Randolph Cres, to Moray Pl , Edinburgh, Scotland. Mini 4 pro.

FOUR elegant resident’s gardens grace Edinburgh’s West New Town. Beginning life as part of a much larger garden belonging to Francis Stuart, 10th Earl of Moray’s Estate of Drumsheugh. This originally included a mansion house, policies and parks bounded by Randolph Cliff, Randolph Lane, Glenfinlas Street, Saint Colme Street, Gloucester Lane, Doune Terrace, and a mill lade along the south side of the Water of Leith. By the early 19th century, when the estate was being defined on three sides by new buildings, Francis decided to take control and Feu his estate. Demolishing Drumsheugh House itself, on the south-east of what is now Randolph Crescent, and opening the whole area for houses to sell. His architect, James Gillespie Graham, produced a grand layout plan for proposed houses, flats and streets (named after the Moray family), private gardens and three communal gardens, with the exception of Randolph Garden, which Francis had planned to build his own home on the plot. By 1867 he still hadn’t built and the land had lay in a neglected state to the dismay of Randolph Crescent Feuars. Francis’ plans had changed and he moved into 28 Moray Place, selling the plot to Randolph Crescent Feuars only, to have as a pleasure ground of lawns and trees. The oddity of ownership excluded it from being part of the Feu, but, it is not alone. Property on the southside of the Feu are not included in the Bank garden (although they are now invited to join) and the purpose built flats (corner properties) were excluded from all the gardens, thankfully this is no longer the situation. Today these classical shapes remain almost exactly as they were built, though some older facilities have passed with time. Stables, and Cabmen’s shelters built in Randolph Gardens for instance, came along with the 152 stances for homes being sold for an annual feu duty. Each street carried a fixed rate, from 16 to 21 shillings a foot (and 5 shillings a foot for stables). So, the average annual feu duty payable to Francis was about £30. The cost of building one such house was between £2000 and £3000.