Church Overview
Affectionately called ‘the people’s cathedral’, Govan Old Church is the oldest place of worship in Glasgow; the churchyard dates back to Celtic times. Govan has remarkable heritage of early Christian carved stones. No fewer than thirty-one monuments survive, mostly intact and highly decorated. They span the 9th to 10th centuries, and they represent one of the largest and most interesting collections of early mediaeval sculpture in Scotland. They range from a sarcophagus and recumbent cross-slabs to free-standing crosses and cross-slabs, together with a remarkable group of five hogback monuments The church itself dates from 1888. The design by Robert Rowand Anderson in the Early English with Scottish references, proved very influential for the next 50 years. The cycle of stained-glass windows were planned as a unit and contains windows by Charles E Kempe, Burlison & Grylls, Clayton & Bell and by Shrigley & Hunt. Fine pipe organ originally built by Brindley and Foster.
Services
Occasional.
Opening Arrangements
Open Daily April 1st-Oct 31st from 1pm-4pm. Admission Free.
Image Gallery
Click image to open gallery.
Govan and Linthouse Parish Church - Govan Old Building
Disclaimer
The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.