| Blythswood Hill | |
|---|---|
  Blythswood Hill Location withinGlasgow | |
| OS grid reference | NS583656 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area |
|
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GLASGOW |
| Postcode district | G2 |
| Dialling code | 0141 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 55°51′46″N4°15′57″W / 55.862689°N 4.265708°W /55.862689; -4.265708 | |
Blythswood Hill, crowned byBlythswood Square, is an area of centralGlasgow, Scotland. Its grid of streets extend from the length of the west side of Buchanan Street to Gordon Street and Bothwell Street, and to Charing Cross, Sauchiehall Street and Garnethill. Developed from 1800 onwards, its Georgian and Victorian architecture is aConservation Area. It started as the "Magnificent New Town of Blythswood", becoming a part of the city-centre's business and social life.[1][2] Today, the area forms part of the city's commercial office district.
After the Reformation the vast Lands of Blythswood, extending west and north to the River Kelvin and south to the River Clyde, were owned by the Glasgow merchant familyElphinstone; one descendantGeorge Elphinstone became an MP of the Scots Parliament. Through his daughter it changed to the Douglas-Campbell family during the 17th century. Archibald Campbell, whose son becameLord Blythswood, setting about feuing the lands to developers.[3]
Sitting on the western side ofBuchanan Street, and starting at West Nile Street, rising toSauchiehall Street and Blythswood Square it proceeds to theCharing Cross area. To its north isGarnethill. Blythswood Hill contains the area from Renfrew Street, Sauchiehall Street and Bath Street south to Bothwell Street and Waterloo Street.[4]
The first new street to be opened up for housing was Sauchiehall Street, followed by Bath Street in 1802, by textile manufacturer and merchantWilliam Harley (1767-1830). He also formed his indoor public baths, pioneered the first hygienic dairy in Europe, and a bakery at the eastern end of Bath Street.[5][6] His planned Blythswood Square sits partly on his extensive pleasure grounds, viewing tower, orchards and bowling green which he opened for the public, next to his house of Willow Bank.[5] Harley also owned much of the hill to the north which he named Garnethill in honour of ProfessorThomas Garnett.[1]
Blythswood developed thanks to the mercantile expansion of the city in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, housing the city's wealthy cotton merchants, chemical manufacturers and shipping magnates inGeorgian townhouses and Victorian terraces. The whole area is on a grid-iron layout which started first aroundGeorge Square in the 1790s, adopted by Glasgow Town Council, and continued for urban development west over Blythswood, and south over the Clyde toTradeston,Laurieston andHutchesontown. The grid-iron system was later adopted in 1830 byNew York, followed later byChicago, and other cities in America.[3]
Blythswood Square was the home ofMadeleine Smith, a daughter of architect James Smith, who in 1857 was tried in the High Court for the murder by arsenic poisoning of her lover Pierre Emile L'Angelier. Although the case wasnot proven, to the delight of the public, the story scandalised Scottish society, and is recounted inJack House's 1961 bookSquare Mile of Murder.[citation needed]
Residential use is returning to parts of Blythswood Hill, while remaining mainly offices, hotels, shops, restaurants and art organisations.[citation needed] The formerRoyal Scottish Automobile Club building at 8-13 Blythswood Square has been converted to form the Blythswood Square Hotel.[7]Glasgow Art Club continues in its duo of townhouses in Bath Street.[citation needed]
St. Vincent Street is the longest street and contains the largest number of buildings across the Hill, starting at the south west corner ofGeorge Square next to Buchanan Street. Rising westward it passes the summit and descends further west, crossing over the sunkenM8 motorway to its junction with Argyle Street atFinnieston, where now stands the city's first statue to architectCharles Rennie Mackintosh.[citation needed]