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58-473: The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway was an early railway built to convey coal from pits in the vicinity of Dalkeith into the capital. It was a horse-operated line, with a terminus at St Leonards on the south side of Arthur's Seat . Opened in stages from 1831, it was Edinburgh 's first railway, and used the track gauge of 4 ft 6 in , commonly used for mineral railways in Scotland. The entry into

116-411: A Roman temporary camp, a post-medieval building, an 18th-century designed landscape, and two industrial sites with a brick and tile works and a coal pit engine house. Given the wide area covered they were able to surmise the general settlement patterns of Dalkeith over the centuries. Settlement and land use was concentrated on the sands and gravels of the river terraces and only a bit of human occupation on

174-736: A Watch Tower at the cemetery (1827), a water tower and early 19th-century iron mills and the Masonic Temple or Lodge Rooms of the Dalkeith Kilwinning Masonic Lodge No.10 situated next to The Collegiate Church of St Nicholas Buccleuch in the high street completed in 1766. Edinburgh College has its Midlothian Campus in Eskbank, close to the railway station. There is a modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormon) meeting house on Newbattle Road. Midlothian Community Hospital

232-582: A branch from the south end of the North Esk viaduct curving round east and north-east into Dalkeith, opening in the autumn of 1838. "Date uncertain". The Duke of Buccleuch owned coal pits at Smeaton and Cowden, north-east of Dalkeith. Like the Marquis of Lothian, he extended the line at his own expense to reach his pits in 1839. His line diverged from the Dalkeith branch just before the terminus, and crossed

290-604: A coal pit at Craighall on 4 July 1831; this was probably close to the present-day Newcraighall . It was soon extended to a temporary terminus at Dalhousie Mains, on the north bank of the South Esk river, opening in October 1831. The route ran via Millerhill village and Hardengreen, crossing the North Esk on a bridge 60 feet (18 m) high, and the main line was about 10 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (17.3 km) long. The Fisherrow branch from Niddry (later spelt Niddrie) opened on

348-455: A considerable internal branch line between them and the main line. The pit at Arniston Engine was served by a tramway branch from Arniston, on the main line, which is located just short of Gorebridge station. In compensation for the expense, the Marquis was allowed to use the North Esk viaduct on the E&;DR for his coal free of charge. In March 1835, the E&DR opened a branch (authorised by

406-496: A large viaduct, "Victoria Bridge", over the South Esk; the line then forked to the two groups of pits. Priestley, writing in 1828, described it: This railway commences on the south side of the city of Edinburgh, near Salisbury Craigs, [sic] from whence it proceeds in an eastwardly direction, skirting the King's Park; thence, on the south side of Duddingston House, and by the village of Hunters Hall, to Redrow, where it communicates with

464-454: A population of 12,342 people according to the 2011 census. The town is divided into four distinct areas: Dalkeith proper with its town centre and historic core; Eskbank (considered to be the well-heeled neighbourhood of Dalkeith with many large Victorian and newer houses) to its west; Woodburn (primarily a working class council estate with pockets of new housing developments) to its east; and Newbattle (a semi-rural village with its abbey ) to

522-685: Is 'SFA Quality Mark' accredited and run by volunteers. Dalkeith RFC play in the Scottish Rugby Union East Leagues . The club was the first in Midlothian to open full membership to women and the first in the county to run a women's side. Notable former players include Sir David Murray , whose car crash on the way back from a match in North Berwick ended his rugby career and led to him focusing on his business empire. Adam Robson, who went on to become President of

580-602: Is just outside Dalkeith, located off the A7 road on the eastern edge of the neighbouring town of Bonnyrigg . Until 2008, Dalkeith was on the A68 , one of the main routes south from Edinburgh to Jedburgh and across the border to Darlington . A bypass to take traffic away from the town centre was completed in September 2008; this then took the A68 number, and the old route of the A68 is now

638-417: Is level for about one-third of its length; and the remaining portions have inclinations of 1 in 300 and 1 in 69 respectively, the whole length being 4 miles … The Musselburgh branch [i.e. Fisherrow] is altogether on an inclination of 1 in 51 + 1 ⁄ 2 … In the main line we counted seven bridges over the railway, four bridges under, six level road-crossings … the main line being double throughout … There

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696-599: Is one tunnel 572 yards in length, which is on the Edinburgh inclined plane … the Tunnel is lighted by twenty-five gas lamps … The gauge is 4 feet 6 inches … the rails are of the fish-bellied form, weighing 28 lbs to the yard … the whole way is laid with freestone blocks … Near [South Eske] station is a long wooden bridge, which carries the Marquess of Lothian's railway over the river Eske. Whishaw says The inclined plane near

754-487: Is the only Roman Catholic church in the town, it is a category A listed building and was built in 1854. Dalkeith Palace which replaced the castle in the late 16th century and was rebuilt in the early 18th century, lies at the north-east edge of the town. It is a former seat of the Duke of Buccleuch , surrounded by parkland and follies . The building on High Street now known as Dalkeith Tolbooth dates from 1648 although it

812-531: Is understood to be a Cumbric name, cognate with Welsh ddôl 'meadow, plateau, valley' + coed 'wood'. During the construction of the Dalkeith Northern Bypass in 1994-95 and 2006-08 (final construction was delayed for over a decade) archaeologists, working for CFA Archaeology, uncovered many archaeological features and information on the prehistory and history of the area. Their findings included two ring-groove structures, two pit alignments,

870-466: The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway (Dalkeith and Leith Branches) Act 1834 ( 4 & 5 Will. 4 . c. lxxi), on 27 June 1834, authorised a further £54,875 to build branches to Fisherrow, and "allowing a certain amount of passenger traffic by horse-drawn railway coaches". The line was designed by James Jardine , its engineer from 1826; the company's manager David Rankine also had an engineering role from

928-505: The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Act 1826 ( 7 Geo. 4 . c. xcviii) on 26 May 1826. It was designed as a horse-drawn railway, and its engineer, James Jardine, adopted the track gauge of 4 ft 6 in, which had been used in the West of Scotland. The line linked coal pits in the Dalkeith area to the city of Edinburgh, bringing coal for domestic and industrial use. The Edinburgh terminus

986-612: The A6106 . Other main roads serving Dalkeith are: The re-building of the northern section of the Waverley Railway Line re-connected Dalkeith to the national rail network after a gap of more than 40 years, with a station at Eskbank on the western edge of Dalkeith. Construction commenced in late 2012, and the line re-opened to passenger services on 6 September 2015. Bus services in Dalkeith are mostly run by Lothian Buses ; East Coast Buses and Borders Buses also serve

1044-618: The North British Railway purchased the line, using it as a springboard for its line to Carlisle. They strengthened the track for locomotive operation, and the Edinburgh to Carlisle route became the Waverley Route. The Edinburgh and Dalkeith line was referred to by a writer as "the Innocent Railway", referring to its unsophisticated horse traction and leisurely ways; the term was understood later to refer to

1102-646: The Scottish Rugby Union , also played for the club. Dalkeith is twinned with Jarnac in France. 10 Geo. 4 Note that the first parliament of the United Kingdom was held in 1801; parliaments between 1707 and 1800 were either parliaments of Great Britain or of Ireland ). For acts passed up until 1707, see the list of acts of the Parliament of England and the list of acts of

1160-465: The list of acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland . The number shown after each act's title is its chapter number. Acts passed before 1963 are cited using this number, preceded by the year(s) of the reign during which the relevant parliamentary session was held; thus the Union with Ireland Act 1800 is cited as "39 & 40 Geo. 3 c. 67", meaning the 67th act passed during the session that started in

1218-411: The " Midlothian campaign ". The Collegiate Church of St Nicholas Buccleuch, formerly known as Dalkeith Parish Church, stands on High Street. Dedicated to St Nicholas , this medieval church became a collegiate establishment in 1406, founded by Sir James Douglas . The nave and transepts date from 1854, when the inside of the church was greatly altered. The chancel was abandoned in 1590, walled off from

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1276-472: The 39th year of the reign of George III and which finished in the 40th year of that reign. Note that the modern convention is to use Arabic numerals in citations (thus "41 Geo. 3" rather than "41 Geo. III"). Acts of the last session of the Parliament of Great Britain and the first session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom are both cited as "41 Geo. 3". Acts passed from 1963 onwards are simply cited by calendar year and chapter number. All modern acts have

1334-506: The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Act 1829) from Niddrie to a terminus at Constitution Street in Leith . It was single track throughout; the junction at Niddrie was facing for trains from Dalhousie. Carter gives the point of divergence as "Niddrie North Main Colliery", and he adds that the total length of the branches amounted to 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (10.5 km). The E&DR made

1392-574: The Edmonstone Railway. It afterwards takes a southerly course by Miller Hill Row, to within half a mile of the west side of the town of Dalkeith, where it crosses the North Esk River; thence, to the banks of South Esk River, at Dalhousie Mains, near Newbattle Abbey, from whence, the last act [i.e. a second Act of Parliament] enables the company to extend it to Newton Grange. There is a branch from Wanton Walls to Fisher Row Harbour, on

1450-539: The Firth of Forth; another from Cairney to the collieries situate on the east side of the Esk, at Cowpits, near Musselburgh ; and another by a subsequent act, which extends to Leith Harbour. Whishaw says The main line, which runs from the Edinburgh station to South Eske, is level for about half its length; and the remainder has an inclination of 1 in 234, the whole distance being 8 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles … The Leith branch

1508-519: The Leith branch [at Niddrie]. It is to be observed, that the driver stops to take up or set down a passenger whenever required. At Leith there is merely a shed-building. The trains-guards are also constables... Each guard carries a bugle-horn, which he sounds lustily as occasion requires. The Company's stock of carriages at present consists of thirty-four passenger-carriages [and] eight luggage-vans... The passenger-carriages are of two kinds, closed and open;

1566-399: The North Esk depot". In the first full month of operation, 14,392 passenger journeys were recorded, and in the second, 20,615, making 150,000 in the first year of operation for a revenue of £4,000. There were no intermediate station structures, but passengers joined and alighted from the coaches when they wished. However it is likely that from the outset, anyone could put a private carriage on

1624-575: The Parliament of Scotland . For acts passed from 1707 to 1800, see the list of acts of the Parliament of Great Britain . See also the list of acts of the Parliament of Ireland . For acts of the devolved parliaments and assemblies in the United Kingdom, see the list of acts of the Scottish Parliament , the list of acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly , and the list of acts and measures of Senedd Cymru ; see also

1682-535: The South Esk River". There were numerous small coal pits on the line of route, and they were quick to construct their own tramway connections to the line; already in 1832 a contemporary account of a journey on the line described "the rich flat valley through which we now rolled, veined with rail-ways, branching off, right and left, to the several coal-works – to Edmonstone, Newton, 'Sir John's' [colliery], &c &c". The Marquis of Lothian had coal pits on

1740-504: The Union Canal. The Duke of Buccleuch had coal pits in the Dalkeith area with superior coal, but road transport to the capital cost 4 shillings per ton from a final delivery price of 11 to 17 shillings. A report prepared for him by his factor John Grieve proposed a railway from his pits to the city, with a branch to Fisherrow, a fishing harbour near Musselburgh. The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Company received its act of Parliament,

1798-407: The closed carriages are in three compartments, each holding eight passengers. There are three doors only, which are on one side, the other side being entirely shut up... there is a seat in front and one behind, each of which will hold four persons, including the driver... The open carriages have no roofs, and are divided into two whole and two half compartments, the whole compartments holding eight, and

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1856-460: The coal would in any case need to be distributed in the city. However, reaching the location involved a tunnel on a steep gradient, and wagons were hauled up and lowered by rope operation controlled by a steam engine. The line was opened in 1831 from St Leonards to Dalhousie Mains, with a branch line to Fisherrow, a small harbour just to the west of Musselburgh . A businessman started operating passenger coaches, also horse drawn, from 1832, and this

1914-628: The compacted clays that are found throughout the area. They also determined that people had been living in the Dalkeith area since the Neolithic . One of the earliest historical references to Dalkeith is found in the Chronicles of Jean Froissart , who stayed at Dalkeith Castle for fifteen days. He writes of the Battle of Otterburn and the death of James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas : "I, author of this book, in my youth had ridden nigh over all

1972-531: The first part opened on 21 January 1832, running east from the South Esk viaduct to reach pits at Bryans, immediately east of Newtongrange. This section is shown as "tramroad" on early maps. Priestley refers to the E&DR raising an additional £7,815 for a short extension at Eskbank. Later an extension forking southwards from the viaduct reached Lingerwood Colliery, and eventually reached as far south as Arniston Engine. The pit at Lingerwood eventually became Lady Victoria Colliery and Newbattle Colliery, later with

2030-565: The half compartments four passengers each. Dalkeith Dalkeith ( / d æ l ˈ k iː θ / dal- KEETH ; Scottish Gaelic : Dail Cheith , pronounced [t̪al ˈçe] ) is a town in Midlothian , Scotland , on the River Esk . It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-century castle (now Dalkeith Palace ). Dalkeith has

2088-417: The line for personal use, on payment of a toll. Rates for such usage appeared in the press later in 1831. Fox's enterprise was such a success that in 1834 the E&DR obtained powers to run its own passenger service and it took over Fox's operation in 1836. The passenger service ran from St Leonards to Dalhousie, and it was extended on to the Leith branch in 1838, running to Constitution Street there. Dalkeith

2146-431: The line's supposed freedom from accident, although this is not historically accurate. The city of Edinburgh had an accelerating demand for coal in the early years of the nineteenth century, rising from 200,000 tons per year in 1800 to 350,000 in 1830. Coal in the immediate locality was of poor quality and of limited quantity. Better coal was being brought in from Fife and Tyneside by coastal shipping, and from Monklands by

2204-571: The mid-1830s. The railway was a public company, but the five coal-owners who would benefit from the line were the dominant shareholders: Sir John Hope, the Marquis of Lothian, John Grieve (presumably as proxy for the Duke of Buccleuch ), and two members of the Dundas family who owned the pits at Arniston. The opening of the line was much delayed by difficulties which the contractor had not foreseen and which he had not sufficient capital to enable him to surmount. The main line opened from St Leonard's to

2262-401: The railway was able to quote a price for delivered coal, using a delivery system which it authorised itself. Passengers had hardly been considered when the railway was being planned, but a businessman, Michael Fox (who had been dynamic in managing coal deliveries in the city) put "an old stagecoach on the line and on 2 June 1832 began a service of three return trips a day between St Leonards and

2320-428: The realm of Scotland, and I was then fifteen days in the house of earl William Douglas , father to the same earl James, of whom I spake of now, in a castle of five leagues from Edinburgh which is called in the country Dalkeith. The same time I saw there this earl James, a fair young child, and a sister of his called the lady Blanche." In 1650, Oliver Cromwell 's army came to Dalkeith. His officer General George Monck

2378-465: The rest of the church, and is now ruinous. Sir James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton , and his wife Joanna , daughter of James I , are buried in the choir and have stone effigies. St Nicholas Buccleuch Church remains one of the two Church of Scotland parish churches in Dalkeith, the other being St John's and King's Park Church. The Episcopal Church , St Mary's is on High Street, at the entrance to Dalkeith Country Park. St David's Church , on Eskbank Road,

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2436-463: The route. The new owners altered the gauge to the standard 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in and laid stronger track for locomotive operation. Part of its main line became incorporated into the Waverley Route . Only a small section of the network remains open. From 1800 the city of Edinburgh had an increasing appetite for coal; although there were coal pits a few miles away, the roads of

2494-477: The same day; the junction at Niddry was facing for trains from St Leonards. Fisherrow had a small fishing harbour, and offered the possibility of transferring coal to coastal shipping. (Carter calls the point of divergence "Wanton Walls", and says that there was another branch from Cairney to Musselburgh collieries.) The main line was double track, and the branch was single. The gauge was 4 ft 6in, "which [the engineer] Grainger had established with his railways in

2552-409: The south-eastern side of the South Esk river, at Arniston. He constructed an extension to the pits from the Edinburgh & Dalkeith Railway (E&DR) terminus at Dalhousie Mains at his own expense, a distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km). This required a bridge over the South Esk; the total length was 1,011 feet (308 m). The line was named "The Marquis of Lothian's Waggonway", and

2610-502: The south. Dalkeith is the main administrative centre for Midlothian. It is twinned with Jarnac , France. In 2004, Midlothian Council re-paved Jarnac Court in honour of Dalkeith and Jarnac's long standing link. On the north-eastern edge of Dalkeith at Woodburn is the Dalkeith Campus (completed 2003) – housing both Dalkeith High School and St David's Roman Catholic High School plus community leisure facilities. Dalkeith

2668-412: The station arrangements: The Edinburgh station and depot occupies about eight imperial acres. There is nothing worthy of notice in the buildings at this station... The South Eske station-house is built in the cottage style, and is of neat design... There is a general waiting-room, and one especially for ladies. Besides the terminal stations, there is a half-way stopping-place, which is at the divergence of

2726-434: The station at Edinburgh has an inclination of 1 in 30; it is 1130 yards in length, the upper part being straight, and the lower part considerably curved. It is worked by two low-pressure condensing engines, with cylinders 28 inches diameter, stroke 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet; average working-pressure, 5 lbs … consumption of fuel 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 tons per diem … About 30 tons gross is the usual load drawn up, and five minutes

2784-415: The terminus involved a passage through a tunnel on a rope-worked incline . It was not planned for passengers, but a trader operated passenger services and they were surprisingly successful, and the company later operated them itself. When intercity railways were being planned, the North British Railway wished to reach Carlisle from Edinburgh, and it purchased the Dalkeith line in 1845 to secure part of

2842-400: The time occupied; the descending loads draw out the rope after them … The signals from the bottom of the incline are given by an air-tube, about 3 ⁄ 4 inch diameter, with a small bell in the engine-house. The two 25-horsepower (19 kW) steam engines were supplied by J. & C. Carmichael. The company used 28 lb/yd (14 kg/m) cast-iron fish-bellied rails. The E&DR

2900-410: The time were inadequate, and the horse-and-cart journey added substantially to the cost to the user. Coal owners with pits in the Dalkeith area got together and formed a railway to carry their coal to the capital. It was designed for horse-drawn operation, with an Edinburgh terminal, called St Leonard's, on the south side of Salisbury Crags. The location was chosen for simplicity of land acquisition, and

2958-641: The town. For walkers, the Penicuik–Dalkeith Walkway passes close by. The town is home to Dalkeith Thistle F.C. , based at King's Park. The club was formed in 1892 and now plays in the East of Scotland Football League , having spent most of its history in the Scottish Junior Football Association . The established club is affiliated to Dalkeith Thistle Community Football Club, based at Cowden Park, Woodburn; The club

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3016-559: The west". Horse haulage was used throughout, (except of course for the rope-worked incline plane). At this early date there was no thought of passenger operation, and the locations on the line were not "stations". The terminus at Dalhousie Mains is referred to as "Eskbank" by one source, but that name was not applied until after takeover of the line by the North British Railway. Cobb calls the 1834 passenger station there "South Esk", but that may simply refer to "the station at

3074-541: Was Commander in Scotland, and the government of the country was based out of Dalkeith Castle. In 1831, Dalkeith was linked to Edinburgh by the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway , which transported coal, minerals, and agricultural produce. Two decades later, in 1853, a Corn Exchange , at the time the largest indoor grain market in Scotland, was built. In 1879, Dalkeith was where William Ewart Gladstone started his campaign for British Prime Minister, which became known as

3132-636: Was added to the passenger network in the autumn of 1839. Still using horse traction, this was a busier passenger operation than the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. "In addition to timetable trains, private coaches could be hired from any station to any station at any hour of the day or night." During 1839 during evidence being given in Parliament, it was stated that the railway did not issue tickets because there were so many informal stopping places, and that some passengers declined to reveal their intended destination. Whishaw, probably writing in 1839, describes

3190-502: Was called St Leonards, located to the south of Salisbury Crags, in the area between the present-day St Leonard's Street and St Leonard's Bank. The original act authorised share capital of £70,125; a second act of Parliament, the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Act 1829 ( 10 Geo. 4 . c. cxxii), was obtained on 4 June 1829, authorising further share capital of £8,053, and sanctioning the Leith Branch. The third act of Parliament,

3248-483: Was hugely successful, and was soon carrying 300 tons of coal every day. Coal for domestic and light industry use had been an expensive commodity, and the railway company went to great lengths to provide reliable coal deliveries, installing its own weighbridge at the St Leonards depot, and issuing certificates of quantity and quality for deliveries of its own "railway coal". As well as guaranteeing quality and quantity,

3306-522: Was reconstructed in the early 18th century. It incorporated prison cells in the basement, a weigh house on the ground floor and a courtroom on the first floor. In front of the building there is a circle of stones to mark the spot where the last public hanging in Dalkeith took place. William Thomson was hanged here for highway robbery in 1827. The Municipal Buildings in Buccleuch Street were completed in 1882. Other notable buildings include

3364-477: Was very successful; the railway company itself later took over the passenger operation. A branch line to Leith , to give better access to shipping, opened in 1832. The total network amounted to about 12 miles (19 km), but many private tramway connections were made in the coal districts to bring the coal to the railway. Railway technology advanced, and in the 1840s railways using steam locomotives and running longer distances were being planned and built. In 1845

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