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GNSR railway carriage
136 Six men working on Third Class Great North of Scotland Railway carriage No. 128. St. Nicholas Church and Churchyard
374 St. Nicholas Kirk and graveyard, showing the new spire after the 1874 fire, which destroyed the ancient tower and steeple of the East Kirk. William Smith, son of John Smith, rebuilt both chancel and crossing between 1875 and 1877. When the present granite steeple was built, a carillon of 37 new bells was installed, cast by Van Aerschodt of Louvain, in Belgium. A further 11 bells were added in 1954, making a total of 48 bells - the largest carillon in Great Britain. St. Nicholas Church West, shown here, was built between 1751 and 1755. Designed by James Gibb, it is a classic example of an 18th century preaching kirk. Building took 4 years and it opened for public worship on 9th November 1755. St. Nicholas Kirkyard is a popular place for family historians, with its many table tombs and monuments. Amongst the famous local names are Archibald Simpson, architect, John Anderson, Wizard of the North, and William Dyce, the painter. Kittybrewster School
458 The school was opened 14th August 1899 on Great Northern Road with space for 1,100 eager to learn pupils!
This photographs shows the school, and the junction with Lilybank Place, looking north west from Great Northern Road.
The school was built by a popular Aberdeen builder named John Morgan who amongst other things also built the Caledonian Hotel, King Street School, various churches and the statue of William Wallace which stands opposite His Majesty's Theatre.
In the early days, students would have had to learn in a building with no heating and only outdoor toilets. 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 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 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. Castle Street
673 A view of the buildings at Castle Street prior to their demolition for the construction of the new Town House (1867-1874) designed by Peddie and Kinnear.
The entrance to Broad Street is visible in the left foreground. The entrance further on is to Huxter's Row, which turned west and ran behind these building to exit on Broad Street. The Lemon Tree Hotel and the Bon-Accord Hotel were located on this lane. The former soon moved to 7-9 St. Nicholas Street.
Past the fortified facade of the Tolbooth, and its prominent spire, can be seen the entrance to Lodge Walk and Archibald Simpson's North of Scotland Bank premises, opened in 1842.
The signs in the shop windows likely give notice of imminent closure. A sign for Alexander Badenoch, an outfitter, can be seen at 12 Union Street. Further down, at what is likely Chapman and Co., tailors and clothiers, "Great bargains" are advertised.
In addition to the gas lamps and pollards, there is array of traffic on the cobbled street. Two night watchmen stand talking on the left. A Gordon Highlander, presumably coming from the nearby Castlehill Barracks, is outside Badenoch's shop. Two fishwives carry leaden creels to market. A large dog sleeps outside Chapman and Co. and various horse drawn vehicles are shown. Queen's Terrace
720 Queen's Terrace, Aberdeen. c.1886 This photograph by George Washington Wilson shows the two storeyed granite-built rows of ten houses, designed in the early 1870's by J. Russell Mackenzie, architect. This terrace adjoins the earlier built Rubislaw Terrace, seen in the distance. They were built on the north side of Albyn Place, and are separated from it by balustrading and gardens.These houses, then occupied by the wealthier professional Aberdonians, including advocates, a retired colonel, a sharebroker, and the Secretary of the Great North of Scotland Railway Co. have now been mostly converted for office use. H Company, 7th Gordon Highlanders
973 When Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the Army Reserves and Territorials were immediately mobilised. Great enthusiasm greeted the news and streams of men reported immediately to their depots. The local press reported the "patriotic response from the North" as men from various towns responded to the call. This photo shows the scene at Culter, then a village 7 miles west of Aberdeen, as H Company, 7th Gordon Highlanders (Culter) paraded, watched by crowds of excited children. Within a few days, the press were reporting the busy scenes at the railway station where the normal rail traffic was disrupted as men and war supplies were loaded on to special trains for the journey south. Bydand Motor Transport Co. Ltd
1051 Bydand Motor Transport Co. Ltd. were one of a number of small bus companies which sprang up in the 1920's, and were based at the Western Garage on Great Western Road, Aberdeen. Many service men had learned to drive in the army during the First World War, and vehicle manufacturers were keen to supply new markets. Bydand announced in the 'Aberdeen Press and Journal' on 23rd May 1925 that they were to introduce a 'Deeside Motor Bus Service'. They offered a regular weekday half hourly service of buses between Aberdeen (Wallace Statue) and Bieldside with less frequent late buses and a Sunday service between Mannofield and Bieldside only. Buses were also to run between Aberdeen, Culter and Banchory. The fare from Aberdeen to Bieldside was 4p; Aberdeen to Culter was 8p; Aberdeen to Banchory was 1 shilling and sixpence. Within a few weeks, Bydand were extoling the virtues of their service in an advert headed 'Safety First'. The company made much of the fact that their buses started from His Majesty's Theatre and passed other theatres enroute. It was even possible to reserve a seat on the Banchory Bus when booking seats at His Majesty's Theatre. During the summer months Sunday Mystery Tours were advertised - a 60-70 mile trip for 5 shillings return. The 1930 Road Traffic Act introduced various restrictions and many small companies were taken over by the expanding company of W. Alexander and Sons Ltd. The 13 Bydand buses were transferred on 3rd October 1932. Dyce Junction Station, Aberdeen
1060 Dyce Junction Station, Aberdeen, c.1910, with the large suburban signal box in the foreground. The main line is situated on the left of the box. The "Buchan Line" to Peterhead and Fraserburgh via Maud Junction can be seen in the background. The locomotive here illustrated is a G.N.S.R. 4-4-0, a type of locomotive used throughout G.N.S.R. territory. This particular train is heading towards Aberdeen with passenger coaches in tow. The Great North believed in 4-4-0s to the extent that they owned few locomotives of other wheel arrangements. Settmaker at Persley Quarry
1071 The Aberdeen area had many granite quarries, and there was a need for men who had the skill to reduce huge blocks of granite into manageable pieces by chipping it with a variety of hammers, and chisels to produce the required shape and size. In this 1920's photograph we see a settmaker at Persley Quarry on the north side of the River Don in Aberdeen, at his wooden shelter or 'skaithie'. These shelters provided some sort of wind break for these men who had to sit on blocks of granite patiently working on the hard stone. Settmakers made cassies for roads and Aberdeen setts were used to pave streets in London. On his left is a tripod structure which acted like a small crane to lift the bigger stones into position. Note the lack of protective safety equipment apart from some extra padding on his knees. Robert Yule, Grocer and Spirit Dealer
1094 By the 1840s Woodside was a thriving village and as such had a good selection of local services and shops which provided the locals with all they needed.
This photograph, possibly taken when it opened, shows Robert Yule's grocer and spirit dealer shop at 429 Great Northern Road in Woodside, a north-west suburb of Aberdeen, amalgamated into the City in 1891. The proprietor's home is next door at No. 427. Yule's shop was here from 1922 to 1972. It can be seen how the right half of the ground floor of the building has been converted into the shop. The 2 shop assistants stand proudly outside in their spotless white aprons. Shops such as this were the hub of local communities before the age of the supermarket. Schoolhill Station
1197 In 1889, Schoolhill Viaduct was built along with Schoolhill Station. At that time the station was part of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company. These street level offices and station stood in splendid isolation about 100 feet along from His Majesty's Theatre. The station, besides acting as a left luggage office also acted as a waiting room for the GNSR bus services to the outlying villages of Aberdeenshire. To the left of the entrance can be noted a clock which indicated the time of the next train to Dyce. The station was closed in 1937 and for several years was a tea room. The building was finally demolished in 1977. Trinity Lane
1208 Trinity Lane, Aberdeen, c.1975, from Exchange Street.
The Trinity place-name comes from the area once being the site of a Trinitarian Friary.
The building to the right in this photograph was once known as Trinity Chapel, or Trinity Parish Church. It was opened for public worship on Sunday 27th April, 1794.
For a number of years, the chapel was an important centre of religious life and activity. The Disruption of 1843 significantly diminished the congregation. The building was subsequently sold by the Presbytery and became the Alhambra Music Hall.
See Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) for more information on the history of this congregation and building.
A large part of the exterior still stands and the building currently houses Wagley's public house. In this photograph Alex. McKay, electrical appliance showroom, is in occupation. Newspaper notices indicate that the business moved here, from 41 The Green, in 1966.
The building in the centre of the image is best known, as shown here, as a banana warehouse for Knowles & Sons, fruiterers and later as a restaurant and art gallery. It was originally built as a church for Aberdeen's Catholic Apostolic congregation.
MUSA was a restaurant and art space, with a focus on music, throughout the first two decades of the 21st century. It closed down in October 2018.
8th March 2019 saw the opening of a new bar in the building called The Hop & Anchor, specialising in craft beer. It is owned by a company called the Draft House and this is their first pub outside London. The Draft House is owned by Brewdog, the North East beer company. The Cluny Bus at Queens Cross.
1469 Correspondent Dr Mike Mitchell has been in touch to tell us that the horse drawn bus in this photograph is one of "Allan's Liners". This was the name given to the Aberdeen to Cluny bus from its introduction in 1849 until the route passed to the Great North of Scotland Railway motor buses in 1906. Allan continued to run mail gigs and coaches until at least after the Great War.
(Many thanks for this information.) Union Terrace Gardens
1654 A postcard image looking north east from Union Terrace, across the gardens, towards the War Memorial at Cowdray Hall and the Art Gallery on Schoolhill.
A large poster for the Tivoli Theatre on Guild Street can be seen on the wall next to the railway platform of the old Schoolhill Station.
The gardens below Triple Kirks, beyond Denburn Road, are also worthy of note. Union Terrace Gardens, c. 1910
1736 A view of Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen. The centre of the picture is dominated by the prestigious Palace Hotel on Union Street, which was built in 1873 by Pratt & Keith, drapers. In 1891, the hotel was acquired by the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and quietly established a high reputation for itself. The building was destroyed by fire in 1941 and was never rebuilt. The gardens themselves have always been a popular meeting and walking place in the centre of town for city residents and visitors alike. The arches to the right are those which support Union Terrace. The Aberdeenshire Canal
1789 This drawing shows a barge being pulled by two horses along the Aberdeenshire Canal, with the twin spires of St. Machar Cathedral in the background.
The Aberdeenshire Canal was opened in 1805 and ran for 18 miles from Aberdeen to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie. It was first proposed in 1795 by various landed proprietors as a means of providing better transport connections for the rural interior of Aberdeenshire.
The new waterway was fed by the River Don and various streams and springs. Barges transported goods and fly boats or gig boats carried passengers.
In 1840, the goods transported included nearly 4000 tons of lime, 5000 tons of coal, 1124 tons of meal, 54 tons of salt, 110 tons of wood, 51 tons of granite, 43 tons of livestock and 8 tons of whisky. Passenger traffic was catered for by two iron boats, which made the trip twice a day in summer and once a day in winter. It cost 2 shillings (10p.) for the full journey or 2d. (about a half pence) per mile.
As a result of the number of locks to be negotiated at the Aberdeen end, passengers disembarked at the Boathouse at Kittybrewster, having completed the journey in 2 and a half hours. Goods traffic was handled by various barges, some of which belonged to the canal company. It took them 10-14 hours to complete their passage to Aberdeen Harbour. There were facilities for changing the horses at Dyce and Kintore.
In his book The Annals of Woodside and Newhills Patrick Morgan remarks that the canal "was a great convenience to the inhabitants, and a luxury to the boys for bathing in summer and skating in winter." There is no mention of girls using the canal for leisure purposes - perhaps they were required to stay at home and help with housework instead.
The canal increased the prosperity of the area that it served but it was never a huge financial success for its owners. Also it was about to be overtaken by a much speedier rival. Its demise as in other parts of the country was largely brought about by the coming of the railways. The Aberdeenshire Canal was bought over by the Great North of Scotland Railway and finally closed in 1854. The company gave £1000 as compensation for depriving the inhabitants of Woodside of the privilege of the Canal and to assist in obtaining a supply of water from other sources.
There is very little physical evidence to remind us that the Aberdeenshire Canal ever existed. However there is one quite substantial remnant which lies close to Great Northern Road - Warrack's Bridge was one of the original canal bridges and looking over the west side of the bridge the curve of the canal bed can clearly be seen. |