Town Planning
Source 4 : ‘Plan of the new streets and squares intended for the City of Edinburgh’, by James Craig, 1768
Map (NLS shelfmark: EMS.s.647)
During the early 1760s, work began on building a bridge to connect the Old Town with the land to the north of the city.
In March 1766, while this bridge was being constructed, a competition was announced for designing a ‘New Town’, or northern suburb.
The young architect James Craig was the winner of the competition, and his revised plan was adopted in July 1767. This printed version of the plan was engraved by Patrick Begbie and is dedicated to King George III.
Poem by James Thomson
The plan includes five lines of a poem by James Thomson, James Craig’s uncle. Thomson was a well-known poet who spent most of his adult life in England. The lyrics of the patriotic song ‘Rule Britannia’ were written by Thomson as part of ‘Alfred: A Masque’ (1740).
Transcript
no transcript available
Discussion Points
- Look at the street names, together with the dedication and the five-line poem. As a political symbol, what message is this plan trying to convey?