#bruntsfield

Bruntsfield Crescent.

The houses here were designed by the duo,  David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross, who  perhaps are more famous fro their Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland books. 

The street full of imposing Baronial villas. has had some alterations over the years, but nothing major, one architect involved was  Robert Lorimer, who also used the Baronial style in his work, so they work was in keeping with the original concepts, Lorimer designed  Scottish National War Memorial and The Thistle Chapel among other things.

Professor James Lorimer father of the aforementioned Robert lived at No 1 Bruntsfield crescent form 1873 until his death in 1890.  James  was an authority on international law and was Regius Professor of Public Law at the University of Edinburgh from 1862 till his passing.

The house was acquired by the hospital towards the end of the 1920s. The terrace is outstanding for its impressive sweep, good quality design. 

The properties in Bruntsfield Crescent had an overall average price of £650,000 over the last year, so they’re not cheap! 

A wee bit history on the area, the original name for the area was "Brounysfelde" or Brown's Fields, after the owner of Bruntsfield House, built on a pocket of land granted by the Crown within the Burgh Muir, which nowadays is split between, and known as The Meadows, and Bruntsfield Links.

A note in appendix 2 of the Great Seal of Scotland, 1306–1424, records a 1381 charter from the reign of  King Robert II, which grants to William Lauder the lands of "Burrowmure in Edinburghshire", which had previously belonged to Richard Broun of Boroumore.

Sir Alexander Lauder of Blyth, Provost of Edinburgh, acquired from his father, Sir Alexander Lauder of Haltoun, Knt., in August 1497 "the lands of Brounisfeld, with the manor-house and gardens, park, herbarium, etc., except for one perticate of land at the east end, adjoining the ditch thereof, in the common muir of Edinburgh.", that now being The Meadows and links.  In 1603 Sir Alexander Lauder sold it to John Fairlie of the family of Braid. Fairlie carried out extensive work to the original building, which is incorporated in the present mansion

The manor house,  known as Bruntsfield House, still survives but is much changed from what it once looked like. The following two pics are less than 120 years apart.

William Fairlie of Brounsfield, was still in possession after the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. He sold Brounisfield to George Warrender of Lochend, several street names bare the name Warrander in the area, indeed in my last post from my pics, the former church was once Warrander Church.

Edinburgh hospital for women and children.

A few pics from my latest trip into Edinburgh.

Also known as Bruntsfield Hospital, this former hospital is on the western side of Bruntsfield Links on Whitehouse Loan, the hospital and the Elsie Inglis Memorial Maternity Hospital were closely connected with Edinburgh's best known medical women. They originated from the wishes of Sophia Jex-Blake and Elsie Inglis to provide medical care for women, while at the same time offering practical experience to young female doctors. Both ladies have featured in previous post on my page.

Bruntsfield Hospital had its origins in the Edinburgh Provident Dispensary for Women and Children, opened by Sophia Jex-Blake at 73 Grove Street in September 1878. When the Dispensary moved to no. 6 Grove Street in 1885, it was able to provide six beds for women requiring hospital treatment and the institution changed its name to the Edinburgh Hospital and Dispensary for Women and Children. In 1899, when Sophia Jex-Blake retired and left Edinburgh, the Executive Committee of the hospital acquired her home, Bruntsfield Lodge. After alterations, the lodge provided 18 beds as a small general hospital for women: it gradually expanded and its bed complement reached 72.

In 1910, after a number of years of cooperation between the staff of the two institutions, Bruntsfield Hospital amalgamated with Elsie Inglis' Hospice in the High Street. Medical, surgical and gynaecological work was done at Bruntsfield, while obstetric and infant work was carried out at the Hospice. Like the Hospice, Bruntsfield Hospital retained its own dispensary and its own name.