Cairn.
9/11 Cairn
In front of the Fire Station is a cairn built to commemorate the New York Firefighters who lost their lives in the 9/11 Twin Towers tragedy.Continue by walking along Rue End Street to Pin 46: Fire Station.
Fire Station
The present Fire Station (image 1) is built on the site of the former St Lawrence's Chapel (image 2), the first religious building in Scotland to use electric power. The church was destroyed on 7th May 1941 during the Greenock Blitz. A new church was built in a different location and opened in 1954Before moving into this building in the 1960s, the fire station was housed in the Municipal Buildings.Continue by walking along Rue End Street which then becomes Dalrymple Street to Pin 47: Police Station.
Police Station
Across the road is the current police station.Its offices and cells moved into this building in the early 1980s. They had previously been part of the Municipal Buildings. This large police station serves all the towns and villages of Inverclyde, hence the size. A Dive and Marine Unit is based here and they train in the nearby harbour.Continue by walking along Dalrymple Street to Pin 48: Drummer's Close.
Drummer's Close
Walking past the James Watt Statue included earlier in the tour, look out for Drummer's Close and its decorative plaque. This recalls the times when undesirables were 'drummed out of town' from the courthouse along this street.Tap image to see the full picture.Continue by walking along Dalrymple Street to Pin 49: Site of former Police Station and Court.
Site of Police Station and Court
This is the first of what was three functional and major entrances to the Municipal Buildings. Above the entrance of the building are two statues which represent Law (image 1) and Justice (image 2).This part of the Municipal Buildings housed the District Court, Police Cells, Police Doctor's Office and Robing Rooms. The thistles above the main entrance (image 3) indicate that Scots Law was practised.Tap images 1 to 3 to see the full picture.Continue by walking along Dalrymple Street to Pin 50: Town Hall.
Town Hall
A second set of entrances consisting of 3 doors between 4 columns was designed to give the public a second means of access to and from the Town Hall (image 1).The Town Hall or Town House was originally built in 1765 (image 2) then enlarged in 1858 (image 3). It has been used as a courtroom, a newsroom, and the Town Clerk's office. Today, this is a public area where concerts, meetings, dances and weddings can be held, although its main entrance is usually at the opposite end of the Hall via the Carriageway.Continue by walking along Dalrymple Street to Pin 51: Site of former Fire Station.
Site of former Fire Station
This third and final set of doors was the site of Greenock's 1753 firestation and later part of the Municipal Buildings (image 1). It also housed living quarters for its officers and stables for the horses that pulled the fire carts.Today it houses the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Museum and Heritage Centre which is run on a voluntary basis by retired fire service workers and has exhibits of several old fire engines and other firefighting equipment (image 2).Continue by walking along Dalrymple Street then turning left into Wallace Place to Pin 52: Wallace Square.
Wallace Square
Little remains of the pretty garden that was Wallace Square having been built over in the replanning of the 1970s.Tap the image to see the full picture.Continue by walking up Wallace Place to Pin 53: Wallace Place.
Wallace Place
This is the west facade of the Municipal Buildings. In its centre, stairs lead up to large red doors which was the entrance for the public to pay their Council rents and rates - today's Council Tax.Further up Wallace Place is a carriageway that runs from Cathcart Square under part of the Municipal Buildings. This allowed carriages to deposit their passengers outside one of the Town Hall doors without any risk of getting wet. Today, it is mainly a pediestrian walkway with parking spaces for the Council leaders.Continue by walking along Wallace Place to Pin 54: Central Library.
Central Library formerly Post Office
The imposing building to the right of the Municipal Buildings was originally built as the main Post Office in 1882 (image 1). The architect was John Boston.When the Post Office moved to its new premises in Cathcart Street in 1899, the building was purchased with money donated by Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to set up a free public library.He visited Greenock to perform the opening ceremony on 10th October 1902 (image 2). Carnagie asked that the inscription, 'Let there be Light' together with the sunrise logo, be in all of the libraries he helped create through his donations. It can be seen more clearly along with his initials in the close up photograph (image 3). Sadly the glass panel above the main door no longer exists.It remained as Greenock's Central Library until 1970 when the service moved to a new building to the south side of Clyde Square. The library returned to this building in 2015.Tap image 1 to see the full picture.Continue by walking to the end of Wallace Place then turn left into Clyde Square then walk to Pin 55: Men of the Clyde Statue.
Men of the Clyde Sculpture
In the modern landscaped square in front of the Municipal Buildings there is a statue and plaque named The Men of the Clyde (images 1 and 2). Comissioned in 1975, it was designed by Naomi Hunt, DA, and sculpted by Malcolm Robertson, DA.The design was inspired by the paintings of WW2 official war artist Sir Stanley Spencer who depicted the local wartime shipbuilding effort. It also commemorates all who died working in the shipyards during the war years.Tap image 1 to see the full picture.You have now come to the end of the tour. We hope you have enjoyed finding out a little about the history of Greenock. Please press the 'Like' or 'Dislike' button to send some feedback. If you would like to add a longer comment, you need to login to the PocketSights App.
Thank you and Acknowledgements
Thank you for visiting Greenock's Historic Quarter.We hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour - whether you have walked it on foot or from the comfort of your own home.If you have any questions or comments about any part of the tour, please email info@inverclydetouristgroup.co.ukDoors Open Days is organised by the Scottish Civic Trust.AcknowledgementsFor images:Thomas Nugent and GeographNLS mapsThe Greenock Burns ClubInverclyde Council/Doors Open Days 2020The Watt InstitutionFor technological support:Inverclyde Heritage NetworkFurther InformationInverclyde Tourist GroupThis tour has been created for Doors Open Day 2021 from the free booklet produced by Inverclyde Tourist Group, a voluntary organisation set up to promote tourism in Inverclyde. Please see our website for further information on other places of interest and local heritage.Inverclyde Heritage NetworkA voluntary organisation set up to support groups and indivduals interested in exploring and recording local heritage.Inverclyde CouncilFree guide books, maps and information on where to stay in Inverclyde.Doors Open Days 2021 - Scotland & InverclydeFind details of events in Inverclyde and across Scotland.Discover InverclydeInformation on upcoming events and activities for visitors coming to Inverclyde for business or pleasure. Visit ScotlandInformation on places to stay and things to do from Scotland's national tourist organisation.
