An image shared by the City Art Centre captures the building of a new arch at Waverley Bridge in 1864, as Edinburgh prepared for the new Waverley Station.
On an old earth mound, the first Waverley Bridge came in 1844 - connecting Princes Street to Market Street. The structure took its name from the famous novel by Sir Walter Scott, whose monument was also being built nearby at the time.
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The three stations originally built to serve the city were North Bridge Station, General Station and Canal Street Station. From 1854, these collectively became known as Waverley.
The photo, which comes from the collection of Thomas Vernon Begbie, was taken during the process of constructing the new Waverley and demolishing the older three stations. It was only three decades before a completely new bridge was constructed in its place.
Shortly after the new Waverley Station was opened, plans were already set out to expand. In the early 1870s, the station was extended west through North Bridge.
It was here that Waverley Bridge entered its second iteration. The Falkirk Herald reported on its opening: “The new Waverley Bridge was formally opened on Thursday afternoon by the Lord Provost, in presence of the chairman and some of the directors of the North British Railway Company, members of the Road Trust, and a considerable assemblage of the public.”
By 1890, dissatisfaction surrounding Waverley was at its peak. With the Forth Bridge opened up, Edinburgh was struggling to cope with the new traffic.
In 1894, the Dundee Evening Telegraph told readers: “The North British Railway Company have, it is understood, decided, in connection with the Waverley Station improvement scheme, not to attempt to so alter the Waverley Bridge as to suit the improved station, but instead to erect an entirely new structure.”
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The image captured by Begbie is in fact the old Waverley Bridge, which no longer exists. Much of his photography is housed by the City Art Centre, and gives a rare glimpse of Edinburgh’s past.
The decision to construct a completely new bridge was made due to the extension of the station requiring a lengthening, as well as the piers of the older bridge interfering with space for platforms and trains. Additionally, experts viewed the earlier Waverley Bridge as inadequate for the increasing levels of traffic.
The newly built bridge met the Waverley Market buildings closer, and came a good deal nearer to the foot of Cockburn Street. It was constructed in two halves, with the first section built while the old bridge was still standing to allow traffic to flow through.
The resulting bridge still stands today, on forty-two cast-iron columns connected to the two ramps which lead into the station. The station, bridge, and former parcels office (which is today a Wetherspoons) are all Category A listed buildings.
As detailed by Historic Environment Scotland, Waverley was the biggest station in Britain at the time of building - until the new Waterloo Station in London was opened in 1921.
