Description

Late 18th to early 19th century with later alterations. Single storey, 3-bay, rectangular-plan symmetrical crowstep-gabled cottage sited to S end of small terrace, built on ground rising to S. Halred.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: modern, part-glazed door with letterbox fanlight in bay to centre. Window in each bay flanking.

S (SIDE) ELEVATION: blank; gablehead stack above.

N ELEVATION: adjoining Number 8 (listed separately).

uPVC windows with top-hung upper lights. Grey tiled roof; stone ridge; harled, corniced gablehead and mutual ridge stacks; uPVC rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1998.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with 6, 8 and 12 School Place. This row of cottages stands on the site of Kirkwall's Grammar School which probably began as the Cathedral Sang School attended by choristers. The site seems to compete with Number 36 Broad Street (listed separately) for the accolade of Kirkwall's original Grammar School, both seeing service as such at one time or another. The first recorded schoolmaster was Thomas Houston who was appointed by Bishop Reid to hold office from 1544 to 1595. Another school (dated around 1820) has been described, designed by a Mr Gillespie and comprising a low pavilion and an arched doorway. It was finally replaced by the present T S Peace building (listed separately) which has been since converted to Orkney Islands Council offices (1980). The value of this row of cottages to the streetscape of School Place is enhanced by its juxtaposition with the T S Peace building to the north and the massive East Church to the south.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77773686

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)