OS1/11/105/230

Continued entries/extra info

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ground in a pretty entire condition were sent to the Phrenological Museum. In the inner wall w, a gateway
was found opening to the east, from which it appears that this wall had been built before any of the earth now
behind it was deposited. The iron pins upon which the gate turned were still in the stone. A road wide enough
for men or pacK horses had led from this gate into the interior of the town.
Security was the great object sought in selecting sites for cities in turbulent times and Edinburgh owes its existence
to the Castle rocK, which is now of no use and to the long ridge under the old town whose steep sides at first con-
stituted its strength, as they now form the great obstacle to its improvement. The boundaries of the city at different
periods are pointed out in Mr. Lothian's commodious little map; but even without this guide it would have
been easy to deduce from the Known practice in early times, the original position of the town.
This small map of the Old town is merely a sKetch for illustration and neither in it nor in the foregoing
large figure has any effort been made to observe accuracy of proportion.
S The Castle
h d The line of the High Street to the Netherbow
N The North Loch
R The Line of Prince's Street
t t The Line of the Cowgate
[--] The College
r r The South and North Bridges
b u The Parliament Square and Cathedral
The original City must have been attached to the Castle as the inhabitants evidently would
not suffer an unwalled space to lie between the two, by occupying which an enemy would cut of
their retreat to the fort which they must have regarded as a place of refuge in extremities. The
first walls of the city therefore we may suppose followed nearly the direction of the double line
a b c d e f g . The City in this locality would have a position of considerable strength. On the one side it had the North
Loch, with water in the middle and a double border of quagmire; on the other a marsh or quagmire spreading from
the foot of the wall out to the Cowgate or farther with a breadth perhaps of 100 feet. This marsh or quagmire seems

[Diagram/drawing included on page]

[continued on page 231]

Transcriber's notes

Words lost in fold

This Name Book refers to Edinburgh 1852 - Sheet 35
OS large scale Scottish town plans, 1847-1895 - Scale: 1:1056

  Transcribers who have contributed to this page.

Bizzy- Moderator, Christine Y

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