IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Fore Street, PORT GLASGOW, PA14 5EE

Not to be confused with the Wee Alley on the other side of Church Street. the alley was once tarmac throughout, but was landscaped in the mid 1970s.

With Newark Quay beyond. The ship is Kyle Venture, which is being converted to a live fish carrier at Ferguson's shipyard. See also Image The Town Building was funded by public subscription and was constructed in 1815-16 to a design by prominent Scottish architect David Hamilton (1768-1843). It is described as a two storey ashlar classic with tetrastyle G Doric portico. The copper weather vane is a six foot model of a fully rigged sailing ship, which sits 150 feet above sea level. See the changed scene one year later Image

Looking a little weather-beaten, but the damage was most likely caused by birds Image

Viewed from Birkmyre Park, with Westerhill Farm Image near Cardross in the distance. A Category A Listed building http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:15:0::::BUILDING:40071 , the distinctive Town Building was funded by public subscription and was constructed in 1815-16 to a design by prominent Scottish architect David Hamilton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hamilton_%28architect%29 (1768-1843). It is described as a two storey ashlar classic with tetrastyle G Doric portico. The copper weather vane is a six foot model of a fully rigged sailing ship, which sits 150 feet above sea level. Erected in what was a harbourside location, the building now sits in an ever decreasing piece of parkland at the entrance to the town centre. The well loved building lay unused for a few years before being extended and converted for community use in the mid 1990s and now includes a library on the ground floor.

Sailing ships like the one depicted in the weather vane once took several weeks to cross the North Atlantic from this spot http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/A-History-of-Port-Glasgow , but the jet aircraft flying overhead (another is just out of sight) will complete the journey in around six hours.

Lost its town hall status with local government reorganisation in the 1970s, now extended and converted to a library. This view shows the rear of the building; see Image] for a view of the front and Image] for a close-up of the weather vane. The area in the foreground is the site of the first dry dock in Scotland (1762-1966).

Looking towards Bay Street and the Town Building. The top of the war memorial is just visible on the left.

On the Town Building on Fore Street

Showing the Town Building and a Bus Inspector with only one bus to inspect.

There are two such alleys in Port Glasgow town centre, the other being The Wee Alley (of course). The Big Alley is bounded by King Street (on the left), Church Street (in the distance), Bay Street and John Wood Street/Customhouse Lane. Both alleys were renovated in the mid 1970s at which time the expanse of tarmac and washing lines was replaced by grass and trees.