Spence's Square, 74 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

Entry Name: Spence's Square, 74 Victoria Street, Kirkwall

Listing Name: 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 Spence's Square

Listing Date: 8 December 1971

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 381559

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB36707

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Kirkwall, 74 Victoria Street, Spence's Square

ID on this website: 200381559

Location: Kirkwall

County: Orkney Islands

Town: Kirkwall

Electoral Ward: Kirkwall East

Traditional County: Orkney

Tagged with: Architectural structure

Description

18th century incorporating earlier fabric; later alterations. 2-storey, irregularly fenestrated, rectangular-plan small terrace of houses (comprising 3 properties) with crowstepped gable to Victoria Street (W) forming S side of courtyard, (Spence's Square), built on ground rising to E; slightly higher 2-bay group to E; Numbers 1 and 2 (listed separately) form N and E sides of square. Harled with cement dressings. Plain margins to some openings.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 4-bay group to right: deep-set part-glazed timber-panelled door at ground in bay offset to right of centre; window at 1st floor above. Window at ground in bay to right; non-aligned window, offset to outer right, above. Stair window in bay to left. Window at ground in square-headed recess, with window (possible formerly doorway) at 1st floor in bay to penultimate left. Deepset door beneath linking walkway at ground in bay to outer left; window at 1st floor above. 2-bay group to left (E), divided horizontally by access walkway: timber-panelled door at ground in bay to centre. Window in close in bay to right; timber-panelled door at 1st floor above. Window at each floor in bay to left.

W (VICTORIA STREET) ELEVATION: 2-bay gabled group with full-height single bay lean-to projection to right. 2-bay group to left: window at ground in bay to left; window at each floor in bay to right; gablehead stack above. Window at each floor in projection to outer right.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Replaced traditional graded stone tiled roof; stone ridge; harled, corniced gablehead and ridge stacks; cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1998.

Statement of Interest

Together with Nos 1 and 2 Spence's Square (see separate listing), Numbers 3-7 Spence's Square form a small courtyard off Victoria Street, entered through a cast-iron archway from the street. The houses to the rear of the square have 1st floor entrances with a linking walkway over a close which leads to the gardens behind. The complex has undergone an award-winning restoration by Orkney Islands Council which re-harled them and replaced the traditional graded stone tiles.

Statutory address revised 2008. Previously listed as '74 Victoria Street, Spence's Square'.

External Links

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.