Marchmont
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Marchmont is a mainly residential area of
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
,
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. It lies roughly one mile to the south of the
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
, separated from it by The Meadows and
Bruntsfield Links Bruntsfield Links is of open parkland in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, immediately to the south-west of the adjoining Meadows. Unlike The Meadows, which formerly contained a loch drained by the end of the 18th century, Bruntsfield Links has always ...
. To the west it is bounded by
Bruntsfield Bruntsfield is a largely residential area around Bruntsfield Place in Southern Edinburgh, Scotland. In feudal times, it fell within the barony of Colinton. Location Bruntsfield Place is less than south on the A702 main road from the West e ...
; to the south-southwest by Greenhill and then Morningside; to the south-southeast by The Grange; and to the east by
Sciennes Sciennes (pronounced , ) is a district of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated approximately south of the city centre. It is a mainly residential district, although it is also well-known as the site of the former Royal Hospital for Sick Children. M ...
. The area is characterised by four- and five-storey tenements blocks built in the
Scots Baronial Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...
style. Most of the area was developed in the 1870s and 1880s and there has been little change to its structure since then. Marchmont remains popular with older residents, young professionals and students. It was designated as a Conservation Area in 1987 along with Bruntsfield and the Meadows.


History

The area was developed as a planned middle-class suburb by Sir George Warrender, the owner of Bruntsfield House and the surrounding estate (which was also known as the Warrender Park) in the middle of the 19th century. This was at a time of rapid population growth in Edinburgh, stimulating a significant increase in the demand for housing. The original feuing plan laid out by architect
David Bryce David Bryce FRSE FRIBA RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scottish architect. Life Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David Bryce (1763–1816) a grocer with a successful side interest in buildi ...
in 1869 called for mainly terraced villas, with a number of large, detached villas on Marchmont Road. However, this was superseded by a more comprehensive plan prepared by the firm of John Watherston & Sons. This proposed that all buildings were to be four- or five-storey tenements, some with commercial premises on the ground floor frontages. Most of the buildings were completed in the 1870s and 1880s. The first tenements to go up were mostly in pink sandstone in the Scots Baronial style; these are by architects such as Edward Calvert. The later buildings, which were often in blonde sandstone and in a plainer, more uniform style, include works by
Hippolyte Blanc Hippolyte Jean Blanc (18 August 1844 – 17 March 1917) was a Scottish architect. Best known for his church buildings in the Gothic revival style, Blanc was also a keen antiquarian who oversaw meticulously researched restoration projects. ...
, John Charles Hay and Thomas P. Marwick. Key buildings such as churches are mainly by the then city architect,
Robert Morham Robert Morham (31 March 1839 – 5 June 1912) was the City Architect for Edinburgh for the last decades of the nineteenth century and was responsible for much of the “public face” of the city at the time. His work is particularly well re ...
. Originally, the area was not allowed to have any premises selling alcohol, although that is no longer the case.


Street names

As was the usual practice at the time, the area's street names were derived from members of the developer's family or places associated with them. Sir George Warrender's wife, Helen, was the daughter of the 5th Earl of Marchmont, hence the name of the district. Thirlestane Street and Lauderdale Street were named in honour of Sir George's mother, who was the daughter of the Earl of Lauderdale and whose family seat was at
Thirlestane Castle Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Water ...
. Spottiswoode Street and Spottiswoode Road were named for John Spottiswoode, another Warrender relation, while Arden, as in Arden Street, was the family name of the Earl of Haddington, who married one of the Warrender daughters.


Marchmont today

Due to its proximity to the city centre, the presence of local amenities, and generally being considered a pleasant area, Marchmont is considered a desirable location in which to live. This is reflected in its generally high property prices. It is popular with students, with both the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
and
Edinburgh Napier University , mottoeng = Without knowledge, everything is in vain , established = 1992 – granted University status 1964 – Napier Technical College , type = Public , academic_staff = 802 , administrative_staff = 562 , chancellor = Will Whitehorn , ...
within easy walking distance, as well as with young professionals. This has resulted in a certain friction between permanent residents and temporary ones (many of whom are students), with the ''Marchmont Action Group Promoting Initiatives for the Environment'' (MAGPIE) unsuccessfully
petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offici ...
ing the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
in 2005 to impose quotas on shared accommodation by restricting the number of licences for
Houses in Multiple Occupation A house in multiple occupation (HMO), or a house of multiple occupancy, is a British English term which refers to residential properties where ‘common areas’ exist and are shared by more than one household. Most HMOs have been subdivided from ...
(HMOs) granted for the area.


Notable buildings

The Warrender Baths building in Thirlestane Road, was opened in 1887 on land donated by Sir George Warrender. It houses a swimming pool and a fitness complex. It is noted for its neo-Jacobean frontage, its mosaic tiling and its old-fashioned poolside changing facilities. The building is a Category B listed building. Marchmont St Giles Church is situated to the immediate south of the area, at the north end of Kilgraston Road. It has been described as one of the most prominent landmarks of south Edinburgh. Designed by Robert Morham, it opened in 1871, replacing a previous iron building.
James Gillespie's High School James Gillespie's High School is a state-funded secondary school in Marchmont, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a comprehensive high school, educating pupils between the ages of 11 and 18, situated at the centre of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle and Holy ...
has occupied its present site between Lauderdale Street and Warrender Park Road since the 1960s. Most of the school buildings on the site were demolished in 2013 to make way for new premises which opened three years later. The site incorporates Sir George Warrender's original Bruntsfield House, which was refurbished as part of the building project.


Notable residents

* General Stanisław Maczek (1892-1994), World War II Polish tank commander who was instrumental in the Allied liberation of France. He lived at 16 Arden Street from 1948 until his death in 1994. A footpath on Bruntsfield Links is named in his honour. * Callum Macdonald (1912–1999), publisher and editor of the literary magazine,
Lines Review ''Lines Review'' was a Scottish poetry journal founded by the publisher Callum Macdonald in 1952. Its original editorial board included the Scottish poets Sydney Goodsir Smith, Hugh MacDiarmid, Norman MacCaig, Sorley MacLean and Denis Peploe. L ...
. After leaving the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in 1947, he and his wife settled in Marchmont, where they opened a small stationery and bookselling business. *
Ian Rankin Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Early life Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a schoo ...
, crime writer, best known for his ''
Inspector Rebus The ''Inspector Rebus'' books are a series of detective novels by the Scottish author Sir Ian Rankin. The novels, centred on Detective Inspector John Rebus, are mostly based in and around Edinburgh. They are considered an important contrib ...
'' novels. He lived in Arden Street before moving to Merchiston in 2003. Arden Street was also Rebus's own fictional home. *
J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and Philanthropy, philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to ...
, novelist and screen writer, best known for her ''
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' books, lived briefly with her sister and brother-in-law in a flat at 140 Marchmont Road in 1993. A blue plaque marks the site.


Marchmont in fiction

Arden Street is home to Ian Rankin's fictional Detective Inspector John Rebus. In
Muriel Spark Dame Muriel Sarah Spark (née Camberg; 1 February 1918 – 13 April 2006). was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, poet and essayist. Life Muriel Camberg was born in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, the daughter of Bernard Camberg, an ...
's 1961 novel, ''The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'', the Marcia Blaine School for Girls is based on James Gillespie's High School. The title character is based on Christina Kay, a teacher at the school. Spark herself attended Gillespie's from 1923 to 1935. Pat McGregor, a character in
Alexander McCall Smith Alexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE (born 24 August 1948), is a British writer. He was raised in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and formerly Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He became an expert on medical law and ...
's ''
44 Scotland Street ''44 Scotland Street'' is an episodic novel by Alexander McCall Smith, the author of ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency''. The story was first published as a serial in ''The Scotsman'', starting 26 January 2004, every weekday, for six months. ...
'' series, lives in Spottiswoode Street in the novel ''Love Over Scotland''


Bibliography

* Cant, Malcolm ''Marchmont in Edinburgh'' Edinburgh: J. Donald, 1984. * Cant, Malcolm ''Marchmont, Sciennes and the Grange'' Edinburgh: Cant, 2001. * Edinburgh Council - Marchmont, Meadows & Bruntsfield Conservation Area Appraisal, 2006


References


External links


Bartholomew's ''Chronological map of Edinburgh'' (1919)
{{Authority control Areas of Edinburgh