Historic Buildings

Govanhill Baths: Ours! Migration, Sporting and Industrial Heritage

Govanhill Baths, Glasgow’s last remaining Edwardian baths and wash-house, is a vital symbol of our civic heritage. This project celebrates its social, cultural and architectural legacy through a two-year heritage programme focused on Migration, Industrial and Sporting Heritage. The Migration and Industrial strands explore Govanhill’s diverse communities through their connections to the Baths, including local employment, family life and neighbourhood histories. Activities include school and community workshops, oral history recordings, a multicultural heritage conference, a multilingual heritage publication and the Govanhillian’s exhibition. Sporting Heritage is explored through an Amateur Swimming Heritage Group, commissioned artwork for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Edwardian tile-making workshops, and a conference and book examining the role of municipal baths in the development of amateur swimming in Scotland. The project preserves and embeds the diverse histories of Bath users since 1917, reaffirming Govanhill Baths as a place of identity, belonging and community ownership for future generations.