West Port - looking west from Grassmarket

Category

Library Item

Item no

5738

Title

West Port - looking west from Grassmarket

Description

A view looking out of the Grassmarket into the West Port, Edinburgh. Tenement buildings with shops on street level are on either side of the cobblestone road. The corner of one building at one side of the Vennel has a cupola roof.
This is a photograph by a member of the Edinburgh Photographic Society.

Artist / maker

Hamilton, J. R.

Date

1914

Size

9.3 x 11.9 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The West Port is a street that continues west from Edinburgh's Grassmarket towards Lothian Road. It was the site of the western entrance to Edinburgh through the city wall.

The Grassmarket is an open area situated below Edinburgh Castle at the west end of the Cowgate. It was, for many centuries, an important venue for commercial and social activity in the Old Town. A weekly market was held here from the 15th to the early 20th century. It was also the site of many public executions. The Grassmarket continues to be a popular area for socialising, with a large number of pubs and restaurants.

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.

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Related subjects

Business > Service industry > Shops

Homes > Residential buildings > Tenements

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Roads