Description

Late 18th Century. 3-storey with attic, 5-bay Classical townhouse on sloping site. Loanhead granite ashlar with raised margins; moulded eaves course. Later, mansard roof with central dormer flanked by tripartite pedimented dormers. Later shopfront at ground floor with reccessed 2-leaf door flanked by large fixed pane windows. Wide doorway to No 11 at far left with timber panelled door and side lights with upper halves glazed.

6-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slates to steeply pitched mansard roof; ashlar coped skew at right gable; coped granite ashlar stack; clay cans.

Harled to rear with irregular glazing pattern; oriel window to far left bay at 3rd floor; 4-storey later addition to far right with lean-to roof at re-entrant angle with rear of Nos 5-9 Marischal Street.

Statement of Interest

Marischal Street (designed by William Law, 1767) is of considerable historic interest in terms of the early development of Classical Aberdeen. The simple classical styling of Nos 11-15 forms a significant part of the streets lengthy run, contributing to its refined character. The building was constructed at some point between 1767, when plans for the street were laid out, and 1789, when Alexander Milnes' map shows that the North half of the street was completed by 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 development of Union Street and Edinburgh's South Bridge by 20 years. Originally having a fine granite bridge half way down, this was demolished and replaced in 1983 along with adjacent Nos 36-38 and 37-39 to allow the widening 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 refinement and original character despite the gradual move 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 Q17775580

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

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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]