The Orkney Image Library
Help us get organised! If we haven't correctly identified which area this picture is best listed under, please select it below and click Done!
This is the picture I mentioned in a comment on picture #3727. I had seen it captioned as the old poorhouse (ie where the Dunfermline is now) but could not understand that because of the presence of the street sign and the alignment of the cobbles. On checking last week at the Orkney Library photo archive, from where I obtained this copy, I found as I suspected that it is actually at the Bridge. The building straight ahead is where Stevenson's newsagents are now. Just visible on the right is part of the Parliament Close. This formed three sides of a square and was cleared away when the Commercial Bank was built in the 1860s. The ground floors of the buildings look lower than the street. The latter was probably raised when the burn was culverted and the bridge paved over. I'm told when the street was dug up not long ago you could see steps leading down to the burn for the washing and dyeing of clothes. Did anyone take a photo? Date estimated.
View Large VersionPicture added on 06 October 2007
Paul, just came accross this photo & your comment about the steps being exposed - Yes the steps were exposed (they are at the postbox) for a few hours whilst the paving in the surrounding area was relaid - but the OIC had the covered again ASAP incase anyone saw the steps primarily as no-one knew what they were for until now & the roads dept managers did not want the job held up if anyone wanted to investigate further
Anonymous comment added on 12 December 2010
This is one half of a stereo view in the Orkney Library and Archive. It was advertised as one of a group of 'Orcadian Views' in the Illustrated London News in August 1861 and taken by Charles Hubbard, a bird stuffer and photographer from Norfolk.
<< back
Added by Joe Rock on 08 February 2019
Kirkwall
