A short history of Glasgow’s Trongate area

We take a stroll down to the Trongate in Glasgow’s East End, one of the oldest established areas in the city.

Transcript

00:00Did you know the Trongate is one of the oldest streets in Glasgow? The East End

00:06area dates back to the 1500s and was one of the original eight streets before the

00:10city underwent a major expansion in the 18th century. So it begins at Glasgow

00:15Cross where the steeple of the old Glasgow Tollbooth stands at the bottom

00:19of High Street and then moves westward until it turns into Argyll Street.

00:23Historically it is where Glasgow merchants had their commercial

00:27headquarters. The Glasgow Tollbooth was largely demolished in the early 1900s

00:32with only the steeple saved. It was in this church that goods were weighed on

00:37their journey to merchants warehouses. It was a fashionable and affluent area for

00:41a long time. Though previously known as St. Thenews Gate, the name Trongate

00:46started being used mid-16th century, inspired by the beam that weighed goods

00:51for duty reasons, playing a role in early shipping on the Clyde. Tron is the

00:58Scots word for weighing scales and gate means the way to. So Trongate means the

01:02way to the weighing scales. And while it played a significant role in Glasgow's

01:07Industrial Revolution, today it's still a busy part of the city and a hub for

01:12independent businesses. Lined with shops, restaurants and pubs, the area is also a

01:17gateway for those traveling down to see a gig at the Battleland Ballroom.