Workers clearing the ground for Edinburgh's New Town Quarter development were astounded after uncovering the remains of a giant outdoor gymnasium dating from the Victorian era.
Preparatory works in June 2022 uncovered a series of large concentric rings that appear to be the physical remains of ‘The Great Sea Serpent’ contraption from the Royal Patent Gymnasium.
The exciting discovery was made beneath what was the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) car park on the fringes of King George V Park.
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Photos show three stone circles in the mud that would have formed the base of the fabled, lost gym attraction, which some have labelled a 19th century 'Alton Towers'.
The Royal Patent Gymnasium opened at the New Town beauty spot in April 1865 and featured an array of extraordinary outdoor gym apparatus, including a giant see-saw for 200 people, a bicycle roundabout and a pendulum swing.
The Great Sea Serpent was billed as the main attraction at the outdoor gym and would have dominated the park.
Capable of accommodating 600 seated rowers, the massive attraction consisted of a 60ft-wide wooden boat on a circular pond, 471 feet in circumference, that was held by wire ropes attached to a central pivot.
Despite being the only one of its kind in Britain, the days of the Royal Patent Gymnasium were very much numbered. Suffering from lack of use in the winter months, the structure eventually vanished and the site repurposed in 1880 as a new stadium for St Bernard’s Football Club.
Demolition work on the former RBS site at Fettes Row started at the tail end of 2021 following the release of a multi-use residential development proposal by Ediston and Orion Capital Managers.
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Branded the New Town Quarter, the £250 million plans include the construction of 144 build-to-rent units, 117 private residential units, and 88 mid-market rent/affordable homes.
Developers have previously said the plan “respects its unique location bordering the World Heritage Area in a respectful but contemporary design that will reconnect the King George V Park with both the New Town and the wider urban context”.
The developers were made aware that they might encounter a 'sea serpent' during the excavation phase.
Edinburgh Live contacted John Lawson, City of Edinburgh Council Archaeologist, who added: “The historic significance of this site was known and as part of the planning conditions for the development of the site the developer had to undertake specific excavations.
“CFA Archaeology Ltd who undertook the excavations on behalf of developer Ediston have uncovered what we hoped had survived on site the remains of part of The Royal Patent Gymnasium and ‘The Great Sea Serpent’ attraction.
"It’s not every day we get to dig up the remains of a 'sea-serpent', whilst very little remains other than the foundations of the structure, we’ve been able to record it and confirm our understanding of the history of this site.”
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