| Old and New Towns of Edinburgh* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party |  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv |
| Reference | 728 |
| Region† | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1995 (19th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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The New Town, a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is often considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Old Town of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Although still referred to as the New Town, it was built in stages between 1765 and around 1850, and retains much of the original neo-classical period architecture. Year 1765 ( MDCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and
Its most famous street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geographical depression of the former Nor Loch. Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and its main shopping street Edinburgh Castle is an ancient Stronghold which dominates the sky-line of the The Old Town of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Nor Loch, also known as the Nor' Loch and the North Loch, was a Loch formerly in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the area now occupied The Old and New Towns were together designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
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Preparing the ground
The decision to construct a New Town was taken by the city fathers, after overcrowding inside the Old Town city walls reached breaking point. The Age of Enlightenment had arrived in Edinburgh, and the outdated city fabric did not suit the modern thinkers who lived there. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century Lord Provost George Drummond succeeded in extending the boundary of the Royal Burgh to encompass the fields to the north of the Nor Loch, the heavily polluted water body which occupied the valley immediately north of the city. A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities in Scotland. George Drummond (1688-1766 was accountant-general of excise in Scotland and a local politician elected Lord Provost of Edinburgh a number of times between A royal burgh was a type of Scottish Burgh which had been founded by or subsequently granted a Royal charter. A scheme to drain the Loch was put in to action, although the process was not fully completed until 1817. Crossing points were built to access the new land; the North Bridge in 1772, and the Earthen Mound, which began as a tip for material excavated during construction of the New Town. The Mound, as it is known today, reached its present proportions in the 1830s. The Mound is an artificial Hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's New Town and its Old Town.
As the successive stages of the New Town were developed, the rich moved northwards from cramped tenements in narrow closes into grand Georgian homes on wide roads. Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840 However, the poor remained in the Old Town.
The First New Town
A design competition was held in January 1766 to find a suitably modern layout for the new suburb. It was won by 22 year old James Craig, who proposed a simple grid, with a principal thoroughfare along the ridge linking two garden squares. James Craig ( 31 October 1739 &ndash 23 June 1795) was a Scottish Architect. Two other main roads were located downhill to the north and south, with two meuse (mews) providing stable lanes for the large homes. Completing the grid are three north-south streets.
Street names
The principal street was named George Street, after the king at the time, George III. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places Queen Street was to be located to the north, named for his wife and St. Giles Street to the south, after the patron saint of the city. St. Andrew's Square and St. George's Square were the names chosen to represent the union of Scotland and England. The idea was continued with the smaller Thistle Street (for Scotland's emblem) between George Street and Queen Street, and Rose Street (for England's emblem) between George Street and Princes Street.
However, King George rejected the name St. Giles Street and it was renamed Princes Street after his sons. Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland, and its main shopping street The name of St. George's Square was changed to Charlotte Square, after the Queen, to avoid confusion with George Square on the South Side. Queen Charlotte, (née Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was the The westernmost blocks of Thistle Street were renamed to Hill Street and Young Street, making 'Scotland's' street half the length of 'England's'. The three streets completing the grid, Castle, Frederick and Hanover Streets, are named for the views of the castle, the father of King George and the royal family name respectively. The Prince Frederick Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis 1 February 1707 &ndash 31 March 1751) was a member of the Hanoverian and
Development
Craig's proposals hit further problems when development began. Initially the exposed new site was unpopular, leading to a £20 premium being offered to the first builder on site. Doubts were overcome soon enough, and construction started in the east with St. Andrew Square.
Craig had proposed that George Street be terminated by two large churches, situated within each square. However, Sir Lawrence Dundas was already the landowner of this space. Lawrence Dundas may refer to Sir Lawrence Dundas 1st Baronet (1710-1781 Lawrence Dundas 1st Earl of Zetland (1766-1839 British politician He decided to build his own home here, and commissioned a design from Sir William Chambers. Sir William Chambers ( 27 October 1723 &ndash 17 February 1796) was a Scottish Architect, born in Gothenburg The resulting Palladian mansion, completed in 1774, is now the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland. PLEASE DO NOT ADD AN INFO BOX TO THIS PAGE --> Palladian architecture is a European style of Architecture derived from the designs of the Italian The Royal Bank of Scotland plc ( Scottish Gaelic: Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group St. Andrew's Church had to be built on a site on George Street. St Andrew's and St George's Church serves Edinburgh 's New Town, in Scotland. The lack of a visual termination at the end of this street was remedied in 1823 with William Burn's monument to Henry Dundas. William Burn ( 20 December 1789 &ndash 15 February[[ 870]] was a Scottish architect pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style Henry Dundas 1st Viscount Melville ( April 28, 1742 &ndash May 28 1811) was a Scottish lawyer and politician
The first New Town was completed in 1800, with the construction of Charlotte Square. This was built to a design by Robert Adam, and was the only architecturally unified section of the New Town. Robert Adam ( 3 July 1728 &ndash 3 March 1792) was a Scottish neoclassical Architect, Interior designer Adam also produced a design for St. George's Church, although his design was superseded by that of Robert Reid. The building, now known as West Register House, now houses part of the National Archives of Scotland. Based in the capital Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland (NAS are the National archives of Scotland. The North side of Charlotte Square features Bute House—formerly the official residence of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Bute House ( Gaelic: Taigh Bhòid) is the Official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, who is the head of the Scottish Since the introduction of devolution in Scotland, Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. Bute House ( Gaelic: Taigh Bhòid) is the Official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, who is the head of the Scottish The First Minister of Scotland (Prìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba First Meinister o Scotland is the head of the devolved Scottish
Redevelopment
The New Town was envisaged as a purely residential suburb. Townhouses interspersed with blocks of apartments (called tenements in Scotland) lined all of the main streets, with the meuse being mostly apartments for the service classes—dancing masters, wig makers and so on. However, it did not take long for the commercial potential of the site to be realised. Shops were soon opened on Princes Street, and during the 19th century the majority of the townhouses on that street were replaced with larger commercial buildings. Occasional piecemeal redevelopment continues to this day, though of New Town 1, Queen Street, Thistle Street, and large sections of George Street, Hanover, Frederick and Castle Streets, are still lined with their original late 18th century buildings. Very large sections of New Town 2, building from the early 1800s are also still as built.
Later additions
After 1800, the success of the first New Town led to grander schemes. The Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing Court of law which regulates Heraldry in Scotland. The second, or 'New New Town', aimed to extend Edinburgh all the way to the Water of Leith, linking the city with the older villages of Stockbridge, Dean, Canonmills, and Silvermills. This article is about the river in Scotland For the river in Dunedin New Zealand see Water of Leith New Zealand The Water of Leith is the main Stockbridge is an area of Edinburgh, located towards the north of the city bounded by the New Town and by Comely Bank. Dean Village (from dene, meaning 'deep valley' is a former village in the northwest of Edinburgh, Scotland. Canonmills is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Silvermills once an ancient village is today part of the Edinburgh New Town. Development was more unified, although for several decades the operations of the tannery at Silvermills inhibited development in the immediate vicinity. The new developments followed the pattern of Charlotte Square, with entire streets being built as one construction. To the north of Queen Street lay Queen Street Gardens; beyond the gardens, building continued on an extended Hanover Street, here named Dundas Street, almost 1 km to the Water of Leith at Canonmills. Broad streets and grand squares were laid out to either side.
The third and final major development added Moray Place and surrounding streets, built on the lands of the Earl of Moray, west of the second development. title Earl of Moray (pronounced "Murry" has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland.
Culture
The New Town is home to the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy, located on The Mound. The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national Art gallery of Scotland. The Royal Scottish Academy is Scotland’s premier organisation promoting contemporary Scottish art. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is on Queen Street. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an Art gallery on Queen Street Edinburgh, Scotland. Other notable buildings include the Assembly Rooms on George Street, the Balmoral Hotel (formerly called the North British Hotel, after a railway company) with its landmark clock tower above Waverley Station, and the Scott Monument. The Balmoral is a luxury five-star Hotel and Landmark in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh Waverley railway station, commonly referred to as just " Waverley " locally is the main Railway station in the Scottish capital The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott (not to be confused with the National Monument)
Shopping
The New Town contains Edinburgh's main shopping streets. Princes Street is home to many chain shops, as well as Jenners department store, an Edinburgh institution. Jenners Department Store, commonly known simply as Jenners, is a Department store located in Edinburgh, Scotland. George Street, once the financial centre, now has numerous modern bars, many occupying former banking halls, while the new Multrees Walk on St. Andrew's Square is home to Harvey Nichols and other designer shops. Harvey Nichols ("Harvey Nicks" founded in 1813 is an Upmarket Department store chain The St. James Centre, at the east end of the New Town, is an indoor mall completed in 1970. The St James Centre is a shopping centre located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It includes a large branch of John Lewis, designed by Sir Basil Spence. The John Lewis Partnership is a major United Kingdom retailer which operates John Lewis Department stores Waitrose Supermarkets and Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM, OBE, RA, ( 13 August 1907 &ndash 19 November 1976) was a Scottish It is often considered an unwelcome addition to New Town architecture.
See also
External links
World Heritage Sites in Scotland are specific locations that have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Programme list of sites of outstanding CulturalDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic