Town House And Clock Tower, High Street, Stonehaven, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

Entry Name: Town House And Clock Tower, High Street, Stonehaven

Listing Name: High Street, the Cross, the Town House

Listing Date: 18 August 1972

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 387930

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB41615

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200387930

Location: Stonehaven

County: Aberdeenshire

Town: Stonehaven

Electoral Ward: Stonehaven and Lower Deeside

Traditional County: Kincardineshire

Tagged with: Architectural structure

Description

James Rhind, mason, Aberdeen, dated 1790, with later alterations and additions. 4-stage, single bay, square-plane tower with open-work timber parapet, lead-covered bellcast spire on octagonal timber belfry with keystoned, semi-elliptical openings, on corner site abutting houses to S and E. Ashlar to N and W (principal elevations), random rubble to S and E; channelled long and short quoins. Blocking course.

W (ENTRANCE, THE CROSS) ELEVATION: vertically-boarded timber door with lintel dated '1790' to centre at ground with handle-socket and spout for pump immediately to left, opening at 2nd stage incorporating barometer dial dated 1852 giving way to 3rd stage with single window; further blocked window at 4th stage surmounted by clock face set into pedimented architrave, dated 1896, breaking wallhead and flanked by timber balustrade. Later building clasping outer right angle to 3rd stage.

N (HIGH STREET) ELEVATION: blocked windows to 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages surmounted by glazed window at 4th stage.

S AND E ELEVATIONS: later building abutting to 3rd stage, blank 4th stage.

12-pane glazing pattern in timber sash and case windows. Lead spire with ball finial and cockerel weathervane.

Statement of Interest

Formerly listed as 'Tower, High Street, The Cross'. An interesting eighteenth century steeple similar in size and style to further examples from the eighteenth century, at Auchtermuchty Town House and Strathmiglo Town Hall, both in Fife. Situated on a prominent corner site and forming a unique element in Stonehaven's Old Town streetscape, it was built by public subscription and is known as the Old Town Steeple. The spire was originally covered in copper. The original clock (now on display in the Tolbooth Museum) was made by James Duncan of Old Meldrum in Aberdeenshire, and is illustrated without the pediment in Gibb. In 1894 it was moved up from its original position and a new face was added. The barometer was incorporated for use by Stonehaven's fishing community, and the two bells date from 1793 and 1887.

External Links

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