Ceremony for the opening of the "Devllin" fountain at Starbank Park

Opening Ceremony for the Devlin Fountain

1910

Starbank Park lies on high ground, sloping down towards the Firth of Forth, a short distance to the west of Newhaven Harbour.

The ceremony for the opening of the Devlin Fountain in Starbank Park was held on 23 May 1910.

Here is another photograph of the opening ceremony in 1910:

Acknowledgement: Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh

This is one of a series of photos posted onto boards in an old album that Archie Foley acquired a few years ago. Archie believes that these are likely to be official photos that probably once belonged to Leith City Council.

1910

The Scotsman newspaper reported the following morning:

Fountains Presented to Leith

"Provost Malcolm Smith, yesterday, on behalf of Leith Town Council, formally received the custody of a fountain at Starbank Park and a drinking fountain at Annfield, the gifts of Mr Thomas Devlin, J.P., merchant, Newhaven.

The fountains are of neat design. The drinking fountain is placed on ground recently acquired by the Council from the Caledonian Railway Company on lease as a pleasure ground.

Mr Devlin was thanked for his gifts.

The Scotsman: May 24, 1910, p.6

2006

Today, in 2006, the base of the Devlin fountain can still be seen at the northern end of Starbank Park. Its 1910 plaque to TL Devlin is still in place. There are low railings around the fountain.

I don't think that any trace is left today of the of the fountain at Annfield. John Stevenson (who used to live nearby) tells me that the drinking fountain used to be at the foot of the steps that led down to the Firth of Forth from Hawthorn Vale at Annfield.

The creation of Leith Western Harbour in the mid-20th century took away the shoreline at this point. Chancelot Flour Mill was built within the new Western Harbour, a short distance to the north of where the drinking fountain used to stand.

T L Devlin

Thomas Leishman Devlin has played a prominent part in the life of Newhaven and Granton. In the 1880s, he sold fish. From the early 1890s, until his death in 1919, he built up his wealth through establishing a fleet of trawlers that sailed out of Granton.