Glasgow’s Tenement History
If you are a social history lover and visiting Glasgow (Scotland’s largest city) then check out the Glasgow Tenement House.
Situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow, the national trust owned Tenement house is on Buccleuch Street which is a 15 minute walk from the central Sauchiehall street.
I’ve written a wee history behind the building and how they are such a unique type of home in the UK.
What is a Tenement House?
Officially, under Scots law the definition of a tenement is “Tenements are stone buildings with two or more floors, they all shared common features such as communal entrances, stairwells, and courtyards”.
Typically, as is common Glasgow they were built from locally sourced sandstone and usually they are four stories tall. There would have been one main door entrance on the street level and a shared “close” or small courtyard out the back where historically there would have been an outdoor toilet.
Many of them will also have a large bay window and Victorian era ceiling cornicing, which today as very highly desired. They have become an icon of Glasgow life and today around 73% of the population still reside in a tenement.
History of the Tenement Block
During the industrial revolution in Scotland (19th century) there was a huge influx of people moving from the rural areas to Glasgow to find work. Tenements were needed to house the population, and most of them are now based in the inner city centre. Generally, the size of the flat depended on how affluent the neighbourhood was - some tenements only had one or two rooms which would have been found in the east end area of Glasgow. Whereas, areas like Hillhead and Woodlands would have been deemed more middle class and would have had three room tenements.
Consequences of the Tenement Blocks
As you can imagine, a relatively quick and large influx of people to one area lead to overcrowding and poor sanitation.
In some instances, up to eight to ten families would have lived in one building. That would mean that the outdoor toilet in the back of the property would have been used by up to 50 people!
This led to poor sanitation and disease: in 1832 in Glasgow there was a cholera epidemic. The 1832 outbreak killed around 3000 people alone in Glasgow. One local Glaswegian doctor once described the houses and conditions as “not fit for pigs” and in 1871, 41% of Glasgow’s families lived in a single room.
Part of this spread was the location and trade connections of Glasgow city. During the British Empire, the city’s trading connections brought over a new form of disease to the city. By 1800, Glasgow was Scotland’s second largest city and built up a huge industry of shipbuilding and engineering.
The outbreak was also closely linked with the cramped living conditions and a few years earlier, Doctor (MD) Robert Perry wrote a book “Facts and Observations of the Sanitory State of Glasgow” on the dire situation.
This book was published in 1844 and relates to the epidemic of fever which occurred in the city the previous year. Perry sought to demonstrate the connection between bad sanitation, disease and poverty.
Dr Perry requested reports from local medical doctors working in the four different sections of Glasgow to gain an insight and first hand account of the state of the urban conditions - shocker, they were appalling.
It wasn’t until 1866 The City Improvement Act which was to improve housing conditions. The Act allowed the Glasgow City council to buy slum properties, demolish them and redevelop or repair the houses. Over time they added running water, inside toilets and added more rooms into the tenements.
145 Buccleuch Street, Glasgow Tenement House
Now that you’ve read my wee write up on the history of the tenement, a great place to explore is the National Trust Owned Tenement House.
As you enter and head up to the first floor, the four rooms are meticulously restored. Appearing as if frozen in time, offering a unique window into life in early 20th-century Glasgow.
This particular layout (four rooms) would have been on a middle class tenement, having an indoor bathroom would have been considered quite the luxury.
The coal-powered range that you can see would stay on all day and all night to prepare meals, heat water, and provide warmth for the house (and anyone sleeping in the kitchen).
The main occupant was a Miss Agnes Toward, a shorthand typist, who made this house her home from 1911 until 1965. Agnes was raised by her mother, who shared the same name and made a living as a dressmaker. Once her mother passed away, Agnes lived in the house alone for the remainder of her life. Agnes occasionally decorated her house and installed electric lights in 1960 but made no other major changes. She was a keen home baker and you can tell from some of the recipe books left behind.
Throughout the museum you can get a glimpse of her life from the hand written letters which are part of the exhibition.
The Tenement house has a small gift shop and the Wally Dog cafe on the ground floor.
Location: 145 Buccleuch Street, the nearest transport is Charing Cross.
Entrance was £8.50 (Adult) Tickets can be purchased in person on arrival.
