the Mound
{{Short description|Street in Edinburgh, Scotland}}
{{For-multi|the novella|The Mound (novella)|other uses|Mound (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox street
| name = The Mound
| marker_image =
| native_name =
| alternate_name =
| image = File:The Mound, Edinburgh - geograph.org.uk - 3503955.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt = view of the road going uphill
| image_map =
| caption = View up the Mound towards the Bank of Scotland
| map_type = Scotland Edinburgh Central
| map_size =
| map_caption = Location in Edinburgh city centre
| map_alt = map of Edinburgh
| former_names = The Earthen Mound
| length_m = 380
| length_notes = (including The Mound and North Bank Street)
| addresses =
| location =
| postal_code = EH1
| coordinates = {{coord|55|57|0.28|N|3|11|44.13|W|display=inline,title}}
| direction_a = North (bottom)
| terminus_a = Princes Street
| direction_b = South (top)
| terminus_b = Bank Street/Royal Mile
| junction =
| completion_date = 1827
| known_for =
}}
The Mound is an artificial slope and road in central Edinburgh, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's New and Old Towns. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth excavated from the foundations of the New Town into Nor Loch, which was drained in 1765 and forms today's Princes Street Gardens.
History
The construction of the Earthen Mound, as it was originally called, was first proposed in 1783 by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, John GrieveGrant's Old and New edinburgh vol.2 p.255 to support merchants on the Royal Mile to improve connection to the residents on Princes Street (which was then built only from St Andrew Square to Hanover Street and was wholly residential) in correct anticipation of the need for such a new route.Kay's Original Portraits: The Lawnmarket Coach Its completion was not formally agreed until the 1827 Improvement act. It was improved over the years until by 1830 it was macadamised and landscaped so that it appeared more or less complete.{{cite web|title=Lost Edinburgh: The Mound|url=http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/people-places/lost-edinburgh-the-mound-1-2984363|website=www.scotsman.com|access-date=9 November 2016}} A need for a railway tunnel was pre-empted in 1844 with the current southern tunnel completed in 1846 to a design by William Henry Playfair (prior to the construction of the gallery above). A second northern tunnel was added in 1892 beneath the then extant galleries above.Buildings of scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford, McWilliam and Walker p.309
Description
The Mound is a busy, if fairly steep, thoroughfare taking traffic to and from Princes Street in the New Town to the Royal Mile in the Old Town. The top end of the Mound is named Bank Street North, adjoining Bank Street. The lower end, or 'Foot' of the Mound is a few metres' walk from the Princes Street tram stop. Due to its raised elevation, the Mound commands expansive views over Princes Street and the New Town of Edinburgh and towards Calton Hill. An 'electric blanket' was installed under the surface of the roadway of the mound to keep this clear of ice and snow in 1959. It is no longer operational but was one of the first of its type.{{cite web |url=http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_street_m/0_street_views_-_mound_street_lights_looking_down_two_buses.htm |title=Looking down the Mound |website=www.edinphoto.org.uk}}
Notable buildings
Some of Edinburgh's most notable buildings and institutions have their premises on the Mound, including the National Gallery of Scotland, the Royal Scottish Academy, the spires of the University of Edinburgh's New College, the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, the elegant domed Headquarters of the commercially owned Bank of Scotland, and its museum, Museum on the Mound.
File:National Gallery of Scotland restitch1 2005-08-07.jpg|The Scottish National Gallery
File:EdinburghMuseumOnTheMound-pjt.jpg|The Bank of Scotland headquarters on The Mound
File:Edinburgh July 2014 IMG 4532 (14691033851).jpg|New College and the General Assembly
File:HS27744 Royal Scottish Academy 02.JPG|Royal Scottish Academy
See also
References
{{cc}}
{{reflist}}
{{Transport in Edinburgh}}
{{Streets and Squares in Edinburgh|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mound}}