Consider history next time you buy a bed
This week’s column is not an advert for beds - it is rather to talk about the corner junction between Maxwell Place and Viewfield Street.
The whole block is an odd wee triangle with Barnton Place finishing it.
But believe it or not this is a very historic location…it’s the site of the medieval eastern gate to the city and if you went to or from Cambuskenneth Abbey or the harbour this is the way you came. The construction of Barnton Street truncated the eastern ends of Friar’s Wynd and Irvine Street, which led to them being renamed in the 19th century.
Friar’s Wynd was the boundary of the Dominican Priory founded in 1320 and destroyed in 1560 and Irvine Street was the northern boundary of the medieval city, which was fortified against Cromwell in 1650.
The last record of the gate being locked was in late 1745 when Bonnie
Prince Charlie threatened the city. While we simply let him in, he did try to take the castle (its last ever siege) and it didn’t end well ... Culloden was a couple of months away.
This is another of those spine tingling spots in Stirling and there are really lots and lots of them. Just about everyone from medieval Stirling came this way - Edward I, Robert The Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots and John Cowane to name but a few.
Everything is now gone, cleared to make the road wider to allow more people and things into the city. So if you go for a new bed or a walk or cycle to Cambuskenneth pause and think for a while!