Canongate Tolbooth facts for kids
The Canongate Tolbooth is a really old and important building in the Old Town part of Edinburgh. It was built way back in 1591. Back then, it was the main office for the area called the Canongate, which was a separate town outside Edinburgh's big walls. Today, this amazing building is home to The People's Story Museum, where you can learn all about Edinburgh's past. It's also a special "category A listed building", meaning it's super important to protect!
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A Look Back in Time
The tall tower of the Tolbooth was built in 1591. The building next to it, on the east side, was added around the same time. A powerful person named Sir Lewis Bellenden had it built. He was in charge of the Canongate area and was a top judge in Scotland.
What Was It Used For?
The Canongate Tolbooth was like the town hall, police station, and courthouse all rolled into one for the Canongate.
- It was where the local town council met to make decisions.
- It had a jail for people who broke the rules.
- It was also the place where legal cases were heard.
Modern Changes
Many years later, in 1875, a city architect named Robert Morham gave the building a big makeover. He fixed up the outside and changed the inside. The first floor and the attic were joined together to create a larger space. This new space is now home to The People's Story Museum, which tells the stories of ordinary people in Edinburgh.
Cool Features of the Building
The Tolbooth has a tall bell tower and a lower building next to it. This lower part used to hold the council meeting room and the courtroom.
The Tower's Look
The tower has two small, round towers called bartizans on either side of a clock. These bartizans even have decorative openings that look like old gun loops! The clock itself was added in 1884 and hangs over the Royal Mile street with fancy iron supports. Above these small towers, the main tower ends in a pointy, cone-shaped roof called a spire.
Street Level Details
At street level, there's a round-arched passageway called a pend. This pend leads into a street called Tolbooth Wynd. The building also has a stone staircase on the outside that leads up to a door near the tower. You can also spot a special window that sticks out from the wall, called an oriel window. There are also four decorative windows on the roof, called dormers, which were added during the 1875 makeover.
Nearby Landmarks
Just a short walk down the Royal Mile from the Tolbooth, you'll find the Kirk of the Canongate (a church) and its old graveyard, the Canongate Kirkyard.
