Joppa, Edinburgh
Encyclopedia
Joppa is the easternmost suburb of Edinburgh
, the capital of Scotland
. It is bounded on the north by the coast of the Firth of Forth
, on the west by Portobello
, to the south by the open area south of Milton Road and to the east by Musselburgh
in East Lothian
. The name "Joppa" appears in the late 18th century and is of uncertain origin. One possibility is from the coastal Biblical town of Joppa (a latinization of its 4th century Greek name Ἰόππη); this is now known as Israeli city of Yafo or Jaffa
.
Joppa is now largely residential, but salt
was once produced from sea water by evaporation
at Joppa Pans. Practically nothing remains of the industrial buildings but the former manager's house is now a hotel. Some light industry has operated from the area near the former station in Brunstane Road, and at Eastfield
. Many of the larger houses near the seafront date from the mid to late 19th century, with extensive later areas further inland built up in the mid 20th century.
While the last cable cars were in use in Edinburgh, a line ran through to Joppa, where it connected with the Musselburgh electric tram line. The two lines joined together in 1923 when the Edinburgh system was converted to electricity, and through trams then ran from Levenhall in Musselburgh to Waterloo Place in Edinburgh.
Joppa's skyline is dominated by the 165ft spire of St Philip's Church, situated on the corner of Brunstane Road North. It is built from Binny Stone in the Early Decorated style by Dr John Honeyman (1831-1914) and was completed in 1877. On 2 December 1998 a fire destroyed the roof and much of the interior. It is now fully restored.
On 16 October 1939 the Luftwaffe made a daylight air raid up the Forth to bomb British battleships (HMS Edinburgh, HMS Mohawk and HMS Southampton) at Rosyth. This was the first daylight air raid on Britain. Houses in Morton Street were damaged as a result. The German pilots shot down during the raid were buried, following a ceremony at St Philip's Church, in Portobello Cemetery which lies on Milton Road East. They were the first enemy casualties of the Second World War to be buried on British soil.
The main attractions are now the Joppa Rocks, for their geological interest, and Portobello Beach on the seafront.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, the capital of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is bounded on the north by the coast of the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, on the west by Portobello
Portobello, Edinburgh
Portobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach....
, to the south by the open area south of Milton Road and to the east by Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
. The name "Joppa" appears in the late 18th century and is of uncertain origin. One possibility is from the coastal Biblical town of Joppa (a latinization of its 4th century Greek name Ἰόππη); this is now known as Israeli city of Yafo or Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
.
Joppa is now largely residential, but salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
was once produced from sea water by evaporation
Salt evaporation pond
Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns or salt pans, are shallow artificial ponds designed to produce salts from sea water or other brines. The seawater or brine is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be subsequently harvested...
at Joppa Pans. Practically nothing remains of the industrial buildings but the former manager's house is now a hotel. Some light industry has operated from the area near the former station in Brunstane Road, and at Eastfield
Eastfield, Edinburgh
Eastfield is a primarily residential district on the north eastern outskirts of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It lies between Joppa and the Edinburgh City boundary with Musselburgh. The district is bounded on the north by the Firth of Forth, on the west by Joppa and the main East Coast rail...
. Many of the larger houses near the seafront date from the mid to late 19th century, with extensive later areas further inland built up in the mid 20th century.
While the last cable cars were in use in Edinburgh, a line ran through to Joppa, where it connected with the Musselburgh electric tram line. The two lines joined together in 1923 when the Edinburgh system was converted to electricity, and through trams then ran from Levenhall in Musselburgh to Waterloo Place in Edinburgh.
Joppa's skyline is dominated by the 165ft spire of St Philip's Church, situated on the corner of Brunstane Road North. It is built from Binny Stone in the Early Decorated style by Dr John Honeyman (1831-1914) and was completed in 1877. On 2 December 1998 a fire destroyed the roof and much of the interior. It is now fully restored.
On 16 October 1939 the Luftwaffe made a daylight air raid up the Forth to bomb British battleships (HMS Edinburgh, HMS Mohawk and HMS Southampton) at Rosyth. This was the first daylight air raid on Britain. Houses in Morton Street were damaged as a result. The German pilots shot down during the raid were buried, following a ceremony at St Philip's Church, in Portobello Cemetery which lies on Milton Road East. They were the first enemy casualties of the Second World War to be buried on British soil.
The main attractions are now the Joppa Rocks, for their geological interest, and Portobello Beach on the seafront.