Description

Earlier 19th century. 2-storey and attic over concealed basement L-plan terrace with 9-bay asymmetrical elevation to W (Commercial Street) and 2-bay elevation to N. Harl-pointed walls with droved ashlar dressings. Projecting cills to windows.

W (COMMERCIAL STREET) ELEVATION: asymmetrical elevation of 9 irregularly-spaced bays. Wide bay to outer left; shop window to right, and door to left at ground with single window centred above. 5 closely-spaced bays to right; narrow door at ground and window at 1st floor in centre bay; flanking doors at ground with shop windows in outer bays; regular fenestration in bays flanking centre at 1st floor. 2 widely-spaced bays to right; ground floor, shop door with flanking windows to left, door to right, single window at 1st floor in bay to left, 2 windows closely-spaced in bay to right. Wide bay to outer right; single storey canted timber shopfront projecting at ground with single window centred at floor above.

N ELEVATION: 2-bay cement-rendered and lined end elevation of principal front, 3-bay rubble N elevation of warehouse adjoining to left.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: asymmetrical, irregularly fenestrated with exposed basement, elevation to right of centre obscured by warehouse.

S ELEVATION: gable end of principal elevation; blank except for basement window to left; ashlar steps adjoining.

Timber sash and case windows, 12-pane to E and W elevations; 4-pane to N elevation. Plate glass fixed-lights to shop windows. 6-panel 2-leaf timber doors with plate glass fanlights at ground. Purple-grey slate roof, piended at NW corner, with cast-iron gutters and downpipes. Piend-roofed slate-hung canted timber dormer to N pitch, and 3-light slate-hung timber box dormer to W pitch, flanking corner. Imposing, broad, harl-pointed stugged and droved sandstone multi-flue apex and ridge stacks, coped, with circular cans. Ashlar skew copes with bracketted skewputts.

Statement of Interest

In his book, Manson refers to Charlotte Place "being erected in the late 1830s by William Hay, banker and merchant. They were much more roomy and airy than previous houses in the town, the N stack was secured by iron stanchions due to the vibration caused by firing of the guns at the Fort". Photographs of 1875 and 1887 show this terrace (before the adjoining warehouse was built) with basement areas surrounded by railings to Commercial Street, and lodberries projecting to the rear where the Esplanade now is. The rear elevation is a prominent feature of the harbour. The W elevation is a distinguished end to Commercial Street. Reinstatement of the basement areas and railings would re-affirm this as one of Lerwick?s finest terraces.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17852311

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2