An Artisan Community In The Hidden Lane
A Secret Collective Of Designers And Makers In Glasgow.
A short distance west of Glasgow City Centre, through a blink-and-you-miss-it archway off Argyle Street, Finnieston is the entrance to an artisan community in The Hidden Lane.
Rather than a single row of shops, as the name suggests, this quaint complex, situated behind the main drag, comprises of an eclectic mix of former mews stables and workshops interlinked by cobbled courtyards and alleyways. It is home to an ever-changing community of small businesses, including musicians and writers, therapists and artists, designers and makers.
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| The Hidden Lane |
As always, on the Saturday I visited the rain was going sideways, however any greyness I felt soon dissipated at the sight of the cheery painted buildings, and charming rambliness (is that a word?!) of the location.
The up and coming district of Finnieston was named as one of the Times’ “hippest places to live in Britain” in 2016 (Glasgowlive, 2018). The Hidden Lane was created over 25 years ago by locals Jo and Claire Mulholland, art aficionado and artist respectively. Claire was well known for her stained-glass artwork, and it is possible to see a number of stained-glass windows in the various buildings in the lane.
What Shops Are In The Hidden Lane?
The first shop I visited was Porteous & Co, run by the lovely Vicki Dreyer. Vicki is an artist specialising in painting animals, best known for her pictures of highland cattle. She set up shop in the lane in 2018 to showcase both her own work and that of other Scottish artists, and is based there with her companion "Biba" the shop dog. The outlet has a lovely range of Scottish made work. Other artists on display included quirky steampunk lighthouse sculptures by Una Monteith, and the unique and colourful photographic designs by Andy Hurst Hidden Hand Art & Design. |
| Porteous & Co |
Further down the lane, the adjoining buildings comprise of enticing doorways and signs leading to other studios. In the yellow painted Argyle House I came across Shona Jewellery, who showed me some of her beautiful, contemporary designed geometric pieces. Also here was newcomer In Bloom by Grisel Illustrations, whose shop is filled with her amazing intricately drawn character illustrations and retro homewares.
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| Argyle House |
The shops and studios extend further round to courtyards at the rear of the main lane, and into the charmingly quirky Argyle Court (shown at the top of this page).
Even on this dull January day, the cobbled alleyways, cheery bright painted buildings and enticing doorways were bursting with colour and vibrancy. I’ve made a note to return to see how lovely it all looks in the Spring.
When Is It On
Individual businesses have different opening times.
Porteous & Co is open Wednesday - Sunday from 11am - 5pm.
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| A Welcoming Sign! |
1103 Argyle Street, Finnieston, Glasgow, G3 8ND.
Link to map here. Look for the signs on the wall at the top of the lane.
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| Entrance To The Lane |
The Hidden Lane is about 1.5 miles west of the city centre. First Bus runs a regular service (No 2) from Central Station. There is some metered parking in the surrounding streets.
Coffee Stop
Award winning The Hidden Lane Tearoom is part of the complex and a destination in itself. So popular that when I popped in (admittedly mid Saturday afternoon) it was full, so they do recommend booking ahead. They have plans to expand substantially in 2019 which will create much more space, and I'll be first in the queue.
While You Are There
Don't forget to look out for the stained glass windows! The Hidden Lane Gallery on Argyle Street is also owned by the family. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is just up the road, and has both permanent exhibits and changing exhibitions. There is an organ recital in the main hall each day at 1pm.
Verdict
A charming venue with a genuine artisan community, delightfully off the regular beaten track. As always, worth checking before you go if there is someone particular you wish to see, as not all the studios are open regularly. Take the map from The Hidden Lane website to help figure out the layout of the complex, and so you don't miss anyone!
PS: Want to read more? Click here to return to the main blog and hit "Subscribe" to register for updates. Find a list of all of my posts about Glasgow here. Before you go, let me know what you think in the "Comments" box below.
Coffee Stop
Award winning The Hidden Lane Tearoom is part of the complex and a destination in itself. So popular that when I popped in (admittedly mid Saturday afternoon) it was full, so they do recommend booking ahead. They have plans to expand substantially in 2019 which will create much more space, and I'll be first in the queue.
While You Are There
Don't forget to look out for the stained glass windows! The Hidden Lane Gallery on Argyle Street is also owned by the family. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is just up the road, and has both permanent exhibits and changing exhibitions. There is an organ recital in the main hall each day at 1pm.
Verdict
A charming venue with a genuine artisan community, delightfully off the regular beaten track. As always, worth checking before you go if there is someone particular you wish to see, as not all the studios are open regularly. Take the map from The Hidden Lane website to help figure out the layout of the complex, and so you don't miss anyone!
PS: Want to read more? Click here to return to the main blog and hit "Subscribe" to register for updates. Find a list of all of my posts about Glasgow here. Before you go, let me know what you think in the "Comments" box below.
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