Note

These notes were written by K Bryce Morrison.  They appear on the Craiglockhart Community Council web site for which Bryce is normally the web master.  (I've added my own paragraph headings to Bryce's notes below.)

The History of “Happy Valley”

Craiglockhart, Edinburgh

The Name

The name Happy Valley is currently associated with the part of Colinton Road beside Craiglockhart Post Office and the adjacent parade of other shops and businesses.  The origins, though, long predate the shops and lie on the other side of Colinton Road in the valley to the west of Easter Craiglockhart Hill.  This was originally formed by glacial action during the ice age and was the course for the Megget burn. 

Skating and Curling

The first recorded intervention by man was in 1873 when a dam was built across the valley to create an artificial loch, although older maps do show the existence of a Meadow, now Pond, on the site.  The work was instigated by John Cox of Gorgie (of Royal Gymnasium fame) to create a skating pond at a time when winters were rather more severe than now and skating was a popular pastime.  Winter recreation was also addressed by the construction of outdoor curling rinks and, in 1887, a Craiglockhart Curling Club was formed.

Skating, Boating and Lawn Tennis

The facilities in the valley were originally in private ownership but in 1916 The Craiglockhart Skating Ponds Company Ltd was formed.  The purpose of the business was described as “providing skating, boating, lawn tennis facilities and other amusements as carried on by Henry Snow”. This wide recreational use is almost certainly where the description “happy” first arose for the valley. As well as being the previous owner, Henry Snow was the major shareholder and he was also described as being the manager.  He resigned late in 1924 and two other directors were appointed presumably having bought out his interests.

Dance Hall

Early in 1925 another company was formed called The Craiglockhart Ponds and Recreation Grounds Ltd. The title hints at its broader brief and the share capital was considerably increased from £100 to £6450 with the intention of this being further increased to £10,000 to fund the building of a dance hall as had been pre-agreed with the ground superiors. The plans also included altering the existing dwelling house on site as a residence for a John Brattesani. He had been one of the previous directors and became the major shareholder in the new company. He was described as being a restaurateur and the new company granted him all catering rights on the site. An inventory produced at the time of the takeover indicated that there were 28 rowing boats and 2 canoes in addition to skates and tennis appliances.  The new hall was intended to considerably broaden the horizons because, as well as carrying on the outdoor activities, the company envisaged dancing, billiards, exhibitors of moving pictures, opera house, theatrical or music hall and being caterers for public entertainment, balls, exhibitions or other kind of concerts.

Catering Rights

The next company record is in 1927 noting the setting up of the Happy Valley Company (Craiglockhart) Limited thus formalising the area name.  Its purpose was to purchase and acquire the business carried on by John Brattesani at Craiglockhart Ponds and recreation grounds.  Since the previous company still existed it appears that this referred to his catering rights. Unfortunately Mr Brattisani subsequently had his estate sequestered in December 1928 and was disqualified as a director.  Both companies were wound up in 1930.

Amusement Park

The business went back into private ownership in the names of two individuals but a year or two later the owner was again recorded as being the Happy Valley Company.  There were noted as being houses for the manageress and for the gardener.  On maps the description Amusement Park had been first recorded on the 1927/28 Post Office Directory Map and it was specifically noted as Happy Valley Amusement Park on the 1932 Ordnance Survey map of the area.  In the early 30’s the parade of shops on the west side of Colinton Road was developed offering a useful mixture of butcher, baker and tearoom, grocer, fishmonger, fruiterer, chemist, dairyman, provisioner, outfitters, ironmonger, stationer and Post Office as well as motor car mechanics and later a wireless dealer.

12 Tennis Courts, Badminton and Squash

In the 30’s there is no doubt that tennis became the major activity in the valley with various clubs renting the use of some courts and having their own huts and shelters. The tennis focus was confirmed when in 1938 the East of Scotland Lawn Tennis Association purchased the entire 10 acre ground from the then Happy Valley Company. This included twelve hard courts, the boating pond, a skating pond and the large hall.  The company name is given as the East of Scotland Lawn Tennis and Sports Club Ltd. Architects plans in 1938 show the dance hall being converted for badminton and squash courts. The plans also show the creation of a Centre Court stadium with one grass and one hard court plus eight other grass courts while retaining most of the hard courts lower in the valley. The re-development cost some £10,000.

The War Years

The war years were a difficult time financially for the Centre and funding problems continued even after hostilities ceased.  Fortunately the Thistle Tennis Club, which had initially leased one court, expanded to the point they were leasing six providing welcome income.  There was however relief all round when, after extended negotiations, Edinburgh Corporation agreed to take over the centre in 1959 with a condition that it would continue to operate as a tennis centre.

New Tennis Courts and Grandstand

The summer of 1995 saw major changes at Happy Valley with the grass courts replaced by eight fast-dry clay courts and a completely new centre court and grandstand building created.  More importantly, the £3 million redevelopment included the creation of a major indoor tennis facility with 6 “acrylic” courts.  This was built on the lower valley area where the hard courts had previously been.  At this point the Thistle Tennis club who had been renting courts there for more than 50 years, and had built their own clubhouse on site, moved out to a new facility at Paties Road.

Gym, Squash and Badminton

The summer of 2009 saw the culmination of a year-long £2.5 million upgrade to the facilities this time focussing on the sports and leisure aspect with the complete renovation of the gym, squash and badminton buildings.  There is sadly now no recognition of the name in the Craiglockhart Leisure and Tennis Centre that now occupies the site although the sentiment no doubt still applies. The name is however perpetuated in a grocery shop known as the Happy Valley Convenience Store located the other side of Colinton Road from the original site.

Nature Reserve

There was an additional area to the immediate North of the Happy Valley area where in 1901 the Waverley Curling Club feued two and a half acres from the George Watson’s Hospital Trustees at the end of Craiglockhart Terrace. There they built curling ponds and a clubhouse and seemed to flourish to the point in 1934 they recorded having 64 members. They even had a telephone system installed so that they could call members to tell them when there was ice. However the club ceased in 1937 because it had insufficient funds to pay the feu duty. When The ESLTA took over the main site they also feued the Waverley Curling Club Grounds and this in due course passed to Edinburgh Corporation as did eight acres of Easter Craiglockhart Hill.  These areas were later to be designated Easter Craiglockhart Hill Local Nature Reserve.

Craiglockhart Woods

In October 1997 the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) proposed the sale of 1.21 acres of the former Waverley land at Craiglockhart Terrace for a housing development.  The local community responded by setting up the “Save Craiglockhart Woods Campaign” and in March 1998 the Council agreed to reverse their decision provided the group could raise the money to demolish a derelict building on the site and to resurface the broken concrete remains of a former curling rink and this was duly achieved.  The group then formed formally as The Craiglockhart Woods Group with the aim of preserving and enhancing the area.  In 2009 TCWG merged with the Friends of Craiglockhart Nature Trail to become The Friends of Craiglockhart Woods and Nature Trail.  In July 2009 the LNR was awarded a Green Flag.

K Bryce Morrison, July 31 2009