Description
10–22 Ashton Lane (constructed in 1893 and converted to a restaurant, 1974 onwards) comprises a combination of former stable yard and workshop buildings at the north corner of Ashton Lane, Hillend, Glasgow. The buildings are mainly of brick construction, painted white with margins painted black. An irregular arrangement of doors and windows reflects its former use as well as its conversion to a restaurant. The northeast corner angle is rounded. The building has a grey slate roof covering with some later additions and infill. Doors are predominantly timber, and the windows to the upper floor have timber sash and case frames with an eight-pane glazing pattern.
The interior includes two painted murals by the Scottish artist and author, Alasdair Gray (1934–2019) – see below for details. There is an internal courtyard with a glass roof covering, with a cobblestone floor, fishpond, and mezzanine seating area. The building also incorporates some fixtures and fittings that were salvaged from other buildings.
Florid Jungle (Alasdair Gray, 1977) is a dense and colourful jungle scene with many exotic animals, located in the courtyard area. Numerous irregularly shaped mirrors are integrated into the design, with parts of the mural overlapping, to reflect light and space. A small separate section of wall mural to the left of Florid Jungle features two seated gentlemen in conversation. A glass of red wine is painted directly onto the mirror between them.
Arcadia (Alasdair Gray, 1980–81 with repairs and additions 2000 and 2006 by Gray) is located in the rear stairwell. Largely painted directly onto the walls, it places friends, employees and customers in a leafy outdoor setting among tables with food and drink, trees and flowers, and several animals including a frieze of peacocks. The ceiling is painted with clouds against a bright blue sky with birds in flight. The walls at the top landing are painted with heavy blue curtains against a yellow background. The mural also incorporates quotes and aphorisms by Gray, including "Work as if You Live in the Early Days of a Better Nation” (paraphrased from Canadian poet Dennis Lee).
The external wall-mounted signage / logo for the 'Ubiquitous Chip' was created by the Scottish sculptor, George Wyllie, (1921-2012) during the 1990s.
The front stairs of the restaurant have three intricate collage murals by Glasgow School of Art graduate Michael Lacey (b.1985), completed in 2011.
No 6–8 Ashton Lane was partly incorporated into The Ubiquitous Chip to form the 'Wee Pub at the Chip' in 2005. A sign outside shows a list of alternative name suggestions provided by customers prior to its opening (including 'The Micro Chip' and 'Nip at the Chip'). While interconnected internally, this building is not of special interest in its own right and does not contain murals by Alasdair Gray.
Historical development
Ashton Lane was established in the 1870s as a mews row of commercial workshops, stables and coach-house accommodation. 10–22 Ashton Lane was largely built in 1893 as a livery stable and yard for Thomas Russell, Fruit Merchant, on the site of an existing stable. The footprint of the building is shown on the Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed, 1894). Part of the site became a dairy yard during the 1940s, and an engineer's workshop and showroom.
The Hillhead area of Glasgow, close to the University of Glasgow, became known for its community of artists, journalists and academics during the late 20th century. The renowned author and artist Alasdair Gray left a significant mark on Hillhead, creating public art and contributing to its cultural landscape.
Local entrepreneur Ronnie Clydesdale established the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant in January 1971 in nearby Ruthven Lane, off Byres Road. From the outset the menu featured traditional seasonal Scottish dishes using locally sourced ingredients - an unusual and pioneering concept at the time. The restaurant moved to the larger former stable and livery yard at 10–22 Ashton Lane in 1974.
The owner glazed over the central courtyard in 1976, added a goldfish pond along one wall, and inserted a mezzanine with leafy plants to form a 50-seat restaurant area that retains a sense of an outdoor space.
In 1977 Alastair Gray, who was a friend of the owner, offered to paint a mural for the courtyard area in exchange for meals and drinks. He added a further mural in 1980–81 at the rear staircase, carrying out repairs and additions in 2000 and 2006. Further collage murals (for the front stairs) were commissioned from Michael Lacey in 2011 as part of the restaurant's 40th anniversary.
The Ubiquitous Chip changed ownership in 2022, having been one of the longest-running, family-owned restaurants in Glasgow. It continues to operate as a restaurant (2026).
Statement of Special Interest
10–22 Ashton Lane meets the criteria for listing for the following reasons:
- As representative examples of former mews workshop and stable buildings, the internal design of which has been distinctively adapted for use as a restaurant, with glazed internal courtyard with fishpond and mezzanine being key interior design features.
- For its interior wall murals (Florid Jungle and Arcadia) by nationally significant Glaswegian artist and writer, Alasdair Gray (1934–2019) which are important and increasingly rare examples of late 20th century public mural art as well as important surviving examples of the artist's work.
- For the buildings' contribution to its setting as part of a secluded lane of workshop and stable mews buildings of similar date and type.
- For the broader cultural associations of the restaurant on the site which, together with the murals by Alasdair Gray, illustrate the social and cultural life of Glasgow's west end during the late 20th century and beyond.
In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: 6–8 Ashton Lane (The Wee Pub at the Chip)
Architectural interest
Design
The building is a representative example of a late 19th century former stables and workshops building that has been altered for use as a restaurant. The wall and ceiling murals within the building, by the celebrated Scottish author and artist, Alastair Gray (1934–2019), are important examples of his work and of 20th-century public art in Scotland more widely (see also under Historic interest).
The interest of the designer of the mural is of particular significance to the building. Born in Glasgow, Alasdair Gray's work includes murals, illustrations, novels, poems and plays that combine realism and local settings with fantasy, symbolism and allegory, while reflecting his interest in social equality and the place of humankind in the universe.
Gray created the murals at the Ubiquitous Chip in 1977 and 1980–81 - shortly before the release of his landmark debut novel Lanark in 1981, which is widely considered a significant literary work of the late 20th century. The production of the murals also coincided with his positions as 'Writer in Residence' at Glasgow University, and 'Artist Recorder' at the People's Palace. One obituary described him as 'the father figure of the renaissance in Scottish literature and art' (Guardian, 2019).
Gray was a regular customer of the Ubiquitous Chip until his death in 2019. He designed the murals specifically for their location within the restaurant, and their content relates closely to the social environment and function of the building.
The interior decorative scheme of the glazed internal courtyard of the restaurant, known for its leafy potted plants, hanging baskets and ornamental fishpond, likely inspired the design of Gray's Florid Jungle mural in 1977. Meanwhile, the 1980–81 mural, Arcadia, located in a more secluded location at the rear stairs, captures regular customers and staff in a colourful stylised outdoor setting. The tied-back painted blue curtains add a sense of theatricality, as well as suggesting the idea of passing between two worlds. This mural is more directly illustrative of Gray's inclusive and socially orientated worldview. It also incorporates quotes from his early written work, reflecting his development as an artist and writer and adding further to the significance. The fact that Gray carried out repairs and additions to this mural adds to its authenticity as one of his works.
The collage murals of 2011 by artist Michael Lacey (b.1985) contribute to the design interest of the interior of the Ubiquitous Chip. Lacey's work often engages with the architectural and social history and memory of places. He describes his murals as a 'modern counterpoint' to Alasdair Gray's work, depicting 'customers in a landscape which contains many references to local history and culture' (Michael-Lacey.co.uk).
The survival of the Alasdair Gray murals as fixed features within their original context is the focus of the building's design interest.
Setting
10–22 Ashton Lane (The Ubiquitous Chip) is part of a mews of former workshops and stables of mainly late 19th-century date, located near to Glasgow University and Hillhead. These buildings have been repurposed as pubs, restaurants, breweries and a cinema while retaining much of their 19th-century fabric and character (2025). Listed examples include 44–46 Ashton Lane (LB32937) and 21–43 Ashton Lane, Mews Cottages (LB32936). The buildings on Ashton Lane contribute to the immediate setting of 10-22 Ashton Lane.
Inside the building, the light and leafy courtyard interior and adjacent ornamental fishpond – little altered since the later 20th century - provide the setting for the Florid Jungle mural of 1977, while the more secluded back stair and landing is the setting for the more personal subject matter and execution of the Arcadia mural. The position of these murals within the building contribute to the special architectural interest.
Historic interest
Age and rarity
Before the 20th century, painted murals in Scotland were more commonly found within buildings such as churches and high-status private houses. The former Catholic Apostolic Church at Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, for example, contains extensive murals by Phoebe Anna Traquair of 1893-1901 (LB26849). A notable mural in a public building is the large-scale historical mural frieze and astrological ceiling by William Hole in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh of 1887–1901 (LB27764).
By the mid-20th century art came to be valued as an important part of the new state sponsored public building and housing development. The commissioning of sculptures and concrete or painted murals for public buildings and spaces reflected a more socially aware approach to public art. The objective was to add to the sense of place and identity while bringing art out of galleries and into people's daily lives. In this context, murals came to be commissioned more commonly in public buildings such as community centres and schools.
Fixed artworks such as murals are vulnerable to redevelopment and easily covered or painted over when decorative schemes are changed. Many mid to later 20th-century murals have been lost to demolition or redecoration making surviving examples increasingly rare.
Alasdair Gray is one the most significant Scottish mural artists of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Between 1958 and 2019, he produced mural artworks for churches, pubs, stations and other locations in and around Glasgow. Some of these have since been lost to demolition including 'The Seventh Day of Creation - Eden and After' mural of 1963 in Greenhead Church. Public murals by Gray that survive within listed buildings include an ecology-themed wall mural at Palacerigg Visitor Centre, Cumbernauld (1974, LB52610); the 1995 Thistle of Dunfermline ceiling mural at the 16th century Abbot's House, Dunfermline (LB25978); and the expansive murals created from 2004 to 2019 at the Oran Mor Centre (former Hillhead Kelvinside Parish Church, LB32584). The murals at the Ubiquitous Chip are significant surviving examples of Gray's public art.
Social historical interest
Relocated to this building in 1974, the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant was pioneering in its promotion of Scottish cuisine and seasonal produce, combined with an unusual ad-hoc approach to architectural design and decoration.
The surviving murals by Alasdair Gray represent the relationship between the artist and the progressive ideals of the original owner of the Ubiquitous Chip. They also relate to the wider reputation of the Hillhead area of Glasgow, close to the University, which became known for its community of artists, journalists and academics in the late 20th century.
Association with people or events of national importance
10-22 Ashton Lane (The Ubiquitous Chip) has a close historical association with the celebrated Scottish author and artist, Alasdair Gray (1934–2019) due to the survival of two of his mural artworks within their original interior settings (see under Architectural Interest).