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The Rottenrow is a street in the
Townhead Townhead ( gd, Ceann a' Bhaile, sco, Tounheid) is an area of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated immediately north-east of Glasgow city centre and contains a residential sector (redeveloped from an older neighbourhood in the mid 20th ...
district of
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
, Scotland. One of the oldest streets in the city, it was heavily redeveloped in the 20th century and is now enveloped by the
University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...
's
John Anderson Campus The John Anderson Campus, the main campus of The University of Strathclyde, is located in Glasgow, Scotland. The campus is self-contained in its own area which straddles the Townhead and Merchant City districts on the north eastern side of the ...
.


History

The Rottenrow is one of eight streets which formed the medieval burgh of Glasgow. It was recorded as ''le Ratonraw de Glasgw'' in 1283. The name is a common one in British towns and cities and literally means "rat row" (from Middle English ''ratton raw''), suggesting a tumbledown row of houses infested with rats. The original premises of the
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
were situated in the Rottenrow, in a building known as the "Auld Pedagogy". Townhead was once a densely populated residential area, but in 1962 the
Glasgow Corporation The politics of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city by population, are expressed in the deliberations and decisions of Glasgow City Council, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament. Local government As one ...
earmarked it for redevelopment as part of its policy of
slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...
. The
tenement A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, i ...
s surrounding the Rottenrow were swept away to make room for the new University of Strathclyde, formed in 1964 from the
Royal College of Science and Technology The Royal College of Science and Technology was a higher education college that existed in Glasgow, Scotland between 1887 and 1964, and is the predecessor institution of the University of Strathclyde. Its main building on George Street now serve ...
, and their inhabitants were moved into high rises. The Rottenrow is perhaps best known as the site of the Royal Maternity Hospital, the birthplace of generations of Glaswegians. Opened in 1860 to replace an older maternity hospital in St Andrew's Square, it continued to function until 2001, when it was superseded by the Princess Royal building at the
Glasgow Royal Infirmary The Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) is a large teaching hospital. With a capacity of around 1,000 beds, the hospital campus covers an area of around , and straddles the Townhead and Dennistoun districts on the north-eastern fringe of the city cen ...
. The University of Strathclyde subsequently purchased and demolished the hospital, turning it into a park, Rottenrow Gardens. A few parts of the building (namely, the entrance on the Rottenrow and the arch on North Portland Street) were spared destruction so that they could be incorporated into the design. The park's heritage is also recalled by a giant metal nappy pin, created by sculptor
George Wyllie George Ralston Wyllie MBE (31 December 1921 – 15 May 2012) was a Scottish artist. Wyllie produced a number of notable public works, such as the Straw Locomotive and the Paper Boat. Life Wyllie was born in Shettleston, in the east end of ...
.


References

{{Transport in Glasgow Streets in Glasgow History of Glasgow