Provand's Lordship Medieval Garden

Behind Provand's Lordship—Glasgow's oldest surviving house dating from 1471—lies a carefully recreated medieval garden that transports visitors back 500 years. The Physic Garden grows the same medicinal and culinary herbs that would have supplied the adjacent St Nicholas Hospital in the 15th century. Each plant is labeled with its medieval name and uses: feverfew for headaches, St John's wort for wounds, woad for blue dye. The garden follows a formal geometric layout typical of monastery gardens, with gravel paths dividing raised beds. Information boards explain medieval beliefs about plant properties and humoral medicine. The garden is usually empty, offering a peaceful contrast to the busy Cathedral Street. Wooden benches provide seating among the herbs, and the high walls create a protected microclimate where Mediterranean plants thrive. It's both a historical recreation and a living demonstration of how our ancestors understood plants, health, and healing—reminding us that pharmacy began in gardens like this.