The future of a 5th-century church in Glasgow, known locally as “Govan Old,” has been in a state of flux for the past decade. In 2016, according to a report by the BBC, the Govan Heritage Trust began managing the site (Govan is the name of a district in southwest Glasgow) and announced a plan to “develop the church into a self-sustaining community-run cultural, museum and business complex.”
Several years prior, in 2008, the Govan Old congregation joined forces with two other local churches to form the Govan & Lighthouse Parish Church, now housed at the nearby New Govan Church.
The location of the original Govan Old Parish Church was an active site of worship from the 5th century AD until 2007. The current building, designed by Robert Rowand Anderson, was constructed in the late 1800s.
Govan Old is famous for its collection of medieval carved stones known as the Govan Stones. The early Christian sculptural objects were first discovered in the mid-19th century, when a sarcophagus and some 40 carved stones were uncovered in the churchyard. Many of them are on display at a museum on site at Govan Old.
Pat Cassidy, a member of the Govan Heritage Trust, told the BBC that the group is now ready to start the renovation project, following major pandemic-related delays. “By the time it was over,” Cassidy said, “our tight project budget was blown apart by post-pandemic inflation, and all progress frozen.”
The Trust plans to add an extension to Govan Old, to improve the church’s accessibility and add bathrooms. A 2024 plan laid out by Edinburgh-based jm architects shares further details about the $6 million redevelopment. It will involve “a museum and tourist attraction that draws visitor in large numbers to Govan” and “a property letting enterprise which owns and manages business space on the site and whose profits cover all running costs.”
