Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland
Glasgow Cathedral was mainly built in the 13th century and is dedicated to Saint Kentigern (Saint Mungo) who is understood to have been buried on the site of the cathedral in 612. Saint Kentigern is the patron saint of Glasgow.
Originally a Roman Catholic cathedral, the protestant reformation of 1560 saw the end of papal authority and the cathedral is now Church of Scotland. The cathedral is situated in Glasgow to the north of the River Clyde beside the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Opening Times
Admission is free.
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Mon to Sat |
Sundays |
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1 April - 30 September |
9.30am to 5.30pm |
1pm to 5pm |
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1 October to - 31 March |
9.30am to 4.30pm |
1pm to 4.30pm |
Upper Chapter House
The Upper Chapter House can be found in the north east corner of the Cathedral. It was built in the 15th century and contains many stained class windows.
On one of the walls is the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland. A notice in the Cathedral states that the oak door of the Chapter House is the only original one left in the church. There are leaden bullets embedded in the timber which are a reminder of stormier times in the past.
Lower Church
The Cathedral has a lower church (or crypt) which is reached by a flight of steps on either side of the nave. It was built in the 1200's and contains the tomb of St Kentigern (Mungo). The crypt also provides access to the Lower Chapter House.
In the 1860s the Royal Bavarian Stained Glass Works in Munich was asked to supply Glasgow Cathedral with a complete new set of windows. Between the 1930s and 1960s almost all of it was removed from the Cathedral. Some of the Munich glass is on display in the lower church.
Blacader Aisle
The Blacader aisle is located in the lower part of the Cathedral. It protrudes from the main body of the Cathedral on the south side. The construction of the aisle was completed by Archbishop Blacader in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It was apparently intended to have a main chapel built on top of it but this never came to fruition.
A notice in the Cathedral informs us that after the Reformation it was used to bury the Ministers of the Cathedral. The Blacader aisle contains stained glass windows and the ceiling has carved stone bosses.
Related Material
Photographs
This page was added on 21 December 2009.