Photos from this event can be viewed here: Glenlee & Govan Stones - Gallery

The Scottish Local History Forum is organising a walk and talk at the Glenlee Tall Ship at the Riverside Museum and to the Govan Stones.

Of the many hundreds of ships built in Glasgow’s shipyards, the barque Glenlee is one of only five Clyde built ships still afloat in the world today and she is the only one of her kind in the UK. The Glenlee was built at the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow and was one of a group of 10 steel sailing vessels built to a standard design for the Glasgow shipping firm of Archibald Sterling and Co. Ltd. She is a three masted barque, with length 245 feet, beam 37.5 feet, depth 22.5 feet and air draft 137' 6".

The Glenlee first took to the water as a bulk cargo carrier in 1896. She circumnavigated the globe four times and survived (though not without incident!) passing through the fearsome storms of Cape Horn 15 times before being bought by the Spanish navy in 1922 and being turned into a sail training vessel. The ship was modified and served in that role until 1969. She then operated as a training school until 1981 when she was laid up in Seville Harbour and largely forgotten. A British naval architect saw her in Seville in 1990 and two years later, the Clyde Maritime Trust succeeded in buying the re-named Galatea at auction for 5 million Pesetas (£40,000) and saved her from dereliction.

Following a guided tour of the ship and a break for lunch (not provided), we walk to Govan Old Church for a guided tour by Professor Driscoll of the unique collection of early medieval stones carved in the 9th – 11th centuries to commemorate the power of those who ruled the Kingdom of Strathclyde. We will explore the 31 monuments dating from this period which include beautifully carved crosses and cross shafts, and 5 magnificent hogback stones. Enjoy the intricate interlace carving and warrior figures on the collection’s outstanding piece – the Govan Sarcophagus, the only one of its kind carved from solid stone from pre-Norman, northern Britain.

We will then return to the Riverside Museum on the Govan Ferry. You can also visit the Riverside Museum before or after the event (or during the lunch break).

Booking

To secure your place, you can register and pay online here: