Fossil Grove, Paleontological site in Victoria Park, Glasgow, Scotland
Fossil Grove contains eleven fossilized tree stumps from the Carboniferous Period, preserved upright in their original positions on a sandstone floor within a protective shelter. The stumps show the root systems extending into the rock, revealing how these ancient plants once grew in place.
Workers uncovered the first fossilized stump in 1887 while constructing a path through an old quarry in the Victoria Park area. A protective building was erected in 1890 to preserve the site and allow public access to these Carboniferous Period remains.
These trees grew in a tropical swamp hundreds of millions of years ago, and their fossils tell the story of a very different Scotland. Walking around them today, visitors get a sense of deep geological time and how the landscape has completely transformed.
The site opens on select days during the warmer months and admission is free, with paved paths suitable for wheelchairs and mobility aids. Visitors should plan to spend about 30 minutes exploring the display, and natural light inside the protective building can be limited, so morning visits often provide better viewing conditions.
The fossilized stumps belonged to Lepidodendron, an extinct tree-like plant that thrived in tropical swamps during the Carboniferous Period. These early giants were so different from modern trees that visitors often struggle to connect them to the plant world they know today.
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