Wee Willie

Wee Willie

Uncover a City's Legacy in Stone at the Breathtaking Glasgow Necropolis

Attracting thousands of visitors each year to its lush, green pastures laden with monuments, the Glasgow Necropolis is a  veritable Victorian institution located on the east side of famed Glasgow Cathedral. Known as Fir Park in its early days this sprawling parkland was converted into Glasgow's own version of Paris's renowned Père Lachaise Cemetery in the beginning of 1831. Renamed as the Glasgow Necropolis, the passing centuries saw nearly 50,000 persons buried within the space in almost 3500 tombs that have been delved nearly 14 feet below the earth.

Monumental by any measure and excessive to a fault, the sculptures that mark these tombs display the wealth available in Victorian Glasgow to consecrate such exquisite tributes to its dead. Larger than life and designed by some of the finest Scottish architects and sculptors of the age, the monuments marking the burials surpass one another in terms of style, architecture and sheer scale. So much so that the venue can also be considered a make-shift museum of Victorian Scottish architecture with the works of John Bryce, David Hamilton and Alexander Thomas among some of its more prized exhibits. Believed to be one third the size of the Père Lachaise Cemetery in France, the necropolis is spread out over 37 acres having extended its property boundaries in the late 1800's.

 

As one of Glasgow's most frequented points of interest, guided tours of the necropolis have also been made available to visitors. Park rangers are also on hand at the premises while many visitors come to this renowned site in Glasgow to witness the sheer beauty of its monuments while marveling at the age's unrivalled financial prowess resulting in its vast and epic memorials for the deceased.

 

Heavily ornamented gates with the Merchants' House coat of arms lead guests to the entrance of the necropolis from where the path leads them over the Bridge of Sighs, passing the Cemetery Lodge.

The venue's most admired features include the mausoleum dedicated to Major Archibald Douglas Monteath with its 30-foot diameter building inspired by the design of Cambridge's St Sepulchure Church. The towering 35-foot high William Gavin Monument is the largest of all the monuments while another highlight is a memorial devoted to author William Miller who penned the famed nursery rhyme "Wee Willie Winkie".

Visitors in search of a Victorian style hotel in Glasgow will be more than pleased with the stylish Millennium Hotel Glasgow. Ideally positioned in the heart of the city's cultural and shopping district this charming rest is also a very conveniently located Glasgow hotel in Britain.

About the Author

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

Is he called Wee Willie Hague coz he has a wee willie?

like 2 Jags Prescort had 2 Jaguars

Well, not being privy to that kind of information I would suggest that you march right up to him and ask.
Then duck.

Shirley Temple - "Wee Willie Winkie"