Kate Bowell

Granton Esparto Grass

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Jan 152019
 
Photograph of a street on the north side of Western Pier, where esparto grass was offloaded; the area was known as Esparto Warf

The off-loading of the esparto grass was located not far from here, and known as Esparto Warf, on the very north side of the Western Pier

Chestnut Street, Edinburgh EH5 1FX

A major industry in the Edinburgh area was printing and publishing, and this required paper. One of the raw components used to make it, esparto grass, had to be transported to the UK. Starting in the 1870s, esparto grass was being imported and by the 1950s, about a third of all the esparto grass that came into the country arrived at Granton – 100,000 tons of it. Coming from as far away as southern Spain and northern Africa, the arrival of esparto grass shipments were exciting times for the local children who adored the off-loading of the shipments, as the occasional tortoise hidden in the grass would quickly become a favourite pet.

Black and white photograph of esparto grass being unloading at Granton's Western Pier

Unloading esparto grass at Granton’s Western Pier

Black and white photograph of an esparto grass train at Granton

Esparto grass train at Granton

Black and white photograph of Granton Square with a lorry loaded with esparto grass leaving the Square, 11 April, 1955

Granton Square with a lorry loaded with esparto grass leaving the Square, 11 April, 1955

Granton Harbour, Gunpowder, and Other Industries

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Jan 152019
 
Photograph of the road down Middle Pier with businesses and residential buildings along the left side

Middle Pier, now the location of businesses and further along residential development

Lochinvar Drive, Edinburgh EH5 1HF

In 1937, the harbour consisted of a Middle Pier (this road) protected on the east and west sides by two breakwaters, forming two harbours covering a total of 122 acres. Imports to the harbour were esparto grass, wood pulp and other paper manufacturing materials, motor spirit, asphalt, strawboards, and bog ore, while exports included coal, coke, and coke breeze. The coal came from the nearby Lothian coalfields, although a considerable load came from the Lanarkshire pits. Practically all the coke exported from the nearby Edinburgh Corporation Gas Works was shipped via Granton to Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. This building you can see ahead is the recently refurbished Gunpowder Store. This B-listed building is the sole surviving historic structure on the middle pier at Granton Harbour. The two-storey building, which was built with extra-thick walls to ensure it was safe to store gunpowder there, had a cast-iron hoist to allow it to unload ships docked in the harbour. Inside the warehouse, which was one of four match buildings created for the opening of the pier in 1842, there are the remains of railway tracks used by goods wagons.

Black and white photograph of a coke train coming down from Granton Gas Works via Breakwater Junction to Granton on 4 June, 1958.

Coke train coming down from Granton Gas Works via Breakwater Junction to Granton on 4 June, 1958.

Photograph of the restored Gun Powder building

The Gun Powder building, now restored. Photo from the John Dickson collection.

Granton Ferries

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Jan 152019
 
Photograph of Granton Harbour and a pier, showing the original hub of the harbour

The location of the original hub of Granton Harbour

Lochinvar Drive, Edinburgh, EH5 1HF

In 1849, the Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee Railway Company commissioned the famous Victorian engineer Sir Thomas Bouch (1822 – 1880) to design and build a ferry service at Granton. Whatever the tide level, this service would be able to load and unload railway carriages and freight wagons between Granton and Burntisland across in Fife. To accomplish this, a specifically-designed vessel, the Leviathan – the first of its kind in the world – was needed. The ship, built on the Clyde, had two engines, mounted port and starboard over the paddles, so the main deck had maximum stowage for the railway carriage cargo. By October 1879, a new steam powdered passengers ship, the William Muir, was brought into operation. The Leviathan service ended in 1890 when the Forth Railway Bridge opened, but the “Willie Muir” went on for another 47 years and it is estimated she carried over three-quarters of a million passengers. After WWII,  four more ferries were brought into operation, including the Bonnie Prince Charlie which could carry 30 cars and passengers and even had a coffee lounge and cocktail bar.

Black and white photograph of train ferries to load and unload railway carriages

Train ferries accessing the ferry slip

Sepia photograph of the old paddle steamer "William Muir" loading horses at Granton

The old paddle steamer “William Muir” loading horses at Granton

Black and white sketch of Sir Thomas Bouch, who designed the first train ferries

Sir Thomas Bouch (25 February 1822 – 30 October 1880) He introduced the first roll-on roll-off train ferries in the world.

The Building of Granton Harbour

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Jan 152019
 
Photograph overlooing the west harbour of Granton Harbour
This road is located on the original middle pier. Looking towards Leith, the west harbour is now used for leisure purposes

Lochinvar Drive, Edinburgh EH5 1GT

The idea of building a harbour at Granton is said to have been suggested in 1834 by R.W. Hamilton, the manager of the General Steam Navigation Company. A deep water port, unlike Leith harbour, which was tidal, would allow Edinburgh to import and export goods. The 5th Duke of Buccleuch, who owned land in the area, saw the opportunity to build this new harbour on part of the estate he owned, which included Caroline Park House. Robert Stevenson, the lighthouse engineer and grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, advised on the harbour’s design and it was built using stone from the Granton Sea Quarry. Construction was completed in 1863, although part of the harbour, the Central Pier, was opened much earlier on 28 June 1838, the day of Queen Victoria’s Coronation.

Color photograph of pilot boats on the Forth
Pilot Boats on the Forth
Vintage map of Granton Harbour and the surrounding neighbourhood
The development of Granton Harbour
Sepia photograph of Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry
Colorful painting of two boats in Granton Harbour by Jenny Haslam
Red, yellow, and turquoise abstract illustration of boats in Granton Harbour by Louise Montgomery
Boats at Granton Harbour by Louise Montgomery

The Railways

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Jan 152019
 

Road leading to Granton Harbour Middle Pier

Access to Granton Harbour Middle Pier. A considerable section is now reclaimed land with part of the harbour filled in and developed for commercial and residential purposes

Harbour Road, Edinburgh EH5 1PN

The Edinburgh Leith & Newhaven Railway opened on 31 August 1842 between the New Town and nearby Trinity Crescent. From 1850 to 1890 this was part of the main East Coast railway line to Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen. Most of the passengers who died in the famous Tay Bridge disaster in December 1879 had traveled by this route a few hours previously. The opening of the Forth Bridge in 1890 resulted in the main line trains to the north ceasing to use the route. The Granton branch was then used only for local passenger trains and goods traffic. The passenger trains stopped in 1925, a few years after the tramway systems were introduced. The goods trains ran until 1986. The line was lifted and the embankment beside Lower Granton Road removed in 1991-1992. Part of the route, from Trinity to Canonmills, is now a walkway.

Black and white photograph of trains arriving in Granton Harbour on 2 September 1955

Trains arriving in Granton Harbour (locomotive 68340) 2 September 1955

Black and white photograph of the North British Railway Granton Railway Station

North British Railway Granton Railway Station located on the Middle Pier (closed in 1925)

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