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Dave Henniker Leith page 18
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"Do not be afraid" advises the writing on the wall. Traders in this district are most afraid of the forthcoming trams and the impact that the roadworks has on their businesses. | |
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Demolition proceeds across the road at Shrubhill. The building with the chimney is at Dryden Street 250 metres north west of Leith Walk. | |
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The factory building has gone but its wall remains, no doubt at much relief to the occupants of the houses beyond at Shaw's Terrace, Street and Place. | |
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Zoomed in for a closer look at the brickwork. Photographed September 2008. | |
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Snapped from the top of a number 11 bus on 10 April 2009. | |
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Leith, though adjacent to Edinburgh and technically part of it, has a character all of its own. Some of it reminds me of Glasgow but part of the area seems to have a thing about stone pillars. | |
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Further up Haddington Place showing some of the shops. | |
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McNaughtan's Bookshop has been here for a while. | |
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Annandale
St Mosque 1152 x 864 191K |
The first of two brick buildings that caught my eye in Annandale Street. This mosque has had an excellent paint job, enhanced by bright sunshine and the deep blue sky. |
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Annandale
St Bus Garage 1152 x 864 209K |
Traditional red bricks and the glass dome make this building unusual in Edinburgh. Lothian Buses were formerly known as LRT (Lothian Regional Transport). Prior to that they were called Edinburgh Corporation Transport. |
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It's suprising how many basements and sub-basements Edinburgh tenements have. This attractive building was renovated (new stonework is lighter in colour) and looks splendid overlooking Leith Walk. | |
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The roadworks in preparation for the trams' arrival inevitably causes traffic delays and lack of access, causing many businesses to suffer as shoppers go elsewhere. | |
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Calton Hill (the street, not the hill) is closed to all traffic except for pedestrians. This narrow passageway is all the access available whilst construction of The Cube goes ahead. The previous footbridge across Leith Street from the St James Centre allowed people to walk across to Calton Hill without having to descend stairs then climb again. | |
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The same narrow passageway seen from the other side of Leith Street. | |
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Looking down through the bendy bridge. The sign provides an artist's impression and the text invites us to visit: http://www.thecubeedinburgh.co.uk/ where there are computer graphics giving various views and a walk-through. | |
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Despite the cube-shaped hole in the ground The Cube seems big enough to obliterate the view of and from the old house pictured at top left of this image. The CGI images from the website are somewhat coy about this old house. | |
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This shows the measures taken to prop up the street, perching, as it now does, on top of a cliff cut into the crumbling rock. | |
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Reinforced concrete slabs prop up this part of Calton Hill. | |
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Zoomed in for a closer look. Wire mesh is fastened to the rock face to support any crumbling lumps which might otherwise fall down. | |
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Just over a year has elapsed since the Cube works above. In November 2009 the building seems almost ready but the Calton Hill road is still closed to traffic. | |
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Pedestrians do still have access and can climb the steep lane called Calton Hill up to Calton Hill itself. It's well worth the effort for scenic views in all directions. | |
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The roadway behind the fence looks rather untidy but it should be cleaned up soon and the occasional brave motorist should once again be able to drive up and down - unless they make it a one-way street. | |
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At the top of this narrow passageway are the old houses, at least one of which has had its view totally cut off. It's perhaps not such a loss as the view was of the dirty concrete walls of the St James Shopping Centre. | |
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Added later, this earlier photo shows the ground being prepared after the previous bridge was removed. For a while, the old house above the site had uninterrupted views... | |
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Again, added later, a photo of the old bridge, taken in 2001. | |
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The old bridge was boxy and ugly but at least it took you a significant way up Calton Hill. Now you must descend steps to Leith Street before climbing up again. | |
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Looking over the top of the bendy bridge to Leith Street. | |
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From one of the paths round Calton Hill is this view through the autumn leaves. | |
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A broader view from the same path. Beside the bridge a smoker lurks outside the building for a cigarette and another person sits on the steps having her lunch. | |
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Much photographed but rarely from this angle. | |
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The Cube is now finished but not fully occupied. An unobstructed choice of 3 routes is available: Calton Hill on the left, Calton Road in the centre, or up Leith Street to Princes Street. August 2010. | |
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Near the bottom of Leith Walk, looking towards Edinburgh City Centre. A railway bridge once crossed the street overhead. At the beginning of the 20th century it was possible to travel from Leith Central Station to Morningside Station in a fraction of the time it takes 100 years later. The infrastructure changes necessary for the trams are creating havoc in 2008. | |
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Another view of excavations further up Leith Walk. | |
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Part of this interesting old gate is missing, and it's rather grimy but it still looks quite impressive. It's opposite Lorne Street in the bottom half of Leith Walk. The other half of the gate is pictured further down this page. | |
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Dazzling colours and confusing signs greet the motorist down at the docks. | |
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This half of the gate is comparatively clean and shiny. |
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