Govan Old Church
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866 Govan Road, G51 3UU
1888, Robert Rowand Anderson (Cat A) Visit Govan Old Church and travel back over 1,000 years to discover the lost early-medieval Kingdom of Strathclyde. Explore Celtic sculptured crosses, Viking-age hogback monuments and the mysterious Govan Sarcophagus.
A visit to the Govan Stones exhibition provides an opportunity to explore Scotland's oldest churchyard. Step back to a moment in history when Govan was the seat of kings, when pilgrims prayed at the tombs of saints, and when Viking warriors plundered and conquered throughout the islands of Britain. The sculptured stone collection dates between the 9th-11th centuries and is housed in the magnificent A-Listed Govan Old Church, designed by Robert Rowan Anderson and described architecturally as possibly the most influential Post-Reformation church in Scotland. The building's stained glass windows originate from expert late-Victorian workshops. This year Govan Old’s ancient graveyard was the subject of a much-celebrated archaeological excavation, revealing long lost medieval monuments within the grounds. Every day at 12:30pm there will be a short tour of the graveyard by our staff/ Trustees exploring the site’s origins, symbols and archaeological discoveries. At 1:30pm Mon-Fri there will be a screening of award-winning short film Govan Young, which documents the journey of local school children learning about Govan’s ancient role as the capital of a medieval kingdom. View astonishingly detailed 3D digital models of ancient sculpture and learn how digital technology is transforming our understanding and experiences of the distant past. Families can explore what life was like in Scotland’s Viking-age through arts and crafts and archaeological artefact handling. Unleash your inner warrior and try on some Viking battle armour! Refreshments available Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday 21st September drop-in to our ‘Discover Ancient Scotland’ fun-day for young people, featuring family-friendly activities and immersive historical re-enactment from Cumbraland, a living history group showcasing life in ancient Strathclyde and the Viking era. On Sunday 22nd September hear the magnificent Scottish Plainsong Choir singing Gregorian Chant and medieval Pilgrim Songs at 2.00pm, 2.50pm and 3.40pm. Each performance 20 minutes. |
Mon – Sun 10am - 5pm
Tours: General guided tours on request Graveyard tour at 12:30pm; 15 mins Meeting point: Main entrance to building Accessibility: Our building has some access restrictions. We have a ramp for wheelchair users. The majority of the building and collection are accessible with a wheelchair once inside the church but one artefact, the sarcophagus, is difficult to get to due to additional steps.
Facilities: Seating, Toilet, Refreshments Parking: Yes On street parking |
