General view of timber jettied houses in Bakehouse Close, 146 Canongate, Edinburgh, from N.

Description General view of timber jettied houses in Bakehouse Close, 146 Canongate, Edinburgh, from N.

Date 24/7/2013

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number DP 158584

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Canongate (or Canongait, the Canon's 'way' or 'route') was a Burgh of Regality granted by the Crown to the Abbey Kirk of Holyrood in 1128. By the 17th century it was in the shadow of its neighbour, Edinburgh. It eventually lost its separate burgh status in 1856. Bakehouse or Hammermen's Close, west side (right), was owned by the Incorporation of Hammermen by 1762. On the right is the pend opening to the garden of the first backland, with two cellars (blocked up windows are just visible far right) and a forestair to the first floor of the five-roomed house. The second backland contained six tenants on three floors in 1762, again with garden access. This shows the density of population in just two dwellings (albeit upmarket) in one part of one close in the Old Town as the population grew and tofts (strips) were added to and split up between families. These tenements are some of the few remaining examples of the timber-jettied gable-fronted buildings which would have occupied much of the Old Town.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1345400

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap