40, 42 John Street, Stromness, Stromness, Orkney Islands

Entry Name: 40, 42 John Street, Stromness

Listing Name: 36-42 (Even Nos) John Street, Speedings, (The Lieutenant's House), Including Walled Garden

Listing Date: 8 December 1971

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 388148

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB41795

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200388148

Location: Stromness

County: Orkney Islands

Town: Stromness

Electoral Ward: Stromness and South Isles

Traditional County: Orkney

Tagged with: House

Description

Early 19th century, with later alterations. 2-storey with double basement and attic, 4-bay, rectangular-plan, asymmetrical house (divided internally), built on ground falling to E, with gable ends to street. Harl-pointed rubble. Piended dormer windows to S. Walled garden to S.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: modern timber door with letterbox fanlight at ground in bay to right of centre; window at 1st floor above. Modern door at basement in bay to outer right; window at ground and 1st floors; attic window above. Tall stair window at ground in bay to centre; window at 1st floor; attic window above. Window at ground with modern timber door and letterbox fanlight flanking to left, in bay to outer left; window at 1st floor; attic window above.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 4-bay. Regularly fenestrated in 3 bays to left. Irregular fenestration with non-aligned windows in bay to outer right.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2-bay gabled wall. Basket-arched doorway with 2-leaf boarded doors at lower basement to right; window to basement above; small attic window to each side of gable; gablehead stack above.

W (JOHN STREET) ELEVATION: 2-by gabled wall. Window at ground to right; window at 1st floor above; attic window to centre of gable; gablehead stack above.

Replacement uPVC windows throughout. Grey slate roof; slated dormers; stone ridge; concrete skews; cavetto skewputts; corniced concrete stacks to E and W; uPVC rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1997.

WALLED GARDEN: ashlar coped rubble wall bordering John Street, forming upper (W) boundary of garden; rubble wall forming lower (E) boundary of garden; rubble wall with forestair to right (E) providing link to W (John Street), flanking S elevation of house; various arced recesses below.

Statement of Interest

Prominently sited on the eastern approach to the town. Known as Speedings after a chemist who once occupied the building, it is also referred to as the Lieutenant's House as it was formerly the home of Lieutenant James Robertson R N until his death in 1860. He was commander of the Beresford gun boat at the attack on the American squadron at the Battle of Plattsburg of 1812.

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.