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The Canongate

Coordinates: 55°56′59″N 3°10′34″W / 55.94965°N 3.176°W / 55.94965; -3.176
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This article is about the area of Edinburgh. For the publishing house, see Canongate Books
Not to be confused with the Canongate in Jedburgh.

The Canongate (Template:Lang-sco) is a former burgh and township with its own administrative set-up which was incorporated by a growing Edinburgh, in 1856. It now remains as a small but important district at the heart of the capital city of Scotland.

The name derives from the main street running through the area: called Canongate without the definite article, "the". Canongate forms the lower, eastern half of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's historic Old Town. The eastern end of the Canongate is sometimes referred to as the Holyrood area of the city. However, whilst Holyrood and Canongate derive their origin from the same source, Holyrood was a regality in its own right, independent of the Canongate.[1] The boundary is broadly analagous with the Holyrood Sanctuary or current precincts of the Palace (Watergate/Horse Wynd)having incorporated houses which once there.

Canongate Burgh Cross in the grounds of the Canongate Kirk

The Canongate is named after the canons of Holyrood Abbey and the Scots word gait meaning "road" (echoed in the name of the pub on the street "The Canon's Gait").

As well as the new Scottish Parliament building, which incorporates the historic Queensberry House, the Canongate contains some other notable public buildings, including Huntly House (the Museum of Edinburgh) and the People's Story Museum (located in the historic Canongate Tolbooth.) In 1691 the new Canongate Kirk was opened, replacing Holyrood Abbey as the parish church of the Canongate. The church is still used for Sunday services as well as weekday concerts.

Early History

The Canongate owes its existence primarily to the establishment of Holyrood Abbey in 1128. King David I, who established the Abbey, gave the surrounding area to the Augustinian canons then resident at Edinburgh Castle in the form of a regality.[2] The King also gave leave to the Canons to establish a burgh and as it was the only burgh within the regality it was given the status of burgh of regality of Canongate.[3][4] The area originally covered by the Canongate included parts of Broughton, areas around the Pleasance and part of Leith, which gave the Burgh access to a port.[5] It is not clear from what point Holyrood and Canongate were established into a separate jurisdictions, governed by their own magistrates, clerk, fiscal, and other officers, but the evidence suggests that it was before 1620.[6]

The royal palace at Holyrood was developed from the 14th Century as successive monarchs made increasing use of the Abbey for political events such as parliaments and royal councils. The royal lodgings were officially converted into a palace by James IV in 1503.[7]

The Canongate Tolbooth, erected in 1591

The burgh of Canongate had a turbulent relationship with its neighbour, Edinburgh. The main result of this was a continual battle over the exact boundaries of the Canongate, until unification in 1856. Much to the displeasure of its townsfolk.[8]

The Canongate started to decline after the accession of King James VI of Scotland to the throne of England in 1603. The loss of the royal court from the Palace of Holyroodhouse inevitably had an impact of the surrounding area. This was further compounded by the union of the parliaments in 1707 as Edinburgh was the location of the Parliament of Scotland. The building of Edinburgh's New Town also moved wealth away from the area.

The Canongate was an important district during the Scottish Enlightenment with founding of the Canongate Theatre by Lord Monboddo, David Hume and other intellectuals of that era.[9]

Writing in 1823, Robert Chalmers says 'As the main avenue from the palace into the city, it has born upon its pavements the burden of all that was beautiful, all that was gallent, all that has become historically interesting in Scotland for the last six or seven hundred years'.[10]

Sir Walter Scott writing in 1827 stated; "Sir Sic itur ad Astra; This is the path to heaven. Such is the ancient motto attached to the armorial bearings of the Canongate, and which is inscribed, with greater or less propriety, upon all the public buildings, from the church to the pillory, in the ancient quarter of Edinburgh which bears, or rather once bore, the same relation to the Good Town that Westminster does to London".[11]

Modern Era

The area has seen various attempts at improvements and slum-clearance, including a notable scheme by Sir Robert Hurd[12] started in the 1950s and completed by 1969, which included many new tenement blocks, some replicating their predecessor's facades and others blatantly of their time.

Due to the redevelopment of the 1950s/60s the once overcrowded and poverty-stricken area suffered from serious depopulation. From the 1980s onwards the Canongate area became notably less industrial, with many of the breweries closing, and residential redevelopment began. In the 1990s and 2000s, flats and offices were built on the former industrial land south of the main road, reversing the decline in population. Whilst much of this development has a modern appearance, it has been laid out in the "fishbone" pattern characteristic of the Royal Mile.

As of 2006, the redevelopment of the few remaining pieces of industrial land to the north of the Canongate has aroused controversy partly due to the proposal to demolish some of the 1930s replacement buildings.

Above all, the construction of the new Scottish Parliament building on the site of the old Abbey Brewery has led to a resurgence of the area's vitality. For the first time since 1707 the Canongate has again become the centre of Scottish political life.

Education

The Royal Mile Primary - a typical Victorian school

Royal Mile Primary School is a non-denominational state school that provides primary education for 5-11 year old children. Within the school, there is also a nursery which caters for 3-5 year old children. As the school is so central and historic, its pupils are often involved in illustrious events at the Scottish parliament and Edinburgh Castle. Formerly, the school was known as Milton House Public School and is used as a polling station for the constituents of Edinburgh Central.[13]

The Canongate is also the location of Moray House, the Education department of the University of Edinburgh[14] (formerly Moray House College of Education). It comprises a number of buildings centred around St. John Street, some of which are historic, whilst others are purpose built. A number of other university buildings including the Pleasance student union building and the Centre for Sport and Exercise are located in the area historically covered by the Canongate.[15]

Trivia

Site of St. John's Cross

Walter Scott named Chronicles of the Canongate (1820s) after the area.

The burgh cross now stands in the south-east corner of Canongate Churchyard to the right hand side of the entrance to Canongate Kirk. This previously stood within the road but was transferred to improve traffic flow.

A second market cross stood further up the Canongate to the west. The site of this is marked by a maltese cross in the road surface near the top of St John's Street. This marks the subsection of the Canongate known as St John's which had separate trading rights.

The parish of Canongate also included Edinburgh Castle, hence a large common grave area for the soldiers at the lower end of the churchyard.

Important Buildings

Famous Residents

References

  1. ^ John Mackay: History of the Burgh of Canongate (1900) p209
  2. ^ A Treatise On The History, Law, And Privileges Of The Palace And Sanctuary Of Holyrood House http://ia600504.us.archive.org/18/items/treatiseonhistor00halkiala/treatiseonhistor00halkiala_djvu.txt
  3. ^ A Treatise On The History, Law, And Privileges Of The Palace And Sanctuary Of Holyrood House http://ia600504.us.archive.org/18/items/treatiseonhistor00halkiala/treatiseonhistor00halkiala_djvu.txt
  4. ^ Dennison, E. Patrica. Holyrood and Canongate: A Thousand Years of History. Edinburgh (Berlinn) p.4
  5. ^ Dennison, E. Patrica. Holyrood and Canongate: A Thousand Years of History. Edinburgh (Berlinn) p.6
  6. ^ A Treatise On The History, Law, And Privileges Of The Palace And Sanctuary Of Holyrood House http://ia600504.us.archive.org/18/items/treatiseonhistor00halkiala/treatiseonhistor00halkiala_djvu.txt
  7. ^ Dennison, E. Patrica. Holyrood and Canongate: A Thousand Years of History. Edinburgh (Berlinn) p.51-2
  8. ^ Susan Varga: Edinburgh Old Town (2006)
  9. ^ Cloyd, E.L., James Burnett, Lord Monboddo (1972)
  10. ^ Hamish Coghill, Edinburgh: The Old Town (1990)
  11. ^ Chronicles of the Canongate|http://www.online-literature.com/walter_scott/chronicles-of-the-canongate/3/
  12. ^ Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Colin McWilliam
  13. ^ http://www.royalmileprimary.ik.org/ Royal Mile Primary School Official Website
  14. ^ The Moray House School of Education. http://www.education.ed.ac.uk/
  15. ^ University of Edinburgh Campus Map. http://www.ed.ac.uk/maps

55°56′59″N 3°10′34″W / 55.94965°N 3.176°W / 55.94965; -3.176

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