This is not an area of town that I am normally in, but I've wanted to visit this wee park for some time as it's one of only two or three places in the city that the ancient and sacred Molendinar Burn is visible on the surface between its source in Hogganfield Loch and the point where it discharges into the Clyde (for most of its journey it is contained in a culvert underground). Here at least the 'Molly' is visibly celebrated and acknowledged. This is the last place you can see it until it re-emerges for a short section south of Duke Street, next to what used to the the Great Eastern Hotel.
The roots of Glasgow are founded on the Molendinar. Although its status now is little better than a glorified sewer, once it was a small river that flowed around the foot of the ancient hillfort of Dun Chattan (now the Necropolis), along the route of what is now Wishart Street. This is where St. Kentigern set up his church, and where Glasgow was born. When the Cathedral was built the Molendinar was dammed upstream of the 'Bridge of Sighs', where a large pool enabled barges bringing the Bishops of Glasgow down from their residences to dock, and a mill-leet used the run-off water to power a grain mill at the top of Ladywell Street.
This wee park was built with some Millennium cash and does its best to brighten up an otherwise neglected corner of the area. The burn emerges from the hillside and cascades down a small waterfall into the park, where a landscaped zig-zag channel, made to look more natural by the addition of several boulders, carries it through the park and under a couple of bridges before it disappears once more into a grating.
The park also has a small play area containing a couple of desultory-looking swings that look as though they were added just so that it could be called a park, some other random megalithic boulders scattered around, and some strange painted concrete forms whose purpose completely eluded me. It seems somehow half-finished.
The landscaping around the Molendinar would be quite attractive if it was better maintained, but the entire channel is very overgrown and littered with empty cans, bottles, odd shoes and other general rubbish. No shopping trolley (yet), but there was a child's scooter. It really needs a community 'Friends of the Park' group to take it on board and give it a good clean-up once in a while. read more