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Edinburgh Reporter
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Reporter
Forgotten history coming back to life at The Lost Close
While renovating The Lost Close just off The Royal Mile the owners found an engine in the attic. The rare 19th century Crossley Otto Silent engine is one of only three in existence (the other two are in the US and in Denmark) and it has now been restored and given pride of place by moving it downstairs to the underground vaults. The engine is in near original condition, but whether it was installed in the building or bought second hand Research revealed a royal connection. In the 1800s, Edinburgh Police Chambers and Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family's Scottish residence, had the same system installed; adding to the royal connection, this rediscovered engine had originally been installed in the short lived 'Royal Aquarium' at Waverley, before being moved to the police chambers in 1881 where it was installed for the purpose of ventilation. The story of the engine will be told in May at an event held at The Scottish Storytelling Centre. Details below. Andrew Landsburgh, Director and Founder of CoDE Concepts, said 'This is one of the most exciting finds in Scotland. We found it during The Court's renovation, posted a photo online not knowing what we had, and suddenly experts from around the world were contacting us telling us we'd uncovered something incredible. 'What began as a refurbishment turned into the discovery of a vital piece of Edinburgh, and the world's industrial heritage. This engine connects us directly to Scotland's innovative past and the very beginnings of technology which still powers the modern world. We've brought it down from the attic to The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building, where visitors can experience this historic find firsthand.' The story of this extraordinary discovery will be featured in an upcoming documentary titled 'Potential Energy' airing from 23rd May, which delves into how the engine was found, its relocation from the attic to The Lost Close, underground vaults of the building and the possibilities of restoring it for modern use. The engine is currently on display at The Lost Close. To mark this discovery, The Lost Close is launching the Scottish Innovations Tour this June, exploring the country's contributions to innovation and industry. Visitors will journey through The Lost Close, now the permanent home of the Crossley 'Otto Silent' engine, and uncover Edinburgh's role in shaping global technological progress. James Armandary, Tourism Development Lead of The Lost Close, said 'This is an incredibly exciting addition to The Lost Close. It's not every day you uncover a piece of engineering history that bridges the gap between Scotland's past innovations and technology we take for granted today. 'This building continues to surprise us with its storied history and with the launch of the Scottish Innovations Tour, visitors will not only be able to see the engine up close but also explore Edinburgh's long-overlooked role in shaping global industry.' The Lost Close, hidden for nearly two centuries beneath layers of rubble from the Great Fire, was also rediscovered during renovations in 2019. Like this: Like Related
Powys County Times
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Rare Victorian engine hidden for decades found in city attic during renovations
A rare Victorian engine once used in an Edinburgh police building has been found in an attic during renovation work. The Crossley engine lay hidden for decades before it was discovered in the attic of CoDE The Court, now a hotel in the city. Researchers said it was originally installed in a 'Royal Aquarium' which was briefly in place at Waverley Market near Waverley station in Edinburgh. It was then moved to the Edinburgh police chambers in 1881 where it was installed for ventilation. The engine is now on display in The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the CoDE Concepts building, and its discovery will feature in a forthcoming documentary. Andrew Landsburgh, director and founder of CoDE Concepts, said: 'This is one of the most exciting finds in Scotland. 'We found it during The Court's renovation, posted a photo online, not knowing what we had, and suddenly experts from around the world were contacting us telling us we'd uncovered something incredible. 'What began as a refurbishment turned into the discovery of a vital piece of Edinburgh, and the world's industrial heritage. 'This engine connects us directly to Scotland's innovative past and the very beginnings of technology which still powers the modern world. 'We've brought it down from the attic to The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building, where visitors can experience this historic find firsthand.' The engine is thought to be the second-oldest surviving Crossley four-stroke engine in the world and the oldest in Europe. Only two other examples are said to exist, the oldest housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA, and another in Denmark. The Lost Close was rediscovered during renovations in 2019. James Armandary, tourism development lead of The Lost Close, said: 'This is an incredibly exciting addition to The Lost Close. It's not every day you uncover a piece of engineering history that bridges the gap between Scotland's past innovations and technology we take for granted today. 'This building continues to surprise us with its storied history and with the launch of the Scottish Innovations Tour, visitors will not only be able to see the engine up close but also explore Edinburgh's long-overlooked role in shaping global industry.' The story of the discovery of the engine, which was found in spring 2024, will feature in the documentary Potential Energy which will premiere at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on May 23. The Lost Close is launching the Scottish Innovations Tour this June, which will explore the country's contributions to innovation and industry.
The Herald Scotland
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald Scotland
Rare Victorian engine hidden for decades found in city attic during renovations
Researchers said it was originally installed in a 'Royal Aquarium' which was briefly in place at Waverley Market near Waverley station in Edinburgh. It was then moved to the Edinburgh police chambers in 1881 where it was installed for ventilation. The engine was moved out of the attic (The Lost Close/PA) The engine is now on display in The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the CoDE Concepts building, and its discovery will feature in a forthcoming documentary. Andrew Landsburgh, director and founder of CoDE Concepts, said: 'This is one of the most exciting finds in Scotland. 'We found it during The Court's renovation, posted a photo online, not knowing what we had, and suddenly experts from around the world were contacting us telling us we'd uncovered something incredible. 'What began as a refurbishment turned into the discovery of a vital piece of Edinburgh, and the world's industrial heritage. 'This engine connects us directly to Scotland's innovative past and the very beginnings of technology which still powers the modern world. 'We've brought it down from the attic to The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building, where visitors can experience this historic find firsthand.' The engine is thought to be the second-oldest surviving Crossley four-stroke engine in the world and the oldest in Europe. Only two other examples are said to exist, the oldest housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA, and another in Denmark. The Lost Close was rediscovered during renovations in 2019. James Armandary, tourism development lead of The Lost Close, said: 'This is an incredibly exciting addition to The Lost Close. It's not every day you uncover a piece of engineering history that bridges the gap between Scotland's past innovations and technology we take for granted today. 'This building continues to surprise us with its storied history and with the launch of the Scottish Innovations Tour, visitors will not only be able to see the engine up close but also explore Edinburgh's long-overlooked role in shaping global industry.' The story of the discovery of the engine, which was found in spring 2024, will feature in the documentary Potential Energy which will premiere at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on May 23. The Lost Close is launching the Scottish Innovations Tour this June, which will explore the country's contributions to innovation and industry.
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Rare Victorian engine hidden for decades found in city attic during renovations
A rare Victorian engine once used in an Edinburgh police building has been found in an attic during renovation work. The Crossley engine lay hidden for decades before it was discovered in the attic of CoDE The Court, now a hotel in the city. Researchers said it was originally installed in a 'Royal Aquarium' which was briefly in place at Waverley Market near Waverley station in Edinburgh. It was then moved to the Edinburgh police chambers in 1881 where it was installed for ventilation. The engine is now on display in The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the CoDE Concepts building, and its discovery will feature in a forthcoming documentary. Andrew Landsburgh, director and founder of CoDE Concepts, said: 'This is one of the most exciting finds in Scotland. 'We found it during The Court's renovation, posted a photo online, not knowing what we had, and suddenly experts from around the world were contacting us telling us we'd uncovered something incredible. 'What began as a refurbishment turned into the discovery of a vital piece of Edinburgh, and the world's industrial heritage. 'This engine connects us directly to Scotland's innovative past and the very beginnings of technology which still powers the modern world. 'We've brought it down from the attic to The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building, where visitors can experience this historic find firsthand.' The engine is thought to be the second-oldest surviving Crossley four-stroke engine in the world and the oldest in Europe. Only two other examples are said to exist, the oldest housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA, and another in Denmark. The Lost Close was rediscovered during renovations in 2019. James Armandary, tourism development lead of The Lost Close, said: 'This is an incredibly exciting addition to The Lost Close. It's not every day you uncover a piece of engineering history that bridges the gap between Scotland's past innovations and technology we take for granted today. 'This building continues to surprise us with its storied history and with the launch of the Scottish Innovations Tour, visitors will not only be able to see the engine up close but also explore Edinburgh's long-overlooked role in shaping global industry.' The story of the discovery of the engine, which was found in spring 2024, will feature in the documentary Potential Energy which will premiere at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on May 23. The Lost Close is launching the Scottish Innovations Tour this June, which will explore the country's contributions to innovation and industry.
STV News
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- STV News
Victorian engine discovered in attic of former Scots jail 'one of three in world'
An 'exceptionally rare' Victorian Crossley engine is set to go on display after being discovered in the attic of a former courthouse and jail in Edinburgh. The engine is one of only three in the world and has remained hidden at the building on the Royal Mile for decades. It was discovered in the attic of the hostel, CoDE The Court, during renovation work. Built in 1878, the 'marvel' of Victorian engineering was used to regulate the temperature of the Edinburgh Police Chambers. Its discovery makes the engine the second-oldest surviving Crossley four-stroke engine in the world and the oldest in Europe. James Armandary Photography The engine is one of only three in the world and had remained hidden at CoDE The Court for decades. Only two other engines like it exist in the world, one of which is housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA, and another in Denmark. Despite being hidden for decades, the engine was found in near-original condition, and research revealed a royal connection. In the 1800s, Balmoral Castle had the same system installed, and the rediscovered engine was originally installed in the Royal Aquarium at Waverley before it was moved to the Edinburgh Police Chambers in 1881. Andrew Landsburgh, director and founder of CoDE Concepts, said the discovery is one of the 'most exciting' finds in Scotland. James Armandary Photography The engine is now on display in The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building. 'We found it during The Court's renovation, posted a photo online not knowing what we had, and suddenly experts from around the world were contacting us telling us we'd uncovered something incredible,' he said. He added that the discovery connects researchers 'directly to Scotland's innovative past and the very beginnings of technology'. 'What began as a refurbishment turned into the discovery of a vital piece of Edinburgh, and the world's industrial heritage,' he said. The engine is now on display in The Lost Close, the underground vaults of the building. James Armandary Photography The engine was built in 1878 but found in 'near original' condition. To mark the discovery, The Lost Close is launching the Scottish Innovations Tour in June, which will explore the country's contributions to innovation and industry. Visitors will journey through The Lost Close, now the permanent home of the Crossley 'Otto Silent' engine, and uncover Edinburgh's role in shaping global technological progress. James Armandary, The Lost Close's tourism development lead, said the engine's addition 'bridges the gap between Scotland's past innovations and technology we take for granted today.' 'This building continues to surprise us with its storied history, and with the launch of the Scottish Innovations Tour, visitors will not only be able to see the engine up close but also explore Edinburgh's long-overlooked role in shaping global industry,' he said. The Lost Close, hidden for nearly two centuries beneath layers of rubble from the Great Fire, was also rediscovered during renovations in 2019. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
