Gayfield Square, Edinburgh

Category

Library Item

Item no

4383

Title

Gayfield Square, Edinburgh

Description

The view from Leith Walk of Gayfield Square, Edinburgh. The Georgian buildings have a half tower shape built into the corner, whose windows are supported by columns. Railings run round the bottom of the building and the basement wells. In the centre of the square some trees from the park can be seen. There is a horse drawn taxicab parked beside the park and a man in a flat cap is crossing the cobbled road.

This is a photograph by a member of the Edinburgh Photographic Society.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1912

Size

9.9 x 12.4 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Gayfield Street and Gayfield Square are located close to the south end of Leith Walk in Edinburgh. They were created shortly after 1783 after the feuing of some of the land attached to Gayfield House (built 1764). The Georgian houses of the square are built round a central park.

Leith Walk in Edinburgh is a notably wide street running from the west side of Calton Hill down to Great Junction Street in Leith. It follows the line of a raised pedestrian walkway which ran along the top of an earthen rampart constructed to defend the city against Cromwell's army in 1650. In 1776 this walkway and the road immediately to its west were combined as a single, modern road. This road, along with North Bridge and Leith Street, provided greatly improved access to Leith from Edinburgh.

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Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Tenements

Places > Edinburgh areas > Broughton

Places > Edinburgh areas > Leith Walk

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Roads

Transport > Land > Carriages