Happy Valley

A neighbourhood and small valley, barely a half-mile (0.8 km) in length, in the Craiglockhart district of SW Edinburgh, Happy Valley is located to the northwest of Easter Craiglockhart Hill, 2 miles (3 km) southwest of the city centre. It gained its name having been established as a pleasure ground in 1873-4 by John Cox of J. & G. Cox Ltd, the noted glue and gelatine works at Gorgie Mills. Cox was philanthropist and showman who built a dam across the valley to create ponds for boating, skating and curling. Later a bandstand, tea rooms, a dance-hall, tennis courts and a children's play-park were added. The citizens of Edinburgh arrived by train at Slateford and Craiglockhart Stations, by tram to Polwarth or later Craiglockhart, and then walked to Happy Valley through what was then open countryside. Tennis developed to become the dominant activity here, with Edinburgh Corporation taking over these facilities in 1959 and establishing the Craiglockhart Sports Centre.

Today Craiglockhart Pond and Craiglockhart Wood provide a refuge for wildlife, while paths through the valley are favoured by cyclists, joggers and dog walkers.


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