Support the Govan Ferry and Reclaim the River!

Our Project

Our project is to provide a free summer ferry service between Govan and the Riverside Museum that will provide an opportunity for young families and local communities to enjoy the excellent cultural activities on both sides of the river. Without the ferry this can be an expensive journey for families with young children. Help us support them and use a great opportunity to get onto the river and visit some of Scotland’s best heritage sites.

Of course, anyone can use the ferry to enjoy the river, visit the shops, travel to work or visit family. It’s a trip down memory lane for grandparents and a new adventure for young family members to enjoy.

Accessing Cultural Activities

On the north bank of the Clyde there are regular summer activities and events at Glasgow’s award winning Riverside Museum, the Tallship and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which can all be reached by Govan families via the free ferry.

On the south bank the fascinating Celtic and Viking Sculpture known as the Govan Stones are permanently on display at the A-listed Govan Old Church. The burial ground at Govan Old is over 1500 years old and the Govan Stones are the memorials to the royal elite of the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde. The Govan Stones were recently voted one of Scotland's favourite hidden gems in a competition run by Dig It 2017. Few people know about this amazing collection but the Govan Ferry provides a perfect opportunity for visiting.

The nearby Fairfield Heritage, housed in the A-listed Fairfield Offices, uses audio visual displays to gives a tantalising glimpse into the working life of a shipyard which, at its height, was the largest and most technologically advanced in the world. Fairfield is only a few hundred yards from Govan Old.

Ancient Crossing Point

First recorded in the 16th century, the ferry between Govan and Partick has been instrumental in linking the communities on the north and south banks of the River Clyde for hundreds of years. However, the discovery of the archaeological remains of a wooden logboat at the site of Glasgow’s famous Riverside Museum shows us that this important river crossing has far more ancient roots.

In more recent memory, the ferry has a long tradition of moving workers over to the shipyards which dominated this stretch of the Clyde, providing a way of visiting family, or for young people travelling to the skating at the Kelvinhall or the Lyceum Cinema in Govan.

Reclaim the River

For too long in the past Glasgow has turned its back on the Clyde. Please help us reclaim the river through this community initiative which will allow many people to enjoy an activity on their city's river for the very first time.

Lastly, by popular request, the Riverside Museum has again created an artificial beach in Event Square which lets children spend a day at the beach in the middle of the city! Deckchairs are provided for family members to kick back and make the most of the Scottish sun while the youngsters play in the sand.

Help us support this amazing Project!

Testimonial:

The Govan Ferry has transformed both our visitor experience and the number of local and international visitors travelling to Govan to see the Govan Stones and Fairfield Heritage. Since the free ferry was introduced by Govan Workspace in 2013 the visitor numbers to the Govan Stones at Govan Old Church have quadrupled. We know that Govan’s rich heritage is the key to overall regeneration of the local area and the ferry brings in much needed donations and helps spread the word about the amazing sites that can be visited in Govan. The Govan Heritage Trust is supporting the Govan Ferry for 2017 and hopes you will too.

Frazer Capie, Volunteer Co-ordinator, The Govan Stones.