Description

Later 18th century (See Notes). 3-storey with attic and basement, 5-bay classical townhouse with later public house to ground floor on sloping site. Loanhead granite ashlar with raised margins; moulded eaves course; regular fenestration to 1st and 2nd floors. Central 5-light box dormer in mansarded roof. Ground floor public house with symmetrical frontage; stugged ashlar basecourse; large tripartite fixed pane windows flanking recessed 2-leaf door; further recessed entrance at far left.

12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Ashlar coped skews at right gable; large granite ashlar ridge stack with later red brick upper section; clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: Blackfriars Public House (formerly The Royal Oak) occupies ground and 1st floor of 1-3 and 5-9 Marischal Street. 19th century gantry with later additions and alterations.

Statement of Interest

Marischal Street (designed by William Law, 1767) is arguably the most significant example of Georgian town planning in Aberdeen. The refined classical styling of Nos 5-9 contributes much to the predominantly unaltered character of the Street's lengthy run. The building was constructed between 1767, when plans for the street were first laid out, and 1789, where the Northerly end of the street is shown as complete on Alexander Milne's map of that date.

Formed on the site of the Earl Marischal's lodging and linking Castlegate with the Harbour below, Marischal Street is carried on embankments down a partly vaulted incline. It is the earliest example of this type of construction in Aberdeen, anticipating the larger scale developments at Union Street and Edinburgh's South Bridge by almost 20 years. Originally having a fine granite bridge half-way down, this was demolished along with Nos 36-39 and replaced with a wider span granite bridge to allow for the broadening of Virginia Street below.

The buildings occupying the Southern half of the street are attributed to William Smith (d.1812), father of John Smith (the renowned Aberdeen architect b.1781) and are generally grander and more varied. The street as a whole retains much of its original character despite the gradual move away from domestic to commercial ownership throughout 19th century. It is thought to be the first street in Aberdeen paved with square granite sets.

Part of A Group with 3-60 (Inclusive Nos) Marischal Street.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17775566

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)