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Fettes Row
and Silvermills
Fettes Row is one of the streets that
crosses Dundas Street about half a mile to the north of Princes
Street. It lies on the northern edge of Edinburgh New Town.
Silvermills is the once industrial
district that lay to the NW of the western end of Fettes Row. |
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2010
Here is a view of the street, taken in 2010, looking to the east from
the top of the tower of St Stephen's Church. The curved street on
the left of the photo is St Vincent Place, leading into:
- the western part of Fettes Row (where the cars are parked) then
- the eastern part of Fettes Row, beyond Dundas Street, where the
trees and low Bank of Scotland building can be seen on the left-hand side
of the street.
 ©
Please click on any of the thumbnail images on this page to enlarge
them. |
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Recollections
1.
John Knight
New Town, Edinburgh |
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1970s Thank you to John Knight for
sending me six photos taken in the 1970s before conservation work
really got underway in Fettes Row and before the new developments
were built to the north of Fettes Row. John wrote: |
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Fettes Row
1970s Developments
"Here are some photos taken in Fettes
Row, before the north side of the street was redeveloped:
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on the east side of Dundas Street by the Royal Bank
of Scotland and
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on the west side of Dundas Street by the clamjamfry
of ugly blocks of flats known as ‘The Garden of Architectural Delights’
though I prefer ‘the abject failure of the planners’! |
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Photo
1.
Looking SE from
Dundas Street
©
"This view
looks to the SE towards houses on the south side of Fettes Row, to the
east of Dundas Street. Dundas Street is in the foreground.
It
gives some idea of what the northern frontage of the New Town must have
looked like before industry took over in Canonmills/Silvermills in the
mid-1800s." |
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Photo
2.
Looking west from
Dundas Street
©
"This view shows the west terrace prior to the
construction of the present ill-assorted blocks of flats on the north
side.
The building half way along with the pediment
was Martin & Frost’s workshop. The boxy building at the end
constructed in the 1960’s was the office of Breck’s the plumbers.
The building behind with the curvy gable was
the Grand Theatre/Cinema in St Stephen Street, latterly Tiffany’s then
Cinderella Rockerfella's dance hall before it burnt down." |
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Photo
3.
Looking west towards
Dundas Street
©
"Here we
look to the west along Fettes Row again. But this viewpoint is
just to the east of the junction with Dundas Street. The dreaded
Midlothian Kitchens and Bathrooms warehouse is on the north side of the
street. (Now, the Royal Bank of Scotland offices are there.
The street was continually blocked by these
huge lorries delivering cut-price sanitary ware. The trees luckily still
survive." |
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Photo
4.
Looking east across Dundas Street
©
"This view looks to the east along Fettes Row
and across Dundas Street where the lorry can be seen. The lorries in
this photo are parked. The trees are as today.
I think the corner building had been a
billiard hall." |
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Photo
5.
Silvermills Forge
©
"Here is
is another view of Silvermills. This was, taken from the west end of
Fettes Row and shows the industrial heritage of the former Silvermills
Village based on the lade from the water of Leith.
The neat Georgian building was Silvermills
Forge in West Silvermills Lane. We tried to keep this when the area
was redeveloped but got no support from the planners let alone from the
developers, Stewart Milne Homes" |
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Photo
6.
East
of Dundas Street
©
"This
photo was taken by Alistair Hunter of Fettes Row West prior to
comprehensive conservation work starting on the street.
The pavilion block nearest the camera was the
first major project in the restoration of the New Town. It was
visited on completion by HM The Queen Mother in 1975
The repair work to the rest of the terrace
followed but little major work has been done in Fettes Row East, which was
and still is in a reasonable state of repair." |
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John Knight,
Edinburgh: January 2+5, 2012 |
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Recollections
2.
Peter Stubbs
Edinburgh |
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From Mid-1960s
©
I remember being a regular
visitor to Silvermills Forge, frequently over about ten years from the
mid-1960s onwards. I always found a welcome there when I called in,
to ask for small items to be made for my boat or car.
The little forge gave the place a good atmosphere. It was like
being transported to a different world - and so close to the centre of
Edinburgh! I believe there
were about three men working there, one of whom*** lived in Fife where he
uses to fish (for oysters?) off the Fife coast of the Firth of Forth.
He told me that he used to get up early to send his catch in a special
wagon attached to the back of the early train to London, until British
Rail discontinued this service for him. I was surprised that it
survived as long as it did.
Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 8, 2012 |
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*** Thank you to John Knight who
replied:
"That would probably have been Andy McErlain"
John Knight, New Town, Edinburgh:
January 9, 2012 |
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