About the West Boathouse

Glasgow Green, the cradle of sporting Glasgow, was shaped and moulded by the River Clyde. Sitting on a flood plain of the river, it was fertile ground for many sports and has been home to the city's rowing community for over 200 years. Perched on the north bank of the river, just upstream from the tidal weir, is the West Boathouse.

Built in 1905 by City Surveyor A. B. McDonald, the boathouse was a unique addition to the river frontage. A century later, the building was in a perilous condition. Historically, the resident clubs had carried out essential repairs and maintenance, but the building now faced significant structural problems. In 2015, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, a charity that rescues and repairs historic buildings, began working with the rowing clubs and Glasgow City Council to explore options to save the building.

Time was running short - surveys of the building revealed the below-ground timber foundations were deteriorating rapidly. Twenty-eight of the original 30 timber foundation piles had wholly rotted through. The exterior cladding was in danger of collapse, and the roof leaked like a sieve. Interior facilities were outdated, and the accessibility of the building was, by modern standards, very poor.

After several years of hard work and generous funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, Glasgow City Council and many others, the £2.8 million Rejuvenation of the West Boathouse Project got underway in 2019. This included an extensive community engagement programme, with a focus on river and sporting heritage.

On Sunday the 14th May, 2023 we officially reopened the West Boathouse with a big celebration and thank you to the many funders, partners and volunteers who worked so hard to get us over the finish line.

History of the Building

Saving the West Boathouse

Delivery

The project was delivered by GBPT in their role as a charitable property developer.  The year-long programme of works is being undertaken by WH Kirkwood, managed by the design team: ARPL Architects, David Narro Associates structural engineers, FLN Consulting services engineers and Gardiner and Theobald cost consultants.

Project Management: Glasgow Building Preservation Trust

Architects: ARPL Architects

Lead Contractor: WH Kirkwood Ltd

Structural Engineers: Narro Associates

FLN Consultanting Engineers: https://flnconsult.org/

D A Gilmour: https://www.dagilmour.co.uk/

Gardiner and Theobold: https://www.gardiner.com/

The Boathouse