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Schoolhill
13 Old houses skirting St. Nicholas churchyard once formed part of the south side of Schoolhill. They were demolished in 1884-85 as part of a street widening scheme and the present wall and railing stand in their place. On the other side of Schoolhill (centre) can be seen the roof and turrets of George Jamesone's House, demolished in 1886.
The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church.
Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2).
This photograph looks north and shows the back of Carr's old house. Union Street junction with Broad Street
18 Union Street at its junction with Broad Street, with the tower of the Tolbooth at the right of the photograph. Huxter Row, starting below the tower at the left of the photograph, ran parallel with Union Street to the Old Town House joining Union Street at right angles. These buildings were demolished in the late 1860's and the site is now occupied by the Town House designed by Peddie and Kinnear in 1874. Gilcomston Steps, Skene Square
20 Gilcomston Steps, foot of Skene Square, in 1866. Part of old Gilcomston, these 18th century labourers' houses were known as "the rotten holes" and were among the very worst slums in the city, even by the standards of the mid 19th century. The end house with the sign was used as a smithy. All were demolished to make way for the Denburn Valley Railway, c.1866. Cottages with drystane dyke
22 Stoneyton, old Skene Road, approximately 300 yards west of Albert Street. Demolished 1875-76 to build part of Carden Place. The houses depicted in the above picture are listed in the Post Office Directory of 1873/74. The thatched building on the left was used as a blacksmiths shop and the other buildings were inhabited mostly by Rubislaw Quarry workers. They were demolished to make room for the erection of modern villas about 1879. Friday Market
38 The Friday Market sited on Justice Street c.1970. It had been held in the Castlegate for many centuries until it was relocated due to the growing amount of traffic there. The Model Lodging House is in the background. This building was converted into flats in 1997.
When the Castlegate was pedestrianised the market returned to its original site. Hardweird
40 The Hardweird. Part of old Gilcomston, it resembled a small "ferm toon" standing between the foot of Jack's Brae and Upper Denburn and it consisted of 18th and early 19th century artisan and labourers' housing - a product of the period when Gilcomston had a flourishing weaving industry. One of Aberdeen's worst slums, it was cleared during the early 1930s and the playground of Gilcomstoun Primary School now occupies part of the site. Bridge of Dee
65 The Old Bridge of Dee dating from the early 16th century was begun by Bishop William Elphinstone c.1493. Further building started in 1518 and was carried out by Alexander Galloway and Thomas Franche. In 1840, the bridge was widened by John Smith, the City Architect. Drawing by Curtis Green. Lithograph by Gibb & Hay. Bridge of Dee
69 The Bridge of Dee from the south. The Old Bridge of Dee dating from the early 16th century was begun by Bishop William Elphinstone c.1493. Further building started in 1518 was carried out by Alexander Galloway and Thomas Franche. In 1840, the bridge was widened by John Smith, the City Architect. St. Nicholas Street
87 St. Nicholas Street looking up the Netherkirkgate. The old Frigate Bar is seen in the middle distance with the Wallace Tower to its right. The buildings on the right were demolished in the 1960s to allow Marks and Spencer to extend their store across the Netherkirkgate. The Wallace Tower was relocated to a site near Tillydrone and Seaton Park. Schoolhill
95 Schoolhill, Aberdeen. The building on the left is Aberdeen Art Gallery. The archway leads to Robert Gordon's College and the building at the far right was Gray's School of Art, which took its name from John Gray, an engineer who paid for the building. It was built in 1884 on the site of the Old Grammar School, hence the name Schoolhill. Honeybrae House
96 Honeybrae House. This house stood in the middle of a market garden near Morningfield Hospital about one-and-a-half miles west of Aberdeen City Centre. The lands were part of the old royal hunting forest of Stocket, given to the town of Aberdeen by Robert the Bruce. In the 17th century, it came into the ownership of the Skenes of Rubislaw and, in 1875, it was owned by Aberdeen Land Association. This two-storeyed house is most famous for its connection with the poet Lord Byron. In 1798, as a boy of about 10, he was taken there to spend a summer holiday while he was a pupil at Aberdeen Grammar School. At that time, it was probably a fairly new house, standing in its own grounds in a rural situation. He stayed there with his mother and their maid, Isabella Mitchell, before going to visit his old nurse, Agnes Gray. His room was on the first floor. By the 1830s, it was the home of a Captain John Boyd and later of market gardeners. Above the main door, there was a window whose thirteen small designed panes led it to be called 'the thirteen' window. By the 1920s, it had fallen into disrepair and the house was demolished in November 1928. The site was redeveloped for modern housing. Aberdeen Grammar School
105 Aberdeen Grammar School, Skene Street, c.1860. This view shows the school which was built by Aberdeen Town Council in Skene Street and opened in October 1863 to replace the old school in Schoolhill. In later years, a statue of Lord Byron was placed in front of the school to commemorate the fact that he attended the old Grammar School in the 1790s. The walls in the foreground indicate where the Denburn used to flow before it was covered over. In July 1986, much of the central area of the school, including the library, was severely damaged by fire and some valuable material was lost. Rebuilding was completed by 1992. Doorway of the second Trinity Hall
110 This photograph shows the Denburn entrance to the second Trinity Hall, home of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen. The first Trinity Hall was located on Shiprow and was originally a monastery. The second Trinity Hall was opened on Union Street on 6th March 1847, while the third was opened on Holburn Street in October 1967.
Many thanks to correspondent Ed Fowler for correcting the location of this image and supplying the following information on the door:
"This portal was constructed using the salvaged Memorial Inscription and Arms panels from the old Bequestor's Gateway to the 1st Tarnty Ha' which stood on Trinity Corner/Putachieside. The Trades had built this fine ornamental gateway with the following inscription: "To ye glorie of God and comfort of the poore this hows was given to the Crafts by Mr. William Guild, Doctour of Divinitie, Minister of Abd: 1633". The buildings were removed when the area was redeveloped in the 1840s but the gateway was built into the Lower Denburn wall of the 2nd Trinity Hall which was opened in Union Street in 1847." Schoolhill from St. Nicholas Churchyard
120 This photograph taken in 1880 from St. Nicholas Churchyard looks north showing a row of houses which stood between it and Schoolhill.
These houses were demolished around 1884 as part of an improvement scheme to widen Schoolhill - named after the old Grammar School which stood nearby.
A dwarf wall with ornamental railings was erected in place of these buildings and a porter's lodge was removed from Robert Gordon's College to form a lodge for the sexton at the entrance to the churchyard.
The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church.
Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2).
This photograph looks north and shows the back of Carr's old house. Union Bridge from Windmill Brae
123 This photograph by George Washington Wilson, looking towards Union Bridge, shows the old red-tiled roofed houses in the Windmill Brae area in the 1850s. Most of these were swept away with the construction of the railway and the building of Bridge Street around 1865-1867.
The house at the left, on the corner of Union Terrace, was owned by Harry Lumsden of Belhelvie and later by the Northern Club. Its site became part of that occupied by the Northern Assurance Company offices.
The spire of the Triple Kirks and the tower of the South Parish Church are visible in the background. Old Grammar School
125 This rather plain building which stood in Schoolhill was the old Grammar School. It was closed as a school in 1863, when the new school in Skene Street was opened. The building was demolished c.1882/3. The Grammar School seems to date back to the 13th century with successive buildings on this site. Pupils were taught Latin, Greek and English grammar with the aim of preparing them for entry to university. One of the most famous pupils here was Lord Byron, who attended from the age of 7 in 1795 for 4 years. The site was later occupied partly by The Robert Gordon University buildings. Marischal College Gateway
129 The old gateway on Broad Street to Marischal College with the coat of arms of George Keith, Fifth Earl Marischal above it. This was demolished in 1890 to allow for the extension and frontage of Marischal College, which opened in 1906. Bishop's Loch
173 Bishop's Loch lies to the north of Aberdeen, just within the city boundary. A charter from the 12th century refers to the lands of Goul or Goval, where the Bishop of Aberdeen had his palace or residence on an island in Loch Goul, now called Bishop's Loch, where at one time the site was visible. The approach to the palace was by a drawbridge. At this time, the Bishops were engaged in developing the Chanonry in Old Aberdeen. Over time, the lands outside the Chanonry were sold off. This photograph shows a much larger expanse of water than now exists. The water level has been lowered and certain areas are silted up and there is lush growth of various wetland plants. Nearby, there is new housing and a sand gravel quarry. Many discussions took place about the possible creation of a nature reserve to encompass this loch and two other nearby lochs - Lochs Corby and Lily - and they were listed as Sites of Special Scientific Interest in October 1983. Old College Gateway on Broad Street
177 The Old College Gateway on Broad Street, leading to Marischal College. It was demolished in 1904 to make way for the new frontage to Marischal College. It was surmounted by the coat of arms of George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, founder of the College. Tomb of Bishop Gavin Dunbar
195 The tomb of Bishop Gavin Dunbar at St. Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen.
Gavin Dunbar was appointed Bishop of Aberdeen on 5th November 1518 and died on 9th March 1532. He became a great benefactor not only of King's College, but of the town.
It was he who took over the plans left after the death of Bishop Elphinstone and created the Bridge of Dee which opened road access to the City, from the south.
Dunbar also built the twin towers at St. Machar's Cathedral and gave its magnificent ceiling at his own expense. It comprises 48 heraldic shields including the arms of Scottish monarchs, nobles, Kings of Europe, and Scottish Bishops.
When he died in 1532, he was buried in the south transept of the cathedral. This was virtually destroyed after the collapse of the great central tower in 1688, and a recumbent statue of white marble of Dunbar was broken into pieces during the Reformation.
The splendor of the six foot richly carved arch of Morayshire freestone is still obvious despite its exposure to the weather. A bishop's mitre surmounts the Dunbar coat of arms and his initials, at the right hand side. Victoria Park
241 In 1871 Aberdeen Town Council decided to convert nearly 14 acres of Glennie's Parks, which had been used for cattle grazing, into a public recreation ground - Aberdeen's first public park.
Aberdeen's lack of a public park up to this point had become a contentious issue. For example, newspaper reports indicate that those opposed to the Municipality Extension Act of 1871 (which extended the boundary of the city, brought the functions of the Police Commissioners under the Council and incorporated the gasworks) repeatedly suggested that the expense involved in the new bill would be better used in the creation of a much wanted public park.
It is not unreasonable to suppose that this debate, and criticism of the Council, hastened the creation of Victoria Park. While work likely begun in 1871, it was not until March 1873 that the Improvements Committee of the Council recommended that the new park should be called "Victoria Park". At the same time, they also outlined a series of 13 rules and regulations for agreement by the full Council. There does not appear to have been an official opening for the new amenity.
Glennie's Park was not the only site considered for Aberdeen's first public park. Interest in such an undertaking was increasing at the same time as work was underway to divert the River Dee and improve the harbour. The new ground created in this latter project, encompassing the old, more northerly course of the river and the Inches, was a much proposed location for a park. Following the creation of Victoria Park this newly leveled ground was instead given over for buildings related to the expanding fishing industry.
A nurseryman called Robert Walker (1848-1930), originally from Perth, was chosen out of 450 candidates to be the city's first public park keeper and appointed to Victoria Park. He was likely largely responsible for the park's initial layout and appearance. His Press & Journal obituary (21/04/1930, p.6) suggests that prior to his appointment the site was "little better than a waste space".
Walker subsequently laid out Westburn Park, Stewart Park, Union Terrace Gardens and the Promenade. He also advocated and pioneered the planting of street trees. He served the Corporation for 46 years, retiring in 1919, and must be considered one of the unsung heroes of Aberdeen history.
This photograph, taken around 1900, shows one of the main paths leading to a large granite fountain, which was designed by J.B. Pirie. It is built of 14 different types of granite and was presented by the granite polishers and master builders of the city.
Since the park is almost in the city centre, it is an oasis of peace with its mature trees and, in spring, there are masses of flowering bulbs scattered through the grass. The old Winter Gardens, Duthie Park
242 The original Winter Gardens was known as the Palm House. It was designed by the then city architect, John Rust (1844-1919), and erected from 1899. It was constructed from St. Petersburg redwood and cost £1,550 in total. It officially opened on 1st August 1900.
The roof of the Palm House suffered extensive damage during a storm in May 1969 and after 70 years of public use the building had to be demolished and rebuilt. The new Winter Gardens was opened by Lord Provost Robert S. Lennox on 8th April 1970. The Old Trades Hall in the Shiprow, Aberdeen. c.1850
302 This area, at the southern end of the Shiprow, was the site of the monastery of the Trinity Friars until 1559 when it was burnt to the ground by Protestant Reformers.
In 1631, having purchased the lands, Dr William Guild, gifted their old chapel and other buildings to be a hospital and meeting house for the seven Aberdeen Incorporated Trades. These were Hammermen, Bakers, Wrights and Coopers, Tailors, Shoemakers, Weavers, Fleshers.
Guild was one of Aberdeen's ministers and afterwards became Principal of King's College.
The Chapel became an Episcopal Church until 1794 when it was removed and replaced by the building seen at the left of the photograph. It was vacated in 1843, when the congregation joined the Free Church, and was then sold and eventually became the Alhambra Music Hall until 1902.
On the right was the Trades or Trinity Hall - often known as the Trinity Hall. It had a projecting wing tower and corbelled angle turret, and was demolished around 1857 for railway development.
The Trades had already moved into their new premises in Union Street in 1846.
This photograph looks south-south-west and is taken from roughly where Trinity Lane is now. The image likely dates from the 1850s, the time of the demolition.
Ebenezer Bain in Merchant and Craft Guilds: A History of the Aberdeen Incorporated Trades (1887) writes the following:
"The extension of the railway system to Aberdeen sealed the fate of the old Trades Hall. When Aberdeen Railway was projected in 1844, the hall and site, which extended from the foot of Shiprow to the near present line of railway, were scheduled [for demolition], and although not required for railway purposes, the buildings had to come down when Guild Street and Exchange Street were constructed. The last of the buildings was taken down in 1857 [...]" (Page 174). Old bed of River Dee
314 This photograph looks east from the field below Devanha House, roughly where the street Devanha Gardens East stands today, towards the River Dee and Torry beyond. The image shows the old river bed prior to its diversion in 1869.
Prospect Terrace can be seen at the end of the field and beyond this lane are buildings of the Devanha Brewery and some nearby houses. The archways that can be seen on the left are part of the viaduct for the Caledonian Railway heading north towards the nearby Guild Street stations.
The open archway is likely where Wellington Road, now South College Street, passes under the railway. Much of this viaduct can still be seen today and remains how trains reach the city centre from the south. |