Seven Acre Park - Explore parks

Title Seven Acre Park
Address Stanedykehead, Alnwickhill
Postcode EH16 6TN
Telephone 0131 529 5151
Email southeast.locality@edinburgh.gov.uk
Facilities Play areaGrass kick pitchSeven aside goalsCommunity woodlandCity viewsSeatingMulti-gymTalking information post
Background Seven Acre Park, as the name suggests, is seven acres in size and consists of two main sections - one accessed via Stanydykehead and the other via Netherbank View. The park is sited on former farmland and was adopted by Edinburgh Council around 1999. The park has exceptional views over to Fife and many of Edinburgh landmarks including Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat, Blackford Observatory and, on a good day, the Bass Rock can be seen in the distance. It is a wonderful place to sit in the summer months or just to relax and take in the countryside feel the park provides in the middle of Edinburgh. The play area, which includes basketball nets, is very popular with local children and their parents. The park also has picnic tables, football goals and seats dotted about to take in the scenery.Most recent additions are the multi-gym and the new woodland trail.
History and heritage The land was originally part of a farm called Backsidelee, the main farmhouse would be around Alnwick Drive today. Remnants of the name are retained in Backlee, the location of the old shop. The area was sold to Crudens in the early 1970s and the original farmhouse still stands at the end of a short lane leading off Alnwickhill Drive. The amenity land, which constitutes the park, was gifted to the Alnwickhill Proprietor’s Association in 2003/4.It is likely that the meaning of Stanedykehead comes from the use of ‘dyke’ to mean ‘wall’, thus ‘the wall at the edge of the boundary’. It is likely that this is referring to the estate of Liberton farm, to the north-west.The land around Seven Acre Park has an interesting and impressive history. The house at the end of Stanedykehead, Alnwickhill House, was allegedly Scotland’s first lunatic asylum, mentioned in George Good’s 'Liberton in Ancient and Modern Times' printed in 1893. It later became the ‘Edinburgh Industrial Home for Fallen Women’.There are also the remains of gun placements to the north of the park; this is all that remains of the World War II anti-aircraft battery which was established at Liberton. The battery was equipped with four gun emplacements, two magazines with blast walls, a command post, and GL Radar. Records indicate that the battery was armed with four 3.7-inch guns during the war.
Wildlife The mature hedgerow separating either side of the park is home to an impressive range of bird life; including bullfinches, goldcrests, blackbirds, robins, wrens and wood pigeons. In winter small murmurations of starlings and other corvids (members of the crow family) can be seen flying around.
Living Landscape features Floral meadows (annuals)
Organise an event Find out how to organise an event
Getting involved Friends of Parks
Green flag Yes
Management plan Management plan
Location map 55.907414040276315,-3.175821304321289
Outdoor gyms Seated rower, chest press, cross trainer and recumbent bike.