ICONIC GLASGOW | 51


FOOD WAS NOT GIVEN TO PRISONERS SO DESPERATE SOULS WOULD HAVE BEEN SPOTTED EACH DAY LOWERING SHOES AND BASKETS FROM THE WINDOWS IN THE HOPE THAT PASSERS BY OR FAMILY MEMBERS WOULD GIVE THEM SOME BREAD


There would have been a tolbooth on the site from as early as the 12th century but here are no records of the burgh until 1454. By the 17th century its condition was described as “ruinous” and a new tolbooth was built in 1626. The steeple that can be seen today is all that’s left of that


later incarnation which was a grand, five storey building. The writer Daniel Defoe visited Glasgow and described the building’s ornate beauty, remarking on the rose and thistle designs. He wrote “it hath a stately staircase ascending to the Town councils hall, a dean guilds hall, majestraits rooms, collector of the excise of the town’s rooms... The king’s hall is the finest.” For nearly 200 years the building remained the administrative


centre of the town. But by the 19th century, as Glasgow stood perched on the edge of its springboard into industrial prosperity and rapid growth, it had become clear that the modest buildings would no longer serve their purpose and the town’s administrative centre was rehoused. The property was finally sold on in 1814.


It stood for a further century but unfortunately everything but the steeple was pulled down in 1921. However if you look at the western wall of the steeple you can still see the mark showing where the original building was attached. Against all the odds this remarkable remnant has survived. So next time you are stuck at the lights waiting to cross the road or head up the High Street, take a minute to look up at a spot of the city’s medieval past.


The tolbooth steeple featured in a guided walk through Medieval Glasgow organised by GCHT in association with Historic Glasgow and Walk Glasgow. To find out about other conservation and heritage events visit www.glasgowheritage.org.uk/events


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