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Title
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Deaconess Gardens
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Address
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West Richmond Street
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Telephone
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0131 529 5151
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Email
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southeast.locality@edinburgh.gov.uk
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Facilities
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Childrens seating, Disabled access
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Background
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Deaconess garden is a small but popular site in the southside of Edinburgh. It is surrounded by a chain link fence and is bordered by spring flowering cherry trees which provide spectacular colour in the spring months. The garden also accommodates rose and flower beds and part of the grass areas have been planted with approximately 5,000 natural bulbs.The garden is beside the former Deaconess hospital which was opened in 1894, primarily to provide training for missionary deaconesses, but also to provide a much needed medical service to the local community. A flowering prunus ( cherry) was planted in the garden in 1987 to commemorate the centenary of the Church of Scotland Woman's Guild from 1887-1987, the tree is located to the left hand side of the medical centre and has a stone and plaque in place at the side of the tree to mark this event.
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History and heritage
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The garden is beside the former Deaconess hospital which was opened in 1894, primarily to provide training for missionary deaconesses, but also to provide a much needed medical service to the local community. The original hospital had 24 beds and extensions in both 1897 and 1912 brought this total up to 42. The hospital had five wards: Charteris, named after the hospital's founder Professor A H Charteris; Houldsworth, named after the Misses Houldsworth of Ayr who were generous subscribers; the Children's Ward which had 18 beds, six of which were on the balcony; Deaconess for church workers; and Moray. There was also a busy out-patient department. The hospital closed in 1990 and has recently been refurbished for student accommodation.The actual Deaconess Gardens used to be larger but the St Leonards medical centre was built on part of the land in early 2000.
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Visitor information
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On bus route 14 and 60
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Organise an event
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Find out how to organise an event
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Location map
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55.945781,-3.182892
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Outdoor gyms
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Fitness and gym equipment.
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Image
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