#the vennel edinburgh

[peacefulandcozy]

Instagram credit: co.nfused

[the-busy-ghost]

I’m looking at Gordon’s seventeenth century map of Edinburgh now and there’s a particularly distinct difference between the old (formerly separate) burghs of Edinburgh and the Canongate that I never noticed before now. Yes the two are separated by a wall and they have some other differences but the most striking thing to me is that in Edinburgh they built on the backland. 

So along the part of what is now the Royal Mile that runs through the Canongate, there are long strips of garden behind each tenement. This is a pattern which was very common on the high street of a lot of Scottish burghs- one example which immediately springs to mind is Brechin, where you can still see gardens sloping down to the water if you walk along Skinner’s burn, which presumably conform to the ancient burgage plots. Alternatively, here’s Gordon’s map of the north-east burgh of Aberdeen, where you can see long thin gardens behind most of the houses:

(Detail from a map of Aberdeen, c.1661)

But once the Royal Mile enters Edinburgh IMMEDIATELY the situation changes. At the back of every five, six, even seven-storey tenement is yet more buildings and this is especially evident on the north side of the high street, where the ground slopes down to what was once the Nor’ Loch (and which is now occupied by Waverley Station and Princes Street Gardens). So not only did they have to build upwards in Edinburgh, they also had to build back on to the land included in the original toft. Compared to somewhere like London, seventeenth century Edinburgh was not that big but the population was extremely densely concentrated. The town is still famous for its tall closely packed buildings but even compared to other Scottish burghs it must have been distinctive, and I’d never realised the difference was so stark until I really looked closely and compared it side by side with the neighbouring burgh of Canongate. 

(Detail from a map of Edinburgh and Canongate c.1647 - I’ve drawn a red line at the point at the boundary between the two burghs, near a set of buildings that stick out into the street and which probably include the building now known as John Knox’s house)

I know I’m not saying anything particularly new it’s just such a distinct and stark difference that I hadn’t even thought about properly until I saw it so I had to babble. Personally I thought that, having been in Dunbar’s Close Garden and some of the other areas around the back of the Canongate, you can still *feel* the contrast with somewhere like Fleshmarket Close, even if you can’t necessarily see it. Of course that’s just my opinion, and certainly slum clearance up in the old town has opened up some of the areas behind the upper end of the Royal Mile while conversely modern buildings have covered a lot of the old backlands of the Canongate. But idk I just thought it was really cool. (I’m also enjoying looking at the Lawnmarket and trying to work out which of these really tall old buildings is Gladstone’s Land). 

Both images are reproduced with permission of the National Libraries of Scotland. Here is the source for the Aberdeen map and here is the Edinburgh map

[pianoandpolaroids]

vennel steps, edinburgh ~ 28/09/21

[branwendaughterofllyr]

Some photos I took this November and early December, mainly walking to and from classes. 

[wisteriamanor]

Edinburgh Castle, The Vennel steps | 📸: @wisteriamanor

[realedinburgh]

#vennel #edinburgh #scotland (at The Vennel Edinburgh) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSCzCj6jqqn/?utm_medium=tumblr

[evilbuildingsblog]

Edinburgh Castle at a distance seen from the rain drenched vennel steps lit with street lamps, Edinburgh, Scotland.

[nocturna7]

The castle from the Vennel, Edinburgh.

[scotianostra]

The Flodden Wall

This perhaps the most photographed part of the wall due to it's proximity to The Vennel, but the wall survives in other parts of the city, most notably in Greyfriars Kirkyard, there is also a large chunk of it remaining at Drummond Street next to The University of Edinburgh, Institute of Geography Building, it leads round the corner onto Pleasance to the buildings on the East of Cowgate. It originally enclosed the Blackfriar's Monastery.

Now Edinburgh was a walled city before The Battle of Flodden, where the wall gets its name. The first known city wall was erected circa 1450 and was called The King's Wall, it enclosed a small portion of the current city centre, running east from the Castle rock above the Grassmarket towards roughly where Blackfriars Street is today. The walls were primarily to the south and east, the Nor’ Loch – an artificial body of water to the north protected the city in that direction, it was drained to allow construction of North Bridge and later Princes Street Gardens. Remnants of the King’s Wall are thought to stand today in Tweeddale Court between the High Street and the Cowgate. There's an interesting wee building in Tweeddale Court that used to house sedan chairs, used by those that could afford them, to ferry folk around the tight closes of The Old Town.

Back to the Flodden Wall, it followed most of the area The Kings Wall did with additions, work started extending it in 1513 after the Battle of Flodden, it took some 47 years to complete and featured towers at strategic points along it.

This wee bit in my photies has gun loop, and a bricked up window, the latter and addition in 1876. As Edinburgh expanded, the King’s Wall became increasingly ineffective as many homes now lay outside of it. Areas such as the Cowgate, which at that time was a fashionable suburb of the town, were dangerously exposed and a new wall was required to replace the ageing and inadequate original structure.

Many historians dispute that The Flodden Wall was a defensive structure, claiming that the wall was never up to the task of defending the town against an invading army and was most likely constructed in order to better control trade and act as a deterrent to smugglers.

In the late 1700s, work commenced on removal of vast sections of Edinburgh’s ancient town walls which were now considered redundant. Very little survives now as a result - though most of the wall’s boundary can be easily traced. Archaeologists discovered remains of the Flodden Wall during a revamp of the Grassmarket in 2008. At the King’s Stables Road end of the Grassmarket, the line of the wall is now marked out in the paving stones.

The Netherbow Port, the main gate into Edinburgh was demolished in 1764 in order to improve traffic flow. If there is one structure I would like to see it is this one, if you get the chance go into Huntly House, The Museum of Edinburgh and check out the model of Edinburgh back then, alternatively Google Netherbow Port to check out depictions of it.

[bantarleton]

The disastrous Battle of Flodden was fought and lost in 1513, when an invading Scots army was defeated by the English at Flodden, in Northumberland. Fearing a retaliatory attack, Edinburgh’s town council resolved to strengthen the walls surrounding the city, some of which had stood since the 12th century.Completed in 1560, the Flodden Wall, 1.2 metres thick and up to 7.3 metres high, never faced an English invasion, but it did prove very useful for regulating trade and preventing smuggling, as it forced all traffic to enter the city via one of the six gates – the Netherbow, Bristo, Cowgate, Potterrow, West and New Ports.Initially encircling an area of just under 57 hectares, and a population of around 10,000, the Flodden Wall marked the city limits until the 18th Century, by which time the population had multiplied at least five-fold and was bursting at the seams.Though much was dismantled, three sections of the wall still survive: in Greyfriars Kirkyard, where it is embedded with tombstones; along the narrow Vennel leading to the Grassmarket; and running down Drummond Street to the Pleasance.

[girlinthepark]

Farewell Edinburgh, let’s not wait another decade between visits. (Also it would be great if my trains weren’t delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances.”) (at The Vennel Edinburgh) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP0Go5wF5jZ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[debelice]

Edinburgh Castle seen from the vennel steps lit with street lamps, Edinburgh, Scotland

[chasingcrystal]

Hello from the Vennel Viewpoint in Edinburgh, Scotland! This spot features a picturesque staircase that is rewarded with an amazing view of Edinburgh Castle. There are no cars allowed, but thank goodness Freyja is tiny so we could park here and enjoy the view for a bit. No, I did not wheelie up the stairs 😹 We came the back way from Flodden Wall 😺 Happy Monday! I can feel the days getting longer which means more daylight time ride! 😼💪🏍 #chasingcrystal #scotlandsites #edinburghcastle #edinburghcastleview #ladybiker #ladyriders #solofemaletraveler (at Edinburgh, Scotland) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm64DusIlZa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tigermike]

Happy Hogmanay, everyone-Slainte mhath!! The Vennel, Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[raven0276]

If they light Edinburgh Castle red this year for Remembrance Day, it'll look like it did last time I captured the moment, from the Vennel....

[susanetalks]

🧡walking along the cobblestone streets in Edi takes you back to the history that has once walked there…you can almost feel the atmosphere & how J.K.Rowling obtained so much inspiration for HP. the beautiful walks, the stunning architecture & moody weather 🧡 @astre_people keeps me warm & cozy while we wander around the city 🥰✨ here are my top tips to visit when you have only overnight in Edinburgh: •definitely book @airbnb in the centre, everything is in a walking distance so you don’t have to commute •start the day with coffee in your hand - our fav is 📍Wellington Coffee on Hanover Street & @fortitudecoffee ☕️ •walk around the old town, see the Monument, wander around Princess Gardens •walk up the hill through Cockburn St to the Royal Mile •don’t miss out the St Giles’ Cathedral & Edinburgh Castle 🧡 •on your way back get lost in one of the many cute shops on Victoria Street (Full of color & you can find Harry Potter shop there) •if you fancy Scottish food try @howies or there’s @eltorolocoedinburgh Mexican street food 🧡 •pictures were shot from the Vennel Viewpoint where you can get easily to from Victoria Street •go back up to the castle & wander & explore secret narrows with hidden gems like stairs,old lamps or hidden pubs & tearooms •for the afternoon I recommend a walk around Dean Village Do you have your personal tips what’s your fav spot in Edinburgh or is it on your bucket list? Let me know in comments ♥️ . . #susanetalks #astrepeople #edinburghlove #zuzcincibusphotography #edinburghphotographer #living_destinations #unveiledinburgh #edinburgh_residents #living_europe #unitedkingdom #scotland #edinburghlife #kings_villages #photosofbritain #photosofscotland #visitscotland #visitedinburgh #unlimitededinburgh #unlimitedbritain #thisisedinburgh #edinburgh_snapshots #igersedinburgh #ig_edinburgh #hiddenscotland (at The Vennel Edinburgh) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkVaoPkgvPr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=