Understanding a "close"

[billymac]

Never having seen one I am having difficulty getting my head around what a Glasgow "close" was like. I have seen Thomas Annan's photos from the 1860s.
Fortunately for me one of his photos included a close at 118 High Street, a place where my great-great grandparents lived for a time in 1870/71. I must say it looks pretty grim.
From what I gather a "close" was an alleyway that led off from a main thoroughfare. Did this alleyway lead to an open courtyard the buildings were constructed around? Or, at least at ground level, did the separate flats (for want of a better word) open right off the narrow alleyway? If so, how did people get to the upper floors?
Kind Regards,
Bill

[AndrewP]

Hi Bill,

In Glasgow, a close is a tenement building. The entrance would lead to a stairway giving access to the flats on the upper levels. Each level could have four flats, and the tenement could have [for example] four storeys [ground flat, plus 3 levels above], thus potentially having 16 flats accessed from the close. On looking at a census or valuation roll, that example could lead to 16 households showing at one address.

All the best,

AndrewP

[jgmills]

Not All Closes are grim, some are very plush, This image is of one in Pollokshields in Glasgow, many were lined with similar tiles

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... 47&dpr=1.5

[billymac]

I probably should have spefified that I was talking about the really older style of repurposed buildings rather than the later tenement buildings. This picture by Annan is what I mean:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/an7nqgq3ko74c ... t.jpg?dl=0

[Currie]

There’s an advertisement in the Glasgow Herald, Friday, February 1, 1861, that’s a bit descriptive.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8 ... %2C1379059

FLAT No. 140 GEORGE STREET, AND TENEMENTS
No. 118 HIGH STREET, GLASGOW.
FOR SALE, BY PRIVATE BARGAINS,
I. THE THIRD FLAT of that Substantial TENEMENT, No. 140 George Street, Glasgow. The Flat which is in excellent condition, is occupied by Mr. Cohen, contains Seven Apartments, and has Two Cellars attached. This is very suitable for a respectable Family.
II. That TWO-STOREY TENEMENT, erected about five years ago, and situated at the head of the Close, No. 118 High Street. The Tenement is in good order, and fully occupied by Michael Flanningan and others. Also, the DWELLING HOUSE on the south side at the Close, occupied by James Cunningham. Rental of the Tenement and House, £31, ls. There is no Feu-duty or Ground Annual exigible from any of the Properties.
Further information will be given, and Offers received, by Messrs. Brown & Dunlop, Writers, 49 Virginia Street, Glasgow.


Midnight Scenes and Social Photographs, published 1858, makes interesting reading. https://www.google.com.au/books/edition ... frontcover

Alan

[Currie]

Hello Bill,

This 1857-58 Ordnance Survey map has 56 segments. If you click on segment V1.11.12 and V1.11.17 (towards the bottom right corner of the main map) you’ll see that the area around High Street was riddled with closes. You can see where they connect to the street by a tunnel under a building, the “Head of the Close”. https://maps.nls.uk/townplans/glasgow_1_centre.html

See also.
https://www.google.com.au/books/edition ... frontcover

Alan

LATER.

The Glasgow Herald, Tuesday, November, 29, 1864, has a description:
“In No. 100 High Street—which is a close—are various turnpike and common stairs. The second of these leads to three flats,On each flat there are several houses, all consisting of one apartment each. On the first flat, for instance, there are five such houses, One of these is inhabited by an old blind woman etc …..

A turnpike is a spiral staircase.
https://www.google.com.au/books/edition ... frontcover

[billymac]

Thank you all for the explanations --- their meaning is much clearer now.

Alan,
That densely packed area in the lower right of the map is extraordinary with its narrow alleyways, many of them covered over. Must have been a real rabbit warren.
Bill