City Centre, Dundee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids City Centre, Dundee |
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 City Centre, Dundee
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| OS grid reference | NO402300 |
| Council area |
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| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNDEE |
| Postcode district | DD1 |
| Dialling code | 01382 |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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The City Centre of Dundee, Scotland, is the main shopping and business area. Long ago, before the big changes of the Industrial Revolution (when machines and factories became common), this area was actually the whole city of Dundee! Today, it's mostly surrounded by a main road called the Market Gait. Unlike the city centre in Glasgow, many streets here aren't laid out in a neat grid pattern. Instead, they are more like the older parts of Edinburgh, even though most buildings in Dundee's city centre were built in the 1800s or later.
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Exploring Dundee City Centre
The modern city centre still has six main streets from medieval times. These are the Seagait, Murraygait, Nethergait, Overgait, Wellgait, and Cowgait. The word "Gait" is an old Scots word for street. All these streets still exist today. However, the "Overgate" and "Wellgate" are now big indoor shopping centres.
Many of the small, narrow paths called "closes" were taken down in the late 1800s. This made space for bigger, grander streets built during the Victorian era. But the area north of the city centre, between Meadowside, Ward Road, and the Market Gait, is mostly laid out in a grid. It has wide avenues and curved streets because it was carefully planned in Victorian times.
Key Places in the City Centre
At the very heart of the city centre is the City Square. This square is home to some of Dundee's most important cultural buildings. You'll find the Caird Hall and the Marryat Hall here. The City Chambers, where the local council works, is also in the square.
Right behind the City Square used to be a tall building called Tayside House. It was built in 1976 and was the main office for the local council. But it was taken down in 2013 as part of a big plan to improve the waterfront area. The council's main office then moved to Dundee House.
Important Offices and Buildings
Many important places are located in Dundee's city centre. These include the offices of D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, a famous publishing company. You can also find Alliance Trust, a financial company, and the McManus Galleries. The McManus Galleries is a museum and art gallery.
Other key buildings include the High School of Dundee, the University of Abertay Dundee, and the Barrack Street Natural History Museum. The Episcopal St Paul's Cathedral is also here. The main railway station and the headquarters of Tayside Police are in the city centre too. There is also a ten-story office building called City House inside the Overgate shopping centre.
Statues and History
You'll find many public statues scattered around the city centre. These statues honor famous people and characters. Some of them include Robert Burns, Queen Victoria, and Admiral Duncan. You can also see statues of the Strathmartine Dragon, James Carmichael, and even comic book characters like Desperate Dan and Minnie the Minx.
There's also a special plaque for William Wallace. It's located near St Paul's Cathedral. This spot is thought to be where Dundee's old castle once stood. It's known that Wallace and Andrew Moray attacked this castle early in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Future Plans and Developments
Since 2000, there have been big plans to improve Dundee's waterfront. People were asked for their ideas on how to make the area better. A main plan was created, and work began in 2006 to strengthen the railway tunnel. In 2009, a major part of the plan was completed: changing the ramps for the A92 Tay Road Bridge.
A new museum and gallery, V&A Dundee, was announced in 2010. Several important buildings were taken down by 2013. These included Tayside House, the Hilton Hotel and Casino, and the old entrance buildings to the railway station. The Olympia Leisure Centre was also moved to a new location. The entire waterfront project was expected to be finished by 2017.
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