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Denburn Valley
48 The Denburn Valley Railway, shown here on the right, was constructed in 1865-67. It runs from the Joint Station at Guild Street north through the valley. To the left of the railway lines is Union Terrace Gardens which were opened to the public on 11th August 1879.
The closeness of the railway led to the gardens being nicknamed the "Trainie Park". The bandstand shown here in the centre of the park was removed in around 1931.
The iron footbridge visible in this image allowed access over the Denburn and railway between Rosemount and the city centre. It was replaced by the Denburn Viaduct which was built in 1886, at the same time as Rosemount Viaduct, by engineer William Boulton. Part of the footbridge was moved and reassembled in the newly created Duthie Park.
This image also predates the construction of significant buildings on Rosemount Viaduct such as the Public Library and the Free South Church (both dating from 1892). In the background, on the left of the image can be seen the houses at the foot of a then longer Skene Terrace. These are on the site later occupied by the library and church.
To the right of those houses are Black's Buildings. Local historian Diane Morgan explains that they were "a small curving crescent of tall tenements, four and five storeys high, [and] sat below the Royal Infirmary, Woolmanhill, just west of the apex of the Woolmanhill triangle. (...) The houses were built in stages between 1789 and 1830, by the wine merchant James Black." (Lost Aberdeen: Aberdeen's lost architectural heritage, 2004). The tenements were pulled down in 1957.
Woolmanhill Hospital, designed by Archibald Simpson and built 1832-1838, can be seen in the background. Chimneys of Broadford Works, the textile factory located between Ann Street, Maberly Street and Hutcheon Street, are also visible. Royal visit by Princess Beatrice
315 A photograph showing Princess Beatrice at Aberdeen Music Hall to open a bazaar in aid of the Sick Children's Hospital.
The bazaar took place in the Music Hall on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October 1898. Princess Beatrice, then known as Princess Henry of Battenberg, opened the bazaar the day before on Friday 28th October.
The opening ceremony was covered in the Aberdeen Journal of 29th October 1898, page 5. The article states that Beatrice arrived by train at the Joint Station before travelling to the Music Hall from Guild Street by the horse drawn carriage that we can see here.
The route travelled and much of the surrounding area were specially decorated for the occasion. The various businesses and buildings along the route decorated their own premises and many of these decorations are described in the newspaper report.
The city gardeners Peter Harper of Duthie Park and Robert Walker of Victoria Park were tasked with creating floral displays. Harper decorated the interior of the Joint Station and the Music Hall, while Walker decorated the route between the two.
The special royal train arrived at the joint station a couple of minutes before its scheduled time of 12:15pm. Beatrice was greeted at the station by a large civic and military reception and crowds of onlookers.
The newspaper report indicates that travelling in the horse drawn carriage with Beatrice was Miss Minnie Cochrane and Lord William Cecil, both were royal courtiers. The man sat in the carriage is therefore most likely the latter.
Following the opening ceremony, Beatrice was entertained at a luncheon at the Palace Hotel by the directors of the Royal Aberdeen Hospital for Sick Children.
Beatrice and her party returned to Balmoral on a train leaving the station at 2:45pm.
The newspaper also tells us that Messrs. Walker & Company, cinematographers, Bridge Street, filmed the procession as it passed along the railway bridge on Guild Street. Assistant photographers with still cameras captured the rest of proceedings. This photograph was likely taken by one of these assistants.
A sign for Walker & Company can be seen hanging above the Music Hall entrance. This dates the image as belonging to this later royal visit by Princess Beatrice. She previously visited the city on 27th September 1883 to open an earlier bazaar for the Children's Hospital and to open the newly created Duthie Park Denburn Valley
481 The Denburn, Aberdeen, in around 1865. The Triple Kirks are in the centre of the photograph with the Belmont Congregational Church in the foreground.
In 1850, the Aberdeen Railway Co. which later amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Co. to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway, brought the line from the south into the city. In 1864, after great debate, the Denburn Valley Junction Railway Scheme was adopted - forming a direct link between Kittybrewster and Guild Street.
This photograph shows the commencement of the work. The new Joint Station opened in 1867 The Denburn, Aberdeen
483 The Denburn, Aberdeen with Union Terrace Gardens complete with bandstand on the left and the railway tracks leading into the Joint Station in the foreground. The Denburn Valley
498 The Denburn, Aberdeen. The Triple Kirks are in the distance with the spires of St. Nicholas Congregational Church in the foreground. In 1850, the Aberdeen Railway Co. which later amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Co. to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway, brought the line from the south into the city. In 1864, after great debate, the Denburn Valley Junction Railway Scheme was adopted - forming a direct link between Kittybrewster and Guild Street. This photograph shows the commencement of the work. The new Joint Station opened in 1867. The Denburn, Aberdeen
500 The Denburn. In 1850, the Aberdeen Railway Co. which later amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Co. to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway, brought the line from the south into the city. In 1864, after great debate, the Denburn Valley Junction Railway Scheme was adopted - forming a direct link between Kittybrewster and Guild Street. This photograph shows the commencement of the work. The new Joint Station opened in 1867 The Puffing Briggie
532 A scene of change and renovation in the Denburn Valley. The image looks south from Union Bridge over the suburban platforms of the old Aberdeen Joint Railway Station. The old station's large, curved roof can be seen in the background.
The area we are looking at has seen much change since this time. It is now largely covered by the 1960s retail development on the south side of the bridge, the later Trinity Centre, the development of Wapping Street and Denburn Road, and the building of Atholl House. Though many of the buildings of note we can see in this image are still visible today.
The tall buildings on the far right are the rear of those on Bridge Street. The small street in front of them, going up to Guild Street, is the start of College Street. It is now a partially pedestrianised lane that goes under Wapping Street. The building at the top of this street is the classical style suburban ticket office, built 1909 and now home to Tiffany Hair & Beauty.
Going west along Guild Street's two span road bridge we come to the Great North of Scotland Railway Company's headquarters. This was designed by architects Ellis & Wilson and built in 1894. It is now part of the Station Hotel, along with number 78 next door. The building retains many of its original features. The Guild Street entrance to the Trinity Centre now runs along the western side of this building.
The image also shows features that are no longer present. The covered walkway that can be seen on the near right of the image enabled direct access from the station's central platform to the Palace Hotel on Union Street. The hotel was owned by the Great North of Scotland Railway Co. (GNSR). The walkway was vaulted to pass over the tracks at sufficient height.
Consulting The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station, 1867-1992 (c1992), this image probably dates from 1912 when, in additional to commencing the reconstruction of the Joint Station, the GNSR also laid new loading docks and carriage storage siding in the Hadden Mills site (left of image). This was to ensure that the main station buildings were used purely for passenger traffic.
The walkway that linked Windmill Brae and the Green, known affectionately as the Puffing Briggie, can be seen in the centre of the image. It looks like a section on the left has been temporarily demolished as part of the ongoing work.
The sidings on the extreme left were used for cleaning carriages in the later 20th century. One of our correspondents recounts using the often-unattended carriages, accessible when entering the station from the Green, as an unusually exciting and plush playground during their youth in the late-1940s. The Old Aberdeen Joint Station
536 This image shows the exterior of the old Aberdeen Joint Station built in 1867. The station was significantly reconstructed and modernised in 1912-16. This work saw a new glazed roof constructed over the railway buildings visible in this image so that station operations could continue largely uninterrupted. The 1867 Aberdeen Joint Station
537 This photograph shows the eastern side of the original 1867 Aberdeen Joint Station. The railway buildings can be seen at the front with the roof rising behind.
The history of the station can be discovered in the Great North of Scotland Railway Association's publication The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station, 1867-1992 (c1992).
In reference to the 1867 station, on page 18 it states:
"Designed by the City Architect, Mr Smith, various offices and rooms occupied the east side of the station, extending in a symmetrical manner along the entire frontage, in front of which ran a macadamised roadway eighty feet broad. The building's facade was of dressed ashlar granite quarried from Kenmay, surrounded by a balustrade of dressed freestone. The arched doors were also faced with finely dressed ashlar granite, again surrounded by freestone. The remainder of the buildings was of rustic granite interlined with courses and belts of ashlar freestone from Bannockburn. The main walls, which were thirty feet high, were finished off at the ends by square turrets about twenty feet high 'built of granite rustic work which gave the whole structure a most imposing appearance'. At its highest point the roof, designed by Mr Willet the Civil Engineer for the project, was about seventy feet above ground level and was stated as being modelled on Victoria Station, London."
The cranes and construction work that can be seen on the left side of this image suggest that it might date from the beginning of the 1913-1916 construction of the new Joint Station, overseen by GNSR Chief Engineer J. A. Parker. Foundations for the new station were laid in the cab yard to the east of the old structure on 28th May, 1913. The Joint Station Reconstruction
540 This image most likely shows the demolition of the original roof of the 1867 Joint Station. This work was begun in August 1913.
The Joint Station was significantly reconstructed from 1912-16 to meet increasing traffic demands and to improve facilities. The project was overseen by GNSR Chief Engineer, J. A. Parker.
Remarkably, the reconstruction was completed with very little disturbance to the station's operation.
See the Great North of Scotland Railway Association's publication The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station, 1867-1992 (c1992) for the full story. The 1867 Aberdeen Joint Station
552 This image shows the interior of the original 1867 Aberdeen Joint Station in around 1912. Trains can be seem at the platform, as can a group of railway porters.
The Knowles and Sons kiosk can be seen nestled under the advert covered walkway to the surburban platforms. Platform 10 is located at the rear of the kiosk. On the right of the image, a sign for the "Buchan Train" can be seen near platforms 11, 12 and 13.
See the Great North of Scotland Railway Association's publication The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station, 1867-1992 (c1992) for a detailed history of the station. Waterloo Station
641 This photograph shows the corner at the end of Regent Quay in the late 19th century. The building in the centre of the image, with pediment, is the offices of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and to its left is the entrance to the Waterloo Railway Station.
The railway station was opened by the company on 1st April 1856. It was built to supersede an existing station at Kittybrewster. Waterloo was once the station for all railway passengers and goods going between the city and the north.
Trains coming and going from the south stopped at a nearby, but unconnected station on Guild Street. It had opened two years earlier in 1854 and was operated by rival railway company, the Scottish North-Eastern. Passengers with connecting trains would need to dash along Trinity and Regent Quay or wait for a bus. Connections were not guaranteed.
It took Parliament to settle the differences between the companies. This saw the construction of the Joint Station, opened in November 1867, and the creation of the Denburn Valley Railway. Both Waterloo and Guild Street subsequently became stations for the transport of goods only.
The buildings shown in this photograph were altered and eventually demolished in the 20th century. Remnants of the station can still be seen today in a small yard and the railway line following the old canal path and joining the main tracks heading north at Kittybrewster.
On the right of this image can also be seen an building, likely a goods shed, of the Aberdeen, Newcastle & Hull Steam Company. This passenger ship service was founded in 1865 and had offices at 43 Marischal Street.
The building to the left of Waterloo Station, far left here, was the site of an establishment called Berry's Hotel and served as various pubs until the late 1960s. It looks like it was closed or being refurbished at the time of this photograph.
To the left of this image would be Commerce Street and Regent Quay. Waterloo Quay would begin to its right. Union Terrace Gardens and the Denburn
692 This view taken about 1884 shows the railway line which runs north from the Joint Station through the Denburn Valley.
The Denburn ran as an open burn throughout this area with bleaching greens next to it, until the railway was constructed in 1865-7, when the burn was covered over and the greens removed.
In the late 1870's, Union Terrace Gardens was laid out next to the railway, and it was sometimes referred to as the 'Trainie Park'. The bandstand has long since been removed.
The iron footbridge on granite supports which allowed access across the gardens from Schoolhill to Union Terrace was replaced by Schoolhill Viaduct in 1886/7. This created a site for His Majesty's Theatre, South UF Church, and Aberdeen Public Library. Aberdeen Suburban Tramways
1052 This is tram no. 5 outside the Mannofield depot of the Aberdeen Suburban Tramways.
Inspector Kerr is on the platform and Driver George Cormack is beside him.
This was one of the first trams purchased by the company which started business in 1904. The tram was built by the British Electrical Engineering Co, Loughborough and was one of six delivered in sections by rail to Aberdeen Joint Station in June 1904 before being taken to the depot for assembly.
They were double deck with the upper deck being open topped. The upper deck had 35 seats with 33 below.
The lower deck was split into 3 compartments with the centre one being non-smoking. It had leather upholstery and horsehair padded benches that sat 7 on each side.
The other (smoking) compartments had slatted wooden benches seating 2 to each side. The company ceased running trams in 1927.
Behind tram no. 5 in this image can be seen part of the Aberdeen Corporation Tramways water spraying tramcar. Portland Street at the junction with Wellington Road
1533 A photograph showing the house that was located at the junction of Portland Street and Wellington Road. It can be seen on the Ordnance Survey 1867 Aberdeen town plan, sheet LXXV.15.3.
This image looks north and gives a good view of the building that is thought to have once been the home of Provost George Auldjo of Portlethen (1756-1806). He followed his father, John Auldjo, in running the brick and tiles works in the Clayworks, located to the rear of this house.
The brick and tile works exploited the large amount of clay in the area. By the late 1860s the clay pits were ceasing to be worked. The Clayhills area was consequently leased out for yards and works of various kinds.
The building visible on the right is likely the preserved provision works which was active for only one or two years before moving to South Mount Street.
This house was demolished, and the area radically altered, with the road and railway improvement scheme that finished in 1904. This was carried out by the railway companies as part of the Joint Station extension scheme.
The improvements saw the construction of the lower part of South College Street, which would run through the Clayhills area.
For more details on the Clayhills brick and tile works and the roadworks see G. M. Fraser's article 'Affleck Street and the Clayhills' in The Press and Journal, 16th July 1926, page 4 and the article 'Ferryhill Street Improvements' in The Aberdeen Daily Journal, 24th October 1904, page 4. Guild Street Road Bridge
1872 This bridge was built in the 1860s to extend Guild Street, over the railway tracks, and link up with the newly built Bridge Street. It was part of the development of the first Aberdeen Joint Station and the Denburn Valley Railway.
Correspondent Ed Fowler describes the bridge as follows: A riveted and latticed 2-span steel bowstring bridge with flat-span plate-girder pedestrian footpaths to the North and South sides. It has corniced and panelled, granite terminal piers.
The chimney of Hadden's Factory is visible beyond, with Trinity Hall to the left and St Nicholas Church Steeple to the right.
A query concerning the exact date of erection for Hadden's chimney is asked in "Aberdeen Journal" Notes and Queries, vol. II, 1909, on page 77 by a "J. M." This is answered on page 383 by "R. A." with the following:
"The following appears in 'Aberdeen Journal,' 31st October, 1838:- 'The new Chimney Stalk of Messrs Hadden's Works, in the Green, is now in operation, and completely answers its purpose. It is 2021/2 feet above the level of the ground; 6 feet in diameter, inside, at the top; contains 126,500 bricks; and is calculated to weigh, altogether, about 850 tons." Denburn South Junction Signal Box
2149 This photograph, looking south, shows an array of gantries overhead and the Denburn South Junction Signal Box on the right, in the middle distance.
Denburn South Junction opened on 31st May 1914. It replaced the initial Denburn Junction Signal Box, located where the Denburn Valley Railway met the Aberdeen Railway. This photo was likely taken at some point during the 1930s.
Denburn South was a large box, containing a 240 lever frame of which 217 were used. 181 controlled movement to and from the Joint Station and 36 the adjoining goods lines. Three quarters of the operational costs were met by the Joint Station and one quarter by the Caledonian Railway. Aberdeen South replaced this box on 20th April 1947.
(Information taken from 'The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station 1867 - 1992' by Keith G. Jones. This excellent title is available to consult at Aberdeen Local Studies and is recommended for further details on Aberdeen railways.) Denburn South Junction Signal Box
2150 This photograph looks south and shows the Denburn South Junction Signal Box, which was opened on 31st May 1914, in the middle distance, on the right. An array of gantries can also be seen in the centre of the image.
Denburn South replaced the initial Denburn Junction Signal Box, located where the Denburn Valley Railway met the Aberdeen Railway. This photo was likely taken at some point during the 1930s.
Denburn South was a large box, containing a 240 lever frame of which 217 were used. 181 controlled movement to and from the Joint Station and 36 the adjoining goods lines. Three quarters of the operational costs were met by the Joint Station and one quarter by the Caledonian Railway. Aberdeen South replaced this box on 20th April 1947.
(Information taken from 'The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station 1867 - 1992' by Keith G. Jones. This excellent title is available to consult at Aberdeen Local Studies and is recommended for further details on Aberdeen railways.) Denburn South Junction Signal Box
2151 This photograph shows the interior of the Denburn South Junction Signal Box, which was opened on 31st May 1914. It replaced the initial Denburn Junction Signal Box, located where the Denburn Valley Railway met the Aberdeen Railway. The photo was likely taken at some point during the 1930s.
Denburn South was a large box, containing a 240 lever frame of which 217 were used. 181 controlled movement to and from the Joint Station and 36 the adjoining goods lines. Three quarters of the operational costs were met by the Joint Station and one quarter by the Caledonian Railway. Aberdeen South replaced this box on 20th April 1947.
(Information taken from 'The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station 1867 - 1992' by Keith G. Jones. This excellent title is available to consult at Aberdeen Local Studies and is recommended for further details on Aberdeen railways.) Original Guild Street Station
2616 The original Guild Street Station had two platforms to accommodate four services to the south and three to Deeside. The goods station is to the right.
In 1854 The Great North of Scotland Railway after years of struggle to raise capital opened between Kittybrewster and Huntly; from 1858 this became part of a through route to Inverness. In April 1856 it extended passenger services from Kittybrewster to Waterloo Quay using a line built on the bed of the old Aberdeenshire Canal.
Connecting the two Aberdeen termini, which were about a half mile apart, were railway tracks laid along the quayside and suitable for horse-haulage only. The new Joint Station
2632 Possibly late October 1867, shortly before opening, the new Joint Station seems complete but with some minor work still to be completed.
The new Joint Station opened on 4th November
1867, followed by the closure of Waterloo and the
original Guild Street station to passenger services
although they remained open for goods traffic.
Exchange traffic between the two railways used
the new Denburn Valley Railway instead of the
harbour rails.
There was no formal opening but the new station
with its huge arched roof said to be modelled
on that of London Victoria attracted much local
acclaim. Over the next thirty years, increasing
traffic, including suburban trains to Dyce and
Culter and the North British Railway's services
from Edinburgh and Glasgow by way of the Tay
and Forth Bridges, meant that the station soon
became inadequate. During the summer months
and local holidays there were many extra excursion trains. From the 1890s it was widely criticised for its cramped and sometimes dangerous facilities. Lifting Guild street Goods Yards
2646 The station was modernised in the early 1980s with a new Travel Centre and upgraded concourse along with a new electronic signalling centre and High Speed Train servicing depot. Further track rationalisation and the replacement of six old mechanical signal boxes also took place.
About ten years ago Guild Street Goods Yard was lifted and replaced by the Union Square shopping centre which opened in October 2009. This incorporated the old Station Square and the façade of the 1915 building into the atrium of the new development. Separately a new Travel Centre and staff offices were provided.
In the 1990s the rail network was privatised; track and infrastructure passed to a company called Railtrack later transferring to Network Rail. East Coast services initially passed to a company called Great North Eastern Railway but are currently run by Virgin East Coast. Scotrail services are operated by Abellio, a subsidiary of Dutch Railways. The Caledonian Sleeper to London Euston is run by Serco and the daily train to Birmingham and southern England by Arriva Cross Country trains. Although managed by Abellio, Aberdeen Station is today very much a joint station.
In August 1992 the approach to the station from the north past Union Terrace Gardens was being changed dramatically by construction of the Denburn Dual Carriageway. Fishwives, the Green, Aberdeen
2703 A Valentine's Series postcard showing the view looking westwards from the Green, towards the train station and Bridge Street. This roughly corresponds to the part of the Green, beyond Rennie's Wynd, that now runs underneath the Trinity Centre to the Denburn Road.
This early 20th century image shows a significantly different scene. On the left, a row of fishwives, along the northern wall of Hadden's textile factory, display maritime stock for sale. They are attended by an assembled crowd of shoppers and children.
Beyond can be seen the bridge, known as the Puffing Briggie, that linked the Green and the foot of Windmill Brae across the train tracks. A sheltered railway platform can be seen to its left and a corner of the Palace Hotel is visible on the right. Aberdeen Fish Market
2707 An Adelphi Series postcard (no. 520) showing Icelandic fish being brought ashore and made available for sale at Aberdeen's covered fish market.
The covered fish market at Aberdeen Harbour was built in 1889 and was located on the north side of Albert Basin on Commercial Road, adjacent to Market Street.
This view likely looks west towards Market Street and Aberdeen more generally. The chimney visible in the background may belong to the Union Works then located beyond the Joint Railway Station. |