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Latitude: 55.9315 / 55°55'53"N
Longitude: -3.1869 / 3°11'12"W
OS Eastings: 325940
OS Northings: 671576
OS Grid: NT259715
Mapcode National: GBR 8PP.Y6
Mapcode Global: WH6ST.05PN
Plus Code: 9C7RWRJ7+J6
Entry Name: Pillar Surmounted By Wyvern, Grange Loan, Edinburgh
Listing Name: Grange Loan and Lover's Loan, Pillar Surmounted by Wyvern
Listing Date: 14 December 1970
Category: B
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 371251
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB30380
Building Class: Cultural
ID on this website: 200371251
Location: Edinburgh
County: Edinburgh
Town: Edinburgh
Electoral Ward: Southside/Newington
Traditional County: Midlothian
Tagged with: Architectural structure
Early 18th century. Square ashlar pillar, set into boundary wall of 130 Grange Loan and Lovers' Loan, approximately 3m high, surmounted by carved stone coronet and wyvern.
S (GRANGE LOAN) ELEVATION: rubble base to approx 75cms; flutted pillar with carved ashlar bands, 2 bands with tassle carving, 1 blank. Ionic style capital; plinth supporting coronet and wyvern (wyvern's head to E). Banded polished ashlar to W (Lovers' Loan) face. Adjoined to tall rubble boundary wall to N.
This pillar is one of an identical pair removed from the grounds of Grange House, when it was demolished in 1936. Although commonly known as the "Lauder Griffins", it has been established that the heraldic beasts are in fact wyverns (see Grange Association (1982) p90). Wyverns were supposed to have had wings, the barbed tail of a serpent, and the head of a fire-breathing dragon, whilst griffins were composties of lions and eagles. The wyverns and coronets seem to be heraldic devices from the arms of the seton family, with which the Dick Lauders of Grange House were closely linked during the 18th century.
The original location of the pillars is not known, although it seems likely that they served as gatepiers. A late 19th century photograph (see THE GRANGE OF ST GILES, p88) shows the pillars as part of an ornamental garden retreat or arbour.
The other pillar now stands some 100m to the East on Grange Loan, set into the mutual wall between Nos 108-110 Grange Loan and No 2 Lauder Road.
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