Leith Walk - History

History

Leith Walk owes its existence to a defensible rampart which was constructed between Calton Hill and Leith. The northern march of Cromwell's army, in 1650, was halted at this line by the Scots, under David Leslie (who was subsequently defeated at the Battle of Dunbar). The rampart was then developed into a footpath described by Daniel Defoe in 1725 as "a very handsome Gravel-walk, 20 Feet broad, continued to the Town of Leith, which is kept in good repair at the public Charge, and no Horse suffered to come upon it." which explains why the street became known as Leith Walk. At the time of its creation it gave an alternative (and shorter) route to Edinburgh to the pre-existing Easter Road and its then counterpart Wester Road (now called Bonnington Road/Broughton Road) although it did not supplant these routes as the main road to Leith until subsequent to the building of the North Bridge in 1769. It is notable that at the building of North Bridge, due to its controversy at the time, Lord Provost Drummond wrote on its foundation stone that it was "a new road to Leith".

In 1763 it was clearly a coach route and a regular service existed from Leith to Edinburgh on the hour from 8am to 8pm with each journey taking an hour each way, resting at the Halfway House at Shrubhill (which existed as a pub until its demolition in 1983). At this time it is stated that there were no other coaches in Scotland except the infrequent service from Edinburgh to London.

In 1779 Hugo Arnot the local historian stated that 156 coaches travelled the route daily, each carrying 4 passengers at a cost of 2d or 3d per person.

In 1799 40 oil lamps were erected along the street to light the route. This is one of the earliest references to public street lighting.

The road apparently fell into disrepair given its frequent use by coaches and was not repaired until 1810 when the road was rebuilt as a "splendid causeway" raising the road level by around 6 feet. This was "at great expense by the City of Edinburgh and had a toll erected for its payment".