All About Edinburgh
Dean Village
Dean Village was a small village outside Edinburgh known as Water o Leith Village, and was famous as a grain milling area for over 800 years. The name Dean (Dene) meaning Deep Gorge. The village has steep hills on all sides. The Dean Village with the Water of Leith flowing through, grew as a community in the 1100s from the many mills that were built on the river banks. You will see many stones carved with crossed paddles of the bakers, as this area supplied all the bakers of Edinburgh with their flour. The Incorporation of Baxters (bakers) was a crucial role in Dean Village, controlling the grain milling industry from the 12th century. Mills were first mentioned in 1143 by David I.
Dean Bridge Edinburgh
The Dean Bridge was designed by Thomas Telford, and was completed in 1831. The Dean Bridge
was Thomas Telford’s last project at the age 73 and retirement. The Dean Bridge is 447 feet long (136m) and 39 feet wide (12m) and built on four arches rising 106 feet (32m) above the river. Prior to the building of the Dean Bridge the only way across the river in to Edinburgh was by a ford in the river, which had been crossed since medieval times (5th to 15th centuries). A bridge, of wooden structure across the water of Leith was built in the 5th century.
The Dean Village
(Water of Leith Village)
The Dean Village with the Water of Leith flowing through, grew as a community in the 1100s from the mills that were built on the river banks. You will see many stones carved with crossed paddles of the bakers, as this area supplied all the bakers of Edinburgh with there flour. The old Tolbooth was a Granary built in 1675. The stone carving shows the sign of the bakers crossed paddles. At the side of the bridge is Bell’s Brae House a merchant’s house built in the mid-1600s. On the pathway towards Leith under the Dean Bridge is an area called Miller’s Row where you can see three mill stones resting against each other previously used in the Granaries in the 1600s. 70 meters west of the bridge is a waterfall and there is a great variety of wild life. A resident near the waterfall is the Grey Heron and with luck you could spot wild otters.
Hawthornbank Lane
Hawthornbank lane is part of the original milling hamlet known the Dene or Water of Leith Village and was famous as a grain milling area for over 800 years. The name Dene (Dean) meaning Deep Gorge. The Dean Village with the Water of Leith flowing through, grew as a community in the 1100s from the numerous mills that were built on the river banks.
Bells Brae Bridge
In the centre of the Dean village is the Bells Brae Bridge (pictured right) the original crossing point of the
Water of Leith.
The Bells Brae Bridge is where the original crossing to Edinburgh was in the 5th century a single arch bridge
wide enough for a carriage with horses. This was the only way across the Water of Leith and the main link on the route from Edinburgh to the Queens Ferry before the Belford Bridge and Dean Bridges were built diverting flow of traffic away from the Dean Village.
This stands below the Belford Bridge which was built in 1887 to carry Belford Road, part of the old road from Edinburgh to Queensferry.
Dean Village was a small village outside Edinburgh and was famous as a grain milling area for over 800 years, the name Dean (Dene) meaning Deep Gorge, as you can see the village has steep hills on all sides. It is now a popular residential area with the benefits of it’s proximity to the city centre.
Well Court Dean Village
The most impressive building is of Well Court, built in 1886 by the then owner of the Scotsman newspaper Sir John Findlay. The court had its own hall for socialising with a clock tower a communal court yard and a number of tenements for local workers.
Ravelston Area Edinburgh
Ravelston Area Edinburgh was outside Edinburgh and had limited access due to the water of Leith and they valley made by the water. There was a quick growth of wealthy merchants that built houses when the Belford Bridge opened giving easy access to the Edinburgh’s New Town.
