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City Chambers and Mercat Cross
Inglis, Alexander Adam , 1903, Photograph
City Chambers and Mercat Cross
City Chambers and Mercat Cross
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Category
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Item no
2906
Title
City Chambers and Mercat Cross
Description
On the cobblestones of the High Street infront of the City Chambers stands the Mercat Cross. The Mercat Cross has has a unicorn sculpture at the top of a stone column. Heraldic symbols are carved into the stonework.
Artist / maker
Inglis, Alexander Adam
Date
1903
Size
15.7 x 20.8 cm
Type
Photograph
Location
Edinburgh and Scottish Collection
Edinburgh's Mercat Cross stands at the east end of St Giles Kirk on the High Street. The original cross stood nearby but was dismantled in 1756 and taken to Drum House. William Gladstone instigated the erection of the current cross in 1885, which incorporates some parts from its much larger predecessor. The Mercat Cross is the traditional centre of the city market, a meeting place for merchants, a place of execution and the site of official proclamations.
City Chambers was designed by John Adam and built between 1753-61. It was intended as premises for a merchant exchange, but this was not entirely successful and the building was overtaken by Edinburgh Council during the 19th century. The council instigated significant extensions to the building in the years around 1900. The building was constructed over several Old Town closes. One of these subterranean streets, Mary King's Close, is now open to the public.
The word cobble has been used here to help with searching, an alternative term is sett. Sett stones describe both the type of stone and the method in which they are used.
Exhibitions with this item
The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage
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Related subjects
Business
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Service industry
>
Mercat Crosses
Places
>
Edinburgh areas
>
Old Town
Places
>
Edinburgh areas
>
Royal Mile
Places
>
Scotland
>
Edinburgh
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