Landmarks of the West End – We all know the paintings of iconic Ashton Lane, Queen Margaret Drive and Great Western Road. Equally as iconic is the spire of Landsdowne Church, and the halo of Oran Mor. One iconic church which remains as a place of worship and is entrenched in the architecture of the West End is Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church.
Learn more about this historic building in Glasgow West End.
By Tracy Mukherjee
A Centre of Community
How many times a week do you wander along Byres Road – heading to Waitrose, a wander in the Botanics or cycling home? A sideways glance along Observatory Road, the familiar sight of the glorious Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church (KHPC) will be as recognisable to you as the stately dome of the Kibble Palace.
The Design
Opened in 1876, the architect was James Sellars. He modelled the church on Sainte Chapelle in Paris, a 13th Century Gothic Chapel in Paris. Acting Minister of the church, Reverand Doctor Doug Gay, tells us more.
‘It [Sainte Chapelle] is known for its striking gothic narrow windows. It’s a gothic masterpiece.’ The windows of the KHPC are breathtaking and incredible examples of works by e.g. Daniel Cottier and Edward Burne Jones, both influenced by William Morris’ Arts and Crafts Movement. Following a bequest in the 1950s, the masterpiece ‘Te Deum’ window was designed by the legendary stained glass artist Sadie McLellan.
The church seats 600 people and has a grade A conservation listing. In visiting, one can see why this exceptional example of ecclesiological architecture deserves preservation.
Unfortunately, in these uncertain times, many churches are facing closure. Even when they are a beautiful historic building in Glasgow West End.
An Uncertain Future
Reverand Gay himself is an example of the financial challenges facing The Church of Scotland (CoS). In the Autumn of 2023, KHPC was left without a Minister. Doug, who is a lecturer in Theology at Glasgow University and the Prinicipal of the CoS Trinity College, took on the ministerial role as a volunteer.
The main concern of The Church of course, is a decreasing congregation. But despite this being true in the recent past, Doug is cautiously optimistic about the future. ‘We have a new ministry team, part-paid, part-volunteer, which has brought creativity and vision. Last year we welcomed 17 new members, representing the first spell of growth for decades and we will have 4 new elders by October 2025. We have a growing new student and young adult group, led by Carys a dynamic young American presbyterian minister. Our average age is decreasing. Every week we have young people walking in on Sunday mornings, many of whom weren’t brought up in church but feel drawn to explore faith.’
Church member and committed volunteer, Elinor Anderson is passionate abut the future of KHPC … and indeed in ensuring the larger community of the West End are aware of just how much of a resource they have in the church building.
Elinor says ‘The congregation is building thanks to Doug. But in terms of the community using the church hall spaces, there is very little room in the diary! Addiction groups, guides, mother and toddlers. Once groups start with the church, they stay there as a permanent fixture in the diary.’
An Untapped Resource
So, a Grade A listed building, a growing congregation and halls fully booked, how can there still be an uncertain future for the church? The answer is in the use of the stunning, main church space. With only one worship weekly on a Sunday, the tall windows dance their light on an empty space throughout the week. So, what is the answer to breathing life into this underused resource?
Doug has plenty of ideas. ‘If the main church building is to be sustained it needs to be used. For arts performances, for orchestra recitals, as a conference space. If we can reconfigure the worship space, we can incorporate space for orchestra rehearsals, for dance classes, for coffee after worship or for hospitality after a performance. This is the movement from many churches all over Scotland for this kind of change. Simple changes.’
To achieve this, the church requires some renovation. The congregation and community have already saved the church roof and installed a top of the range sound system, making the space perfect for orchestral or bands seeking truly enthralling acoustics. The remodelling of the interior space must of course be sensitively managed to ensure the aesthetic of the space is preserved. Still, relatively minor adjustments can add huge gains for its usage.
How Can We Help
Inevitable even minor changes can be expensive and while the church has some funds, an estimated £500,000 will be required to carry out the works. Doug says: “That’s a big goal for our 150th anniversary year in 2026 – but I believe we will achieve it, because so many people love this building and grant making heritage organisations see the importance of making changes to make it more sustainable.”
The new strapline for the church is that they are ‘A parish church, an arts venue and a community space.’
Add to that a building so iconic that it features on Alisdair Gray and Nichol Wheatley’s West End mural at Hillhead Subway and we begin to see the true value of this church. Because, regardless of faith, the future of this building is in our hands; we as Westenders. We are a strong community and as such, it’s down to us to look after our historic buildings, to help our neighbours and to ensure that Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church continues to cast its beautiful stained-glass light over our West End for decades to come.
To learn more about this stunning historic building in Glasgow West End, visit –
