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Latitude: 58.9845 / 58°59'4"N
Longitude: -2.9598 / 2°57'35"W
OS Eastings: 344929
OS Northings: 1011211
OS Grid: HY449112
Mapcode National: GBR M41Z.QTG
Mapcode Global: WH7C4.HFSS
Plus Code: 9CCVX2MR+Q3
Entry Name: The Girnel Keeper's House, 20 Harbour Street, Kirkwall
Listing Name: 20 Harbour Street, Girnel Keeper's House
Listing Date: 8 December 1971
Category: B
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 381607
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB36756
Building Class: Cultural
Also known as: Kirkwall, 20 Harbour Street, The Girnel Keeper's House
ID on this website: 200381607
Location: Kirkwall
County: Orkney Islands
Town: Kirkwall
Electoral Ward: Kirkwall West and Orphir
Traditional County: Orkney
Tagged with: Building
18th century, skewputt dated 1643. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay rectangular-plan asymmetrical girnel Keeper's house with 2-bay crowstepped gabled block to left with slightly recessed entrance bay, abutting Girnel House (listed separately) to right, (W). Random rubble with red sandstone dressings. Long and short margins to windows; long and short quoins.
N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: window at each floor in each bay to gabled block to left; gablehead stack above. Architraved door way with round-arched Georgian fanlight at ground in linking bay to right; window at 1st floor above.
4- and 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Traditional, graded stone tiled roof; stone skews; cavetto-moulded skewputts; dressed rubble gablehead stack to N; cast-iron rainwater goods.
INTERIOR: not seen, 1998.
Traditionally sited with its gabled end to the street, this building adjoins the girnel house to the west and housed the girnel keeper. He was responsible for administering the intake and distribution of grain, paid in kind as rent to the Earldom estate. Features of interest to note include the small-pane glazing, the intact traditional stone slated roof and the elegant entrance with round-arched fanlight; the red sandstone skeputt to the west is inscribed '1643/IC/MC'.
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