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Edinburgh, Belford Road, Windmill
Windmill (18th Century)
Site Name Edinburgh, Belford Road, Windmill
Classification Windmill (18th Century)
Alternative Name(s) John Watson's School; Belford Road Windmill
Canmore ID 52670
Site Number NT27SW 45
NGR NT 23301 73752
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/52670
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
NT27SW 45 23301 73752
(NT 2330 7375) There is the ruined stump of a tower windmill at the NW corner of John Watson's School property. It is dated to the 18th century by the RCAHMS, and appears on a 1759 map of Edinburgh as "an Old Wind Mill." Originally 30'high, the structure is now 24' high on the W side and 17' on the E. Roughly built of rubble, it is 13' in diameter within 4' thick walls. A rectangular building, now demolished, opening from the W arc probably housed a store and kiln.
RCAHMS 1951; I L Donnachie and N Stewart 1967.
No change to previous information.
Visited by OS (B S) 2 December 1975.
Note (1770 - 1779)
The derelict windmill forms the subject of an etching by John Clerk of Eldin. This depicts the round tower of the mill complete to its wallhead, the upper courses of which are shown boldly corbelled out. Two round-headed windows can be seen, as can the opening of the round-arched undercroft.
Information from RCAHMS (IFr, 25 May 2015)
Publication Account (1951)
196. Windmill, John Watson's School, Belford Road.
The N.W. corner of the school property rests on the high left bank of the Water of Leith, and the boundary at this part incorporates the ruin of a windmill which appears to date from the 18th century. If this is the structure marked "an Old Wind Mill " on a manuscript map in the possession of Edinburgh Corporation it must have been already old in 1759. The building consisted of a rectangular block, now demolished, with a circular tower at the E. end ; 'the lower part of the tower still stands to a height of some 17 ft. at the E. side and 24 ft. at its junction with the demolished block, where the ground falls. This tower, which has recently been repaired, is built of rubble and has a diameter of12 ft. 10 in. within walls about 4 ft. thick. The archway that opened to the missing part is still entire. The N. wall is breached, but a smaller rent in the wall opposite has been repaired and the window that was originally here has been renewed.
RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941
