CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

I knew it!

(43 posts)
  • Started 11 months ago by ejstubbs
  • Latest reply from acsimpson

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  1. ejstubbs
    Member

    Ever since I came to live in Edinburgh in 1998 I've often wondered about the city's street naming policy: the way that you get multiple streets in one area all based on the same name but with different words for "street". Nearby to me there's Caiystane Hill, Caiystane Avenue, Caiystane Crescent (which is, confusingly, pretty straight), Caiystane View, Caiystane Gardens, Caiystane Terrace, East and West Caiystane Road and East Caiystane Place. Then there's all the Buckstone streets on the other side of Comiston Road, and the proliferation of Comely Bank and Learmonth this and that to the east of Orchard Brae.

    Now, at last, I've finally stumbled across proof of something I've always suspected: the council does indeed maintain a 'bank' of approved names for streets yet to be built:

    https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory/108/street_name_bank

    Unimaginative developers can draw upon this when they suddenly realise that an actual address will come in handy for the people buying their luxury executive two-up-two-downs with double garage - although it does have the drawback that taxi drivers usually struggle to remember which is street is Street and which one is Avenue, Crescent, Hill, Place etc etc.

    I've tended to believe that this is a particular Edinburgh "thing", but I'm more than ready to be provided with examples from elsewhere.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  2. jonty
    Member

    I always react with incredulity when it's suggested that this is an Edinburgh 'thing' as it seems so normal but then struggle to find examples elsewhere. Better to have all the similar names close together at least!

    Is it more common in Scotland than England maybe?

    Posted 11 months ago #

  3. Stickman
    Member

    The area of Glasgow I grew up in was nicknamed "Little Engand" - not necessarily because of its attitudes but because all the streets were named after English towns. I guess developers choose a theme and run with it.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  4. SRD
    Moderator

    Try looking for Albert St, Place, Rd and Terrace. the first two are where you would expect them, if you udnerstand Edinburgh's naming conventions. The latter two are confusing!

    Posted 11 months ago #

  5. wingpig
    Member

    Have a look around the nether end of Broxburn and there are a bunch of related names - Badgerbrook Close, Badgerstream Crescent or whatever. Craigleith Hill Avenue has several similar different-street-type things nearby.
    Eighteenish years ago when matching a customer's postcode for them in a callcentre I discovered an entire estate named after different woodland mammals somewhere in the West Midlands.
    My home village's second-most-recent new estate has street names full of various golf-references.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  6. unhurt
    Member

    Street suffixes have (somewhat flexibly defined) meanings - assume these also vary culturally even in English-speaking places.

    Wikipedia helpfully lists the approved suffixes for new roads.

    I sort of hate myself for linking to Reddit, but someone compiled an American-focused list of definitions here.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  7. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    Hailes Street is nowhere near all the other "Hailes" which are sensibly East of Wester Hailes

    Northfield park is close to all the other "Northfields" but on the other side of northfield broadway in amongst the Northfield farms

    I'm sure i've come across other examples of straying streets in edinburgh

    Posted 11 months ago #

  8. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Livingston uses themes for each of the areas:

    Knightsridge:
    Scottish Clans - Barclay Way, Cameron Way, Malcom Way

    Ladywell (multiple themes old and new bits):
    Plants: Mossbank, Haetherbank
    Birds - Swift Brae, Swallow Brae, Kestrel Brae.

    Howden:
    Canadian places - Manitoba Avenue, Alberta Avenue

    Posted 11 months ago #

  9. unhurt
    Member

    I would LOVE to be given free reign to name new streets / developments. Themed for my own entertainment!

    Posted 11 months ago #

  10. jdanielp
    Member

    I have been disappointed not to have encountered any fast, blue hedgehogs in the 'Greenhill Zone' between Bruntsfield and Marchmont.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  11. unhurt
    Member

    My hands just made an involuntary Sega Megadrive controller clutch...

    Posted 11 months ago #

  12. piosad
    Member

    Here's an example not far from my old stomping grounds. There's a sign coming off the towpath listing all the Sharman [Street] a particular one is leading on to.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  13. unhurt
    Member

    @piosad - hmm not so far from my old stomping grounds (used to live various places on the other side of the Ormeau Park, finally on Imperial Street).

    Posted 11 months ago #

  14. unhurt
    Member

    Quality street naming somewhere in Ontario:

    (I didn't take that road. I still regret this.)

    (ETA: it is a very SHORT adventure too.)

    Posted 11 months ago #

  15. neddie
    Member

    Unimaginative developers normally name their developments after the nature/trees they had to destroy to build them.

    E.g.

    Cherry Tree Ave;
    Tall pines;
    Oak lane;
    Kingfisher Close;

    Posted 11 months ago #

  16. Iain McR
    Member

    before someone beats me to it .....

    I always take this road.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  17. unhurt
    Member

    To Glendarroch?

    Posted 11 months ago #

  18. cb
    Member

    The common names for streets thing does seem to be an Edinburgh thing.

    A friend who worked for A to Z told me this years ago and I remember being surprised by that.

    It made the Scout Post Christmas Card sorting system at Valleyfield Street much simpler than it might otherwise have been.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  19. piosad
    Member

    @unhurt we stayed in Stranmillis village, round the corner from the Lyric

    Posted 11 months ago #

  20. AKen
    Member

    Unimaginative developers normally name their developments after the nature/trees they had to destroy to build them.

    The Winter Gardens car park in Bournemouth is a 'great' example of this sort of thing.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  21. steveo
    Member

    The common names for streets thing does seem to be an Edinburgh thing.

    I'm obviously a little traveled yokel but I assumed everywhere did this!

    Posted 11 months ago #

  22. LaidBack
    Member

    A former provost has a street near Little France / Wisp.

    Milligan Drive I assume is named after Eric Milligan?

    In the 'old days' no copy of the chipwrapper was complete without a quote from him. Still a Councillor of course.

      From Wikipedia:
      Eric Milligan is one of the Councillors for Sighthill/Gorgie ward, Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] He was Convener of the Lothian and Borders Police Board from 2003 until 2007. He is a member of the Labour Party.

      He was the last Convener of Lothian Regional Council (abolished at local government reorganisation in 1994). He subsequently became a member of the City of Edinburgh Council and Lord Provost of Edinburgh (1996–2003), one of the longest-serving holders of the office.[2] He is a supporter of Heart of Midlothian FC.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  23. ih
    Member

    I spoke once to the Street Naming Officer of Edinburgh District Council (as it then was). He said that they always tried to find names that had some historical relevance in the area. It follows then, that roads in an area would be based on the same historical reference.

    For anyone interested in the Buckstones, you might find this interesting,

    http://edinburghpastandpresent.com/#/fairmilehead/4573484896

    Posted 11 months ago #

  24. cc
    Member

    There's a street in Duns called "Clouds" (streetview)

    Posted 11 months ago #

  25. steveo
    Member

    There's a street in Duns called "Clouds" (streetview)

    Presumably all they could see when it was named!

    Posted 11 months ago #

  26. Frenchy
    Member

    My favourite street name is a footpath in Banff called "Crookin' Crashin' Roadie"

    Posted 11 months ago #

  27. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    My favourite street name was in Oxford, now renamed Magpie Lane to avoid breaking Rule 2.

    Fly Walk and Chuckie Pend are favourites here and I've loved the idea of Justice Mill Lane in Aberdeen since I could read. An actual justice mill dispensing bulging sacks of righteousness was very appealing.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  28. Frenchy
    Member

    @IWRATS - I was once sat next to someone in a pub whose surname is a bowdlerised version of Magpie Lane's former name, as they looked up the etymology of their name; it was fun to watch.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  29. biketrain
    Member

    @IWARATS - I see your Magpie Lane and raise you Crotch Crescent, also in Oxford.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  30. ejstubbs
    Member

    I've just found out about a street in Northamptonshire called Titty Ho. This makes me very happy. Almost as happy as Crookin' Crashin' Roadie (presumably that's what happens when you take an inappropriate velocipede to Glentress).

    Posted 11 months ago #

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