A historic boathouse that sits beside the River Clyde at Glasgow Green has been restored to its former glory and is soon to be opened to the public.
The West Boathouse dates back to 1905 when it was built as a home for Clydesdale and Clyde Amateur Rowing Clubs by Alexander B. McDonald - the city surveyor behind the likes of the People's Palace and Govanhill Baths.
Concerns were raised in the late 1990's about the state of the B-listed building which was facing 'significant' structural problems. Timber foundation piles that secured the building to the riverbank had rotted away, rainwater was pouring through the holes in the roof and there was no heating.
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The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust began working with the rowing clubs and Glasgow City Council to explore possible solutions to save the building and are now in the 'home straight' of the project after facing significant challenges since taking it on.
After securing funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, and Glasgow City Council, work to restore the boathouse eventually got underway in 2019.
The project has redeveloped the historic timber structure into a fully shared and accessible facility to enable other groups to utilise the building and access the River Clyde.
The Rejuvenation of the West Boathouse project is aimed at 'opening up' the River Clyde to all by 'removing barriers in order to enjoy and share the social, physical and psychological benefits of being part of a diverse river community'.
The Glasgow Building Preservation Trust said: "The West Boathouse was in very poor condition back in 2021 when Glasgow Building Preservation Trust began work on the repairs and renovations.
"The timber foundation piles which secured the building to the riverbank had rotted away, rainwater poured in through holes in the roof, and there was no heating.
"Given the challenges of the past few years, we’re delighted that we’ve made it to the home straight. The renewal of the building is almost complete, and the rowing clubs, or whom the building was built in 1905, will be back in their home in the next few weeks. The community engagement programme, including boat building, wildlife surveys, and art projects, is due to be completed in April.
"The project wouldn’t have been possible without support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, Glasgow City Council, The Architectural Heritage Fund, The William Grant Foundation, The Robertson Trust along with many other charitable and individual donations."
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