r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	Torran_Toi
Comment	It is the site of a few important historical landmarks. The lane to the east side of the building (Saracen's Head Lane) was an ancient road that led from the city's East Port to the Cathedral. If you look on maps you can pretty much draw a straight line from that lane to Cathedral and Necropolis. The road would have intersected with the Drygate (Dry coming from an old word for Druid/priest, so Druid's Gait or Druid's Road). In around 1500, this is where a small chapel was built. Again on the East Port and was called The Chapel of Little Saint Mungo. It was set back about 100 feet from Gallowgate. Had a small graveyard behind it and a now lost water well, known as Saint Mungo's Well. (There is a second Saint Mungo's Well in the Cathedral). The well was in the back court of the church, nearer to Great Dovehill. [The well and graveyard would have been in this now scabby looking yard, and possibly also under the new build flats next to it](https://www.google.com/maps/@55.8559311,-4.2384467,3a,90y,104.32h,80.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOxvEAtE_ZpcDXNXsbanRxg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192). [A photo of the capped well]( https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lostglasgow-gb/images/392-large@2x.jpg) In 1754 the land was sold to Robert Tennent (of the same Tennent family behind the Wellpark Brewery and Tennent's Lager). On the site he built a 3 storey hotel and pub... The Saracen's Head. A pub of the same name is now on the next corner over. GlasgowLive wrote an article on this, but got most of their facts and locations totally wrong. The original Saracens Head was built on the site of Little Mungos Chapel, which was between Dovehill and Saracen's Head Lane. Notable guests of the establishment include Dougal Graham (Bellman of Glasgow) and Robert Burns. [Old etch of the building](https://www.oldglasgowpubs.co.uk/images/Pub%20Images/saracen-head-etch.jpg) [Photo of the old building](https://www.oldglasgowpubs.co.uk/images/Pub%20Images/saracen%20head%20inn%20old1.jpg) The most interesting thing about that building was that Tennent was given permission to use the ruins of the demolished Bishop's Castle as a quarry, so the building was built using recycled bricks that were once within the walls of one of our lost and important historical buildings. The Bishop's Castle was once the seat of power in the city. It was located just west of the Cathedral partly where the oldest and original building of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary now stands and partly on Cathedral Square in front of that. It is said that the foundations of the Royal are what remains of the old walls of the Castle. [It is possible that the bricks of this old wall on the side of those shops are actually the same bricks that once made the walls of the old Bishop's Castle](https://www.google.com/maps/@55.8558542,-4.2385027,3a,90y,149.88h,93.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sG4r9A3Zhgy5KdHs1kYWcvQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) (Map links might be broken. Did this on phone. If broke, will fix on desktop later).
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/ju8n35/raymond_depardon_photo_locations/gcdrx6h/
Created	Sun 15th Nov 2020 12:15pm
Status	normal ()

It is the site of a few important historical landmarks.

The lane to the east side of the building (Saracen's Head Lane) was an ancient road that led from the city's East Port to the Cathedral. If you look on maps you can pretty much draw a straight line from that lane to Cathedral and Necropolis. The road would have intersected with the Drygate (Dry coming from an old word for Druid/priest, so Druid's Gait or Druid's Road).

In around 1500, this is where a small chapel was built. Again on the East Port and was called The Chapel of Little Saint Mungo. It was set back about 100 feet from Gallowgate. Had a small graveyard behind it and a now lost water well, known as Saint Mungo's Well. (There is a second Saint Mungo's Well in the Cathedral). The well was in the back court of the church, nearer to Great Dovehill. [The well and graveyard would have been in this now scabby looking yard, and possibly also under the new build flats next to it](https://www.google.com/maps/@55.8559311,-4.2384467,3a,90y,104.32h,80.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOxvEAtE_ZpcDXNXsbanRxg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192).

[A photo of the capped well](
https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lostglasgow-gb/images/392-large@2x.jpg)

In 1754 the land was sold to Robert Tennent (of the same Tennent family behind the Wellpark Brewery and Tennent's Lager). On the site he built a 3 storey hotel and pub... The Saracen's Head. A pub of the same name is now on the next corner over. GlasgowLive wrote an article on this, but got most of their facts and locations totally wrong. The original Saracens Head was built on the site of Little Mungos Chapel, which was between Dovehill and Saracen's Head Lane. Notable guests of the establishment include Dougal Graham (Bellman of Glasgow) and Robert Burns.

[Old etch of the building](https://www.oldglasgowpubs.co.uk/images/Pub%20Images/saracen-head-etch.jpg)

[Photo of the old building](https://www.oldglasgowpubs.co.uk/images/Pub%20Images/saracen%20head%20inn%20old1.jpg)

The most interesting thing about that building was that Tennent was given permission to use the ruins of the demolished Bishop's Castle as a quarry, so the building was built using recycled bricks that were once within the walls of one of our lost and important historical buildings. The Bishop's Castle was once the seat of power in the city. It was located just west of the Cathedral partly where the oldest and original building of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary now stands and partly on Cathedral Square in front of that. It is said that the foundations of the Royal are what remains of the old walls of the Castle.

[It is possible that the bricks of this old wall on the side of those shops are actually the same bricks that once made the walls of the old Bishop's Castle](https://www.google.com/maps/@55.8558542,-4.2385027,3a,90y,149.88h,93.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sG4r9A3Zhgy5KdHs1kYWcvQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)

(Map links might be broken. Did this on phone. If broke, will fix on desktop later).