Tollcross Park

Tollcross Park (37 hectares/91 acres) is internationally famous for its unique Rose Garden and impressive Winter Gardens. The park has many hidden gems including the Glen Nature Walk and Children's Farm. The park is full of points of interest and offers a welcome retreat from the busy surrounding streets.

Where is it?

What can I do there?

The park has a wide variety of facilities to suit all age groups.

• Children's farm - an outstanding facility which will appeal to young and old alike. Regulars in the farm are Shire Horses, Shetland Ponies, aviary, rabbits, sheep, Highland Cattle and much more! 
• Glen - a nature walk which follows the line of the Tollcross Burn filled with wildlife including bats, foxes and woodpeckers.
• Secret Garden.
• Picnic benches - there are various benches situated around the park for the enjoyment of visitors from near and far.
• Centre gardens
• Children's play area - for under 12s.
• Orienteering course.
• Visitor centre.
• The city wide Countryside Ranger Service has one of its 2 bases at Tollcross Park and compliments the visitor facilities with many seasonal events and activities being run in the park.
• The park has extensive CCTV cameras in operation and benefits from lighting on each of the main pathways and buildings making it a safe and pleasant park to visit.

Please note - The Tollcross Park Glasshouse is currently closed.

When is it open?

The park is open at all times. However specific facilities in the park may be subject to opening times. The Winter Gardens is currently closed due to health and safety issues.

History

In 1897, 83 acres of land, including the Mansion House were purchased for the sum of £29,000 and the Lord Provost, Sir David Richmond, performed the opening ceremony on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

• The lands of Tollcross Park are recorded as far back as 1290 when Roger Corbett, a local baron, lived in the area. In 1580 a 'Gabriel Corbart' was granted land in Towcorse.
• Towcorse was originally an area of countryside separating the village of Tollcross from Shettleston.
• In 1843, James Dunlop commissioned by the Architect, David Bryce, to design a new mansion house in the Jacobean style for the estate. The new 'A' listed Scottish baronial house with crow stepped gables, corbelled turrets and pointed roofs was set on the summit of the estate and approached by a drive off Tollcross Road.
• James Dunlop was actively involved in landscaping the surroundings to the Mansion House, particularly in the design of the sweeping Lime Tree Avenue leading to the house and the introduction of exotic tree species into the Glen.
• In 1900 a further acre of land was purchased to save a group of trees on the Western boundary. Later still, waiting rooms were added to the West Lodge for the convenience of the hundreds of daily visitors to the park.
• Over the years, the Mansion House Kitchen Garden (now known as the Courtyard and Children's Farm) was adapted to provide replacement plant material for the park.
• In 1905, a Children's Museum was opened in the Mansion House as a branch of the Kelvingrove Museum and unfortunately closed due to the dereliction of the building in 1973.
• At the beginning of the century the glasshouses were presented to the Corporation. The timber and steel 'cruciform' structure, now known as the Winter Gardens were used to house the local floral displays grown in the associated greenhouses.
• The Bandstand was erected in 1906 and was originally located just to the West of the Winter Gardens, several years later it was replaced by a new brick building on Shettleston Hill. In 1971 this building was burnt down. It cost sixpence to get in to see the many excellent amateur acts and military bands which performed there.

Outstanding Features

• Children's Farm - an outstanding facility which will appeal to young and old alike. Regulars in the farm are Shire Horses, Shetland Ponies, aviary, rabbits, sheep, Highland Cattle and much more!
• Visitor Centre - a state of the art environment centre which aims to educate and inform children about the nature and the cycle of life. The centre features many interactive attractions, which are bound to keep children entertained.
• International Rose Garden - Tollcross boasts a world class Rose Garden that hosts the International Rose Trials each year. The Rose Garden is best visited between July and August to fully appreciate the blooms and fragrances.
• Secret Garden - Tollcross Park has a new attraction known as the Secret Garden. Visitors will not find any directional signage or fingerboards. Instead, the challenge is to roam the park in search of this special sensory garden. The garden has been developed to be used as a special place for quiet contemplation; it also has performance spaces for the poetry and drama groups who meet in the Park. Visits are especially welcome from local care agencies; this space has been designed to make it accessible to all and is wheelchair friendly.

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Related Links

• STAG Orienteering Club (opens new window)