The South Bridge in Edinburgh might be the city’s most talked about but least understood structure. The road surface over the Cowgate sits on top of at least nineteen huge stone arches, almost completely concealed by tenement buildings. There are shops and restaurants on the Bridge at street level, flats above and vaulted chambers below. Often, it is forgotten that the neighbouring Niddry Street and Blair Street were created along with the Bridge, as part of a broader building scheme. Thanks to a Jean Guild Grant from the Old Edinburgh Club, this project can consider the design and construction of the bridge and the impact it had on the careers of different individuals and explore the economic and social changes it caused.

The initial attempt to create the South Bridge in 1775 was so fiercely opposed that the project was delayed until 1785, following changes in local politics. As a result, the Bridge became disassociated from its counterpart, the North Bridge. However, both structures form part of the same urban vision, published in a pamphlet entitled Proposals by Sir Gilbert Elliot of Minto, a member of the Revolution Club, alongside the Lord Provost George Drummond, the famous Scottish architect, Robert Adam, and other notables. Whilst Adam’s designs for both bridges have received extensive scholarly attention, neither of them was selected for construction. Four architects are associated with the completed work: John Baxter, James Brown, Alexander Laing and Robert Kay. Kay’s house at No. 1  Hunter Square, was in another area created as part of the South Bridge Development Area. From his windows he overlooked the structure that gave him confidence to style himself ‘architect’. The Jean Guild Grant is enabling increased understanding of the role each man played in the construction of South Bridge.

The land sales for the tenement buildings adjacent to the Bridge paid for its construction. Remarkably, it was so profitable the surplus income was used to create Old College (which was designed by Robert Adam). These buildings incorporated retail and residential spaces and followed a strict design, every third to have a pediment. However, the commercial power of the Bridge has never been considered and the people who lived, worked and shopped there are at the heart of this research project. The South Bridge was Edinburgh’s first shopping street, a new commercial phenomenon in the 18th century, aligning with the vision laid out in the Proposals to do away with the open-air markets and Luckenbooths that the Revolution Club felt were cluttering up the city. This research examines the extent to which this was achieved and how the new space was utilised by businesspeople and residents.

Edinburgh was a densely populated city, with inhabitants living in narrow closes and wynds. As such, demolition of existing buildings was required to create the space for the new infrastructure and the adjacent, much wider, streets. Kennedy’s Close and Peebles, Marlin’s, and Niddry’s Wynds were home and place of work for many people. Some owners received compensation for the destruction, but the majority did not as they rented their spaces within the buildings.

What happened next in their story has so far not been investigated. How many of the residents and business-owners returned to the new streets and benefited from the development despite the interruption to their trade? Where did the others relocate? How many were permanently put out of business because of this improvement scheme? Commencing with an extensive analysis of surviving street directories, this project intends to provide answers to these questions.