Dean Gardens ...... Beautiful in the Autumn

Simply stunning ...... summer gradually giving way to autumn, colours slowly changing from green to golden brown, a hazy sun collecting the remnants of one glorious season and sprinkling them amidst the opening of another. I grasped another opportunity afforded by Doors Open Days and soaked up the heady atmosphere of perhaps my favourite time of year and wandered through Dean Gardens.
Dean Gardens, one of Edinburgh's largest private gardens and one of only four "pleasure grounds" to border the equally picturesque Water of Leith, covers more than seven acres. Planted slopes run down to levelled lawns, pathways lead to delightful viewpoints overlooking the Dean Valley. These well-tended lawns, the snaking pathways, and the wooden pavilion cling to a layout virtually unchanged from the original Victorian era plans. An impressive children's play area has replaced the former tennis court, encouraging young families to enjoy the Gardens. Over the years many forest trees were planted, changing the whole character of the Gardens, but today they have become a brighter more open
space. Many of the elm trees and several ageing trees from other species had to be removed, allowing daylight to spread across this beautiful area bringing the countryside into the city centre.
Unlike many of Edinburgh's green spaces, the lungs of a thriving city, membership of Dean Gardens is by application rather than address. And many take advantage of this. Calm, peaceful, an area to rest, relax, read a book, enjoy a lovely walk between the West End and Stockbridge, absorb an air of tranquility with your dog for company and marvel at your surroundings. See the weir pounding into the Water of Leith, follow the river on its journey, sit and admire St. Bernard's Well, walk among the trees and flowers in the footsteps of so many before you. And look up at the feat of engineering that is Dean Bridge (Telford's Bridge) as you stroll beneath its mighty arches.
So how did Dean Gardens come into being? They were founded in the 1860s by a group of nearby residents. Their initial aim was to improve the "bank", a steep slope used for the grazing of sheep, an eyesore peppered with building debris. The original work, including the acquisition of additional land, took over ten years. And in a more than impressive undertaking, almost £1.8 million in today's money was raised through public subscriptions, modest bank loans and fund-raising events to cover this work. If you get the chance to visit these Gardens, please do. It is well worth it.