Tower of the new Jail

Category

Library Item

Item no

1121

Title

Tower of the new Jail

Description

Watercolour of the Governor's House for Calton Jail and the jail walls in Edinburgh under a dramatic sky. The house is semicircular in shape and has five floors. At the foot of the rocks are the houses of Low Calton and the arches of the North Bridge can be seen behind them. Trinity College Church, Lady Glenorchy's Church and the spire of the Orphan Hospital also fill the scene.

Artist / maker

Skene, James

Date

1818

Size

19 x 22 cm.

Type

Watercolour

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Calton Gaol was designed by Archibald Elliot as an alternative to Edinburgh's historic Tolbooth. It was located immediately to the south of Regent Road, overlooking Waverly Station. A Bridewell, or house of correction, designed by Robert Adam already stood on the site. The prison was opened in 1817, and closed in 1925 when the limited size of the premises necessitated a move to Saughton, the location of the present day prison. It was demolished, save the Governor's House which still stands, to make way for the Government Buildings of St Andrew's House.

The Low Calton area of Edinburgh was situated in the ravine between Princes Street and Calton Hill, now spanned by Regent Bridge. 'Low Calton' referred specifically to the western half of the road passing through the ravine, this side being part of Edinburgh whilst the eastern side was in the Barony of Calton. This part of the city is now largely non-residential, and is occupied by the east section of Calton Road.

The original North Bridge was completed in 1772 to provide access from Edinburgh's Old Town to the planned New Town development in the north of the city. It was widened in the 1870's to accommodate increased traffic, and was finally rebuilt between 1894-7 alongside the development at Waverley. Mid way along the bridge there is a memorial to men of the King's Own Scottish Borderers killed in the Boer War. Its even gradient was designed to make it suitable for tramcars.

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Related subjects

Crime and punishment > Crime and punishment facilities > Prisons

Healthcare and welfare > Healthcare and welfare facilities > Hospitals

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Religion > Religious facilities > Protestant churches

Transport > Infrastructure > Stone bridges

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