This post shares a little of the history of West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh.
I am indebted to the work of Connie Byrom as published in this book:
Connie dedicated her book to her husband John for ‘opening her eyes to Architecture and Landscape’ and also to her five children who ‘opened her eyes still further’. John Byrom was one one of my Tutors when studying Landscape Architecture at the University of Edinburgh and I fondly remember him taking us on ‘field trips’ through Princes Street Gardens.
This map of 1804 reveals the predeccesor to the garden: the Nor’ Loch.
By the time of this map, 1822, the Loch had been drained and a garden had begun:
This map is from 1840. The Mound had by then been formed but, what was to become East Princes Street Gardens was still Cleghorn’s Nursery:
Robert Murray died 5 years after the 1841 census, beside his family he is buried in Dean Cemetery:
