The Hidden Glasgow Forums

mr sam was bored today and decided to go and indulge in some archaeology/weeding in search of the botanic gardens station flooring. Apparently it still survives above ground.


Flooring along with extant wall


Floor II


Floor III


Red floor - Its different you see.

I Would love to expose all of it but 1) it is in a bad way due to root damage and 2) if I removed the roots and trees then parkey/plod might take a dim view .

Onwards
Mr Sam

P.S.

I don't know if I'll be able to sleep now...........great photos!

Is there anyone that could grant permission for a proper job to be done on this without fear of being huckled? I'd imagine it would go down well with the good folk of HG.

http://www.revival.stormshadow.com/rail ... /bg-01.htm

I found the above site with relation to Kelvingrove Station. Also, many years ago I learned that the red sandstone building just over Kelvingrove Bridge on the left as you head towards Anniesland was the hotel which served the railway station here. It is more obvious from what's left of the old cobbled road from the back where the tradesmans entrance was.

The chequered tiles you found are in fact part of the floor of the Golden Slipper Cafe which sat above the Botanic Gardens Station. The cafe closed (I think) around the mid-sixties. Great ice cream!

browning wrote:The chequered tiles you found are in fact part of the floor of the Golden Slipper Cafe which sat above the Botanic Gardens Station. The cafe closed (I think) around the mid-sixties. Great ice cream!

Set on Fire in 1969 when it was the Sgt Pepper's club.

Also, many years ago I learned that the red sandstone building just over Kelvingrove Bridge on the left as you head towards Anniesland was the hotel which served the railway station here

If I have it correct you're referring to Caledonian Mansions. This is a wee gem of a building and the back of it has balconies that look down onto the track before the track goes into the Kelvingbridge/Botanics tunnel proper.

From what I've picked up about it, the building was originally intended to be an overspill for the Central Hotel but in fact was never used for this purpose and has always been privately owned tenements.

Sometime I must chance my arm and see if any of the residents would let me have a nosey in it, doubt it but it's worth a try.

John

old jock wrote:

Also, many years ago I learned that the red sandstone building just over Kelvingrove Bridge on the left as you head towards Anniesland was the hotel which served the railway station here

If I have it correct you're referring to Caledonian Mansions. This is a wee gem of a building and the back of it has balconies that look down onto the track before the track goes into the Kelvingbridge/Botanics tunnel proper.

From what I've picked up about it, the building was originally intended to be an overspill for the Central Hotel but in fact was never used for this purpose and has always been privately owned tenements.

Sometime I must chance my arm and see if any of the residents would let me have a nosey in it, doubt it but it's worth a try.

John

That's the place. Another piece in the jigsaw of knowledge for me thanks. I suspect internally the place is so partitioned, its original beauty is long gone. It must at one time had a beautiful reception and foyer area. Like you said, the balconies show the beauty of its design. Surely there must be ol;d pics somewhere.

If you're all really desperate, I can maybe get us access to at least one of the closes in the building.

Hi Josef

Its not a burning ambition on my bucket list. I just thought it might be nice to get some photographs at some point of at least the close, balconies and back court area.

With Caledonian Mansions originally being flats more or less from the beginning then there may be quite a few of the original features still there.

It's just a thought and if anybody was going there I'd be more than happy to tag along to satisfy my curiosity.

Josef PM me if you are ever considering it.

John

Great thread, long may it live!

ALthough I love the idea of the tunnel walks and the "dig" on the botanics station; i would love it all to reopen with something more sensible than the Edinbra' ( capital by fortuity only) tram cock up!

Are there any photos of the exploration of the Hillhead tunnels, including the one where the piling for the 'varsity's" reading room fell through?

They have been merrily filling in those old mine tunnels and shafts for 30 years now?

Jockissimo agree that it's a great thread. I have limited knowledge of the network but know a few of the locations of the tunnel portals (and probably a majority on here know more). There are a sh*t load of photographs all over the Interweb of them. It would be nice to have a lot of them in an archive and dated.

In the West end when I do pass by any of the portals I don't think that much has been done to these particular tunnels over the years. Usually the portals are either locked or filled but as far as I'm aware the tunnels remain. It does make sense as they may be able to serve a purpose at some point and filing in an entire tunnel would probably be pretty costly. Even then the tunnel fabric would still exist.

I was thinking about taking a wee wander one day and starting to mark up the ones I know about onto a Google Earth overlay or just with pins. I'm not suggesting that this is used for exploring (most of them are closed to all but the most determined anyway). I just quite like to take a look a portals and it's amazing how many are still in more or less plain site if you know where to look.

John

Came across this while googling. Apologies if many know of iy already but I thought it was a pretty good resource, for the railway/tunnel heads

http://www.daves.trains.btinternet.co.uk/glasgow_1.htm

John

drainage tunnel near the great loch

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and thought for a first photo I'd share this of the St Vincent Crescent Tunnel, looks like its just been completed.

Gerry

Awesome thanks Mr Gerry R

Mr Sam

P.S. great to have you along - hi