Photograph taken on the back green behind Craigmillar Castle Terrace

Craigmillar Back Greens

Back Green

Thank you to Sandra Givan, Craigmillar for allowing me to reproduce this family photograph of back greens at Craigmillar

Sandra wrote:

"Happy days were ahead of me, especially playing in the back green, ideal for rounders. You could hit it for miles without breaking windows, and nobody complained."

Sandra Givan, Craigmillar, Edinburgh: October 19, 2007

Question

Where is it?

I originally thought that the back greens above were those behind Craigmillar Castle Terrace, where Sandra Givan, the baby in the photograph above lived at the time.

However, Ralph Maltman commented:

Not Craigmillar?

"Sorry, but that's not Craigmillar. We never had windows in the stairs, and there is no corner building anywhere in Craigmillar. I have confirmed this with a lady who is a perfectionist in this area."

Ralph Maltman, Canada: October 12, 2008

So, does anybody recognise where the photograph might have been taken?

Answer

Andy Hall

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

West Pilton?

Andy Hall wrote:

"I'm not 100% sure, but the picture looks like the back green in West Pilton Crossway. It probably goes by a different name today.

The view would be looking south. My Grandparents lived at 11 West Pilton Bank, and this looks very much like the view from their back garden."

Andy Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England: October 13, 2008

Answer

Bob Henderson

Burdiehouse, Edinburgh

Craigmillar or Prestonfield?

Bob Henderson wrote:

"Hi Peter: Sam Maltman is wrong on at least one point.

The houses in Craigmillar did indeed have stair windows as can be seen in your panorama.

Please click on this panorama below to enlarge it.

The stair windows all looked out into the backgreens. When you look at the panorama it has to be remembered that the chimneys were to the front of the gables. You will see in the centre of the panorama that you see the back of the building and that it is symmetrical about the centre vertical row of windows. These were the stair windows.

I remember them well as my wife-to-be lived in Harewood Road and I spent quite some time in her stair saying my goodnights.

The other possibility is Prestonfield as these houses were very similar to the Craigmillar houses, as has been noted here before. I know they had stair windows as my grandfather lived in Prestonfield from when the houses were new until he died in 1961.

Bob Henderson, Burdiehouse, Edinburgh: October 13, 2008

Answer

Sandra Girvan

Craigmillar, Edinbrugh

Craigmillar Castle Gardens

Sandra Givan, who sent me the photograph above, after speaking to several of her relatives, replied:

"From my memories, this really looks like the Craigmillar houses and backgreen, with the washing polls all in the centre. We used to make great swings there.

There was also a metal fence around the centre of the backgreen and we also used to play on that. Thinking about it now, the fence was very dangerous with spears on the top. Within the fence, there was a sort of no-mans-land with overgrown grass etc. Thats were we had our big bonfires."

and:

"I've just spoken to several relatives including my mother. She is sure this photo was taken in the back green of Craigmillar Castle Gardens (not Craigmillar Castle Terrace as I said previously).

This back green is very similar to the type in the in Craigmillar Castle Terrace where we lived. Hence my mistake.

As Bob says (above) I was sure that there were windows in the stairs that looked out to the backgreens, too."

Sandra Givan, Craigmillar, Edinburgh: October 13, 2008

Answer

Peter Stubbs

Edinbrugh

Craigmillar Castle Gardens

I agree with Sandra's conclusion above.

I've marked on the 1940 map, below, where the photograph would have been taken from.

This map clearly shows:

- TOP LEFT OF PHOTO: The backs of the houses in Niddrie Mains Road.

- TOP CENTRE OF PHOTO: The curved block of houses on the corner of Niddrie Mains Road and Craigmillar Castle Gardens

- TOP RIGHT OF PHOTO: The houses on either side of Craigmillar Castle Grove, including the gaps in these houses.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: October 13, 2008

More Pages

Craigmillar and Niddrie

Districts

This site includes several pages of recollections for Craigmillar and Niddrie:

- Craigmillar 1940s-50s

- Craigmillar 1960s-70s

- Craigmillar 1970s-80s

- Craigmillar Castle

- Craigmillar Castle Terrace 1960

- Lochend and Easter Road

- Niddrie 1930s+1940s

- Niddrie 1950s+1960s

- Niddrie Mill

Niddrie or Craigmillar?

The Niddrie and Craigmillar recollections on this web site all relate to areas close to Niddrie Mains Road, an area that I have divided below into:
1. = SE + NE. 2. = SW. 3. = NW.

In some cases, I've not been sure whether to include recollections in one of the Craigmillar pages or one of the Niddrie pages, so I've normally included them under the heading that the contributor gave.

This has usually been:

1. NIDDRIE: for houses on the streets with names beginning Niddrie House, Niddrie Marischal and Niddrie Mill and Hay.
These streets are on either side of the eastern end of Niddrie Mains Road.

2. CRAIGMILLAR: for houses on streets beginning Craigmillar Castle.
These streets are on south side of the western end of Niddrie Mains Road and Peffermill Road.

3. NIDDRIE or CRAIGMILLAR: for houses on streets beginning Harewood, Niddrie Mains and Wauchope.
These streets are on north side of the western end of Niddrie Mains Road.

Area 3

I've been told, by people who know the area well, that:

- All the streets in 3. above are part of Niddrie, one of the great medieval Baronies that continued until the 20th century being the 'Wauchopes of Niddrie'.
[Johnni Stanton, Craigmillar: August 24, 2008]

- This area is Craigmillar (to the west of Harewood Road) and Niddrie (to the east of Harewood Road).
[David Brown, Craigmillar: August 24, 2008]

Some confusion \bout this area may have arisen because:

- Craigmillar Primary School is in this area.

- On some but not all Edinburgh Street Plans, this area is shown as 'Craigmillar'.

Areas 1, 2 and 3 above all come under the Political Ward of 'Craigmillar'.

Peter Stubbs: August 24, 2008