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A Tom Kent picture, date unknown.
I'm guessing here. but this looks like it will be the road that is now the right of way from near the foot of Union Street to High Street or Wellington Street, going past what used to be Orkney Factors and is now flats. This would make the bit here the part that would have had the Grain Court houses (previously the site of the old Post Office sorting office and later Scapa Knitwear) on the left, and other private houses on the right. The houses in the background are on High Street, and the house on the left I think is 3 High Street.
Paul Sutherland I am sure will know.
Picture added on 22 December 2005
Thanks for your confidence in my abilities! Yes that's the same road. What I don't know however is why the lane almost opposite which used to run into the back of Costies has "Back Road" carved on it (and not on the Junction Road face of the wall as one might have expected).
Added by Paul Sutherland on 22 December 2005
I often wondered about that "Back Road" in the wall too Paul and wondered if it had originally been on the Junction Road face of the wall and been moved when the wall around the church was rebuilt? I cannot remember when that was rebuilt but I can remember, when quite young and in my real tomboy phase [around the mid 1950s], walking along the top of that church wall very carefully as it had shards of glass embedded across the top to stop us kids walking on it. I lived in Union Street and this whole area was my playground. It was a game a lot of us played to see who could walk right along the top of the wall without falling off. It was after that time that they rebuilt the wall and it had no glass embedded in it then and it wasn't such fun!! Would there be any old photos of that area of junction road showing the lane into the back of Costies to see if the "Back Road"sign was in fact on the Junction Road part of the wall?
Added by Marion Mcleod on 23 December 2005
Yes, I am still sure that Back Road stone used to be facing Junction Road years ago and was probably put in the lane when they rebuilt the wall. Would the Church know anything about this?
Added by marion mcleod on 24 December 2005
shows the same scene today (Christmas Eve 2005), and picture #1242 shows the Back Road engraving.Added by Steven Heddle on 24 December 2005
Certainly when I first remember, in the 70s, the stone was where it is now and that was when the front wall was at its full height with the glass on the top (but unlike Marion I was too chicken to climb it). The OS map of 1880 shows that the close took a 45 degree turn to the right after where Costies' gate was later, and continued on towards Main Street. Someone, probably the late Ann Park of Firth's Square, told me that Costies blocked off a right of way when they built the tennis courts. Perhaps the close was called Back Road when the church and wall were built. "Main Street" is carved into the wall at the other end of the site where the railings are.
Added by Paul Sutherland on 23 January 2006
The (farm?) house that you can see on the left is now Mah-leigh, 3 Wellington Street. The back of the house is still the same but is now obscured from view by another house. The middle chimney is no longer there (or all the mature trees in the garden).
Added by Claire Kemp on 13 June 2006
When I was a boy, the term 'Back Road' was a synonym for 'Junction Road' - we colloquially referred to it as 'Back Road' all the time.
I also seem to remember the above stone facing Junction Road.
I also seem to remember the above stone facing Junction Road.
Added by Fred Grieve on 26 February 2009
Don't most folk still use the term 'The Back Road' rather than 'Chunkshan Road'? It would be interesting to know when and how the name changed.
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Added by Marlene Mainland on 27 February 2009
Kirkwall
