December update from Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Friends
Our first ever AGM was well attended on a dreich night and we hope to send out a goodwill message and a thank you to all of those that have supported the Friends Group this year in helping raise awareness of it’s magical story and campaign for its protection (writes Kirsty Sutherland).

One major success over the last year was the re-listing of the walled garden by Historic Scotland, thanks to research provided by Friends Group members the whole garden is now B-listed.
Progress has also been made towards an agreement with the developers, to allow restoration work & community growing to begin: with access and a new doorway planned for the New Year if all goes well, fingers and toes crossed.
Scotland’s Urban Past is the name of the five year project being run by Historic Environment Scotland to help community groups like ours fully investigate sites like Granton Castle Walled Garden. The last outdoor field archaeology training and cartography day in October was well attended, and we are to meet again to discuss our findings, and plan some more activities with experts from the RCAHMS.
Tuesday 8 December, 2pm North Edinburgh Arts
  • Field Archaeology day – what did we find out? Slideshow and discussion with staff from the event.
  • Filmmaking training is planned and we will begin with some storyboarding. – what do we want to say, and how could we do this with a film?
  • Ideas for future sessions with SUP’s staff?
Lots of suggestions have been made so far ranging from pollen core analysis of the garden’s soil, archaeological digs, to 3-D maps of the garden. We hope it will help group members to learn new skills with training provided for free by Historic Environment Scotland staff. Have updated the wordpress page with some of the information gathered so far, and added the links to the online archives we have to thank for many of the beautiful historic photographs on our site. Pictures Maps & Plans
Latest Planning News
After a November City Chambers meeting with the planners we have learned that a final decision is to be made on the planning application dating from 2003 to build 17 townhouses in the walled garden in mid January 2016 at the earliest.
Our Ward councillor has requested on our behalf that this ‘legacy’ application is ‘determined by a Hearing’ allowing us to put forward the case for restoring the walled garden.
More is likely to follow on this subject but think we may leave it until the new year!
Anyway, I hope you all have a good turn of the year and hope to see you at an event or two in the walled garden one day…
October meeting notes attached, along with a condition report of the garden, and a wee you-tube film of the walled garden if you have ever wondered how overgrown a garden can get in 10 years!
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davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer