William Street - fitting the bill since the 1820s

William Street was built in

1824-5 and much of it is attributed to Robert Brown, the Unsung Hero of Georgian Edinburgh.

The street of shops and artisan flats above, described as a "plain classical commercial terrace" is probably modelled on Rose Street in the first New Town. The shop fronts are mostly painted with a cornice above, and on the first and second floors the windows are 12-pane timber sash and case.

It is "an important planned grouping of late Georgian shops and tenements" according to Historic Environment Scotland, and the earlier 19th century shop front configuration is more or less intact.

The wonderful language of architecture tells us that the entrance platts "oversail" the basement areas, and reminds us that the cast iron railings have fleur de lys finials on top.

There are lanes behind the street although not at the Stafford Street end where the buildings have been linked to the corner pavilions.

William Street was built on land owned by Patrick Walker, a gift from his father William. This then explains both the name given to Walker Street which dissects the east and west parts of William Street, and William Street itself.

It was his spinster daughters, Mary and Barbara Walker, who sold off portions for development in the latter part of the 19th century.

They were devout episcopalians and gifted their own garden as it was then as the site for an Episcopalian Cathedral to be a centrepiece for the West End. This is now St Mary's Cathedral which only had one spire paid for by the Misses Walker. The second and third were added in 1917.

The plan for the Walker Estate was drawn up in 1813 by Robert Brown, and it is thought to be one of the best examples of his work. Brown had already laid out streets in Portobello in the period between 1810 and 1830, as well as areas of Newington and St Leonard's Church which is now The Queen's Hall.

He was also quite efficient and accomplished at finishing off corners in the city. He designed the corner pavilions and the shops below on North West Circus Place. There, the shop fronts such as The Pantry and Jeffreys Interiors, are also painted.

The shops and buildings here are B listed, which is a protection against certain changes which would affect the historical nature of them. The northern half of the West End also lies in the World Heritage Site.

Jason Mller

Liam Ross

Denzil Skinner and Amanda Egerton-King