Constitution Street facts for kids

The foot of Leith Walk with Constitution Street on the right

Constitution Street is an important road in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stretches north from where Leith Walk, Great Junction Street, and Duke Street meet. It goes all the way to the Albert Dock in Leith Docks.

History of Constitution Street

How the Street Got Its Name

Constitution Street gets its name from Constitution Hill. This hill used to be where the Assembly Rooms stand today. An old map from 1777 shows the street called Constutition Road. But back then, it was much shorter. It only went from the South Leith Churchyard to Bernard Street.

Building the Street

The street as we know it today was finished in 1800. It was built to help people get around more easily. It created a new route from Bernard Street to Leith Walk. This new road helped people avoid the busy and winding old streets of Leith.

When it was built, the street was raised up. It was about two metres higher than the natural ground. This means that some older buildings along the street now have their original ground floors buried underground. They are like basements now!

Most of the buildings on Constitution Street have looked the same for over a hundred years. However, the northern part of the street used to have many factories. Now, this area has been rebuilt with lots of new homes.

Interesting Events on Constitution Street

A Historical Event in 1823

On January 9, 1823, a notable event happened at the north end of the street. Two men, Peter Heaman from Carlscrona in Sweden and Francois Gautiez from France, faced serious consequences for piracy. They had been found guilty in 1822 of taking over a ship called the "Jane." The ship was traveling from Gibraltar to Brazil. The men were accused of harming the ship's captain and stealing a large amount of money.

There are different stories about what happened to their bodies afterwards. One story says their bodies were given to a doctor for study. Another story says they were buried right where the event took place. In the year 2000, during an archaeological dig, two bodies were found near the correct area. This discovery might support the idea that they were buried there.

Constitution Street in Films

Constitution Street has been featured in several movies!

• The Conquest of the South Pole (1989) starring Ewen Bremner and John Michie
• Trainspotting (1996) starring Ewen Bremner and Ewan McGregor
• Sunshine on Leith (2013) starring Peter Mullan

Important Buildings on Constitution Street

In the 1950s, some old buildings were removed in Leith. While most of this happened in the Kirkgate area, Constitution Street also lost some important structures. One of these was Lord Balmerino's House, which was built around 1670.

Here are some other notable buildings you can still see:

• The Exchange Buildings and Assembly Rooms: East of Bernard Street, you'll find the beautiful classical-style Assembly Rooms. These used to be the Leith Exchange building.
• Leith Police Station: This building was once the Town Hall for Leith. It was built in 1827 and designed by R & R Dickson.
• Church of St. James: This church was designed by George Gilbert Scott and built in 1862. Its tall stone spire was made shorter in 1977.
• South Leith Parish Churchyard: At the south end of the street, there's a churchyard that connects to South Leith Parish Church. The City of Edinburgh Council takes care of this historical burial ground. People started being buried here in the mid-1600s. Before that, people were buried inside the church itself. In 2009, during work for the Edinburgh Trams, several bodies were found just outside the churchyard wall.