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

Also known as: Stromness, 40, 42 John Street

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

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