Residential West Blacket

Developments in Newington ('new town meadow') were made possible once the Borough Muir (South of the South Loch, now the Meadows) was cleared following a 1508 Royal Charter from James IV to the Town Council, and feus offered for sale by the Council from 1586. Little new development followed until South Bridge, completed 1788, offered better access. The Newington estate was acquired in August 1805 by Dr Benjamin Bell who built Newington House (since demolished by the University of Edinburgh) in what is now Blacket Place. The remainder of the now 'Blacket Conservation Area' was offered for building from 1808 (CJS vol.1).