Building to rear, 10 Glasgow Vennel, Irvine, Irvine West, North Ayrshire

Description

A single-storey rubble cottage and outbuilding dating from around the mid-18^th century, which were restored in the 1980s. The cottage to the west (fronting Glasgow Vennel) is four-bays and slated, while that running parallel to the rear is two-bays and has a thatched roof. During the late 18^th century the buildings functioned as a heckling shop in which the poet Robert Burns worked as a flax dresser for 6 months. Located in a vennel to the north of Irvine High Street, the buildings are detached and are connected by a late-20^th century flat-roofed link block, which is excluded from the listing.

Both buildings are largely rectangular on plan, but that fronting the vennel is slightly skewed at the north end to follow the line of the street. The walls are constructed from random rubble with large roughly-squared stones to the corners (some of which are late-20^th century indentations). There are rock-faced rubble chimneys to each gable with replacement coping and clay pots.

The building fronting Glasgow Vennel has a four-bay main (west) elevation with three windows and a door opening in raised and painted margins. The gabled end bays (north and south) are blank. The rear (east) elevation has a single door opening in plain surrounds. The pitched roof is slated with a leaded ridge and there are replacement rainwater goods and timber fascia to the eaves. The windows are replica single-pane timber sashes.

The building to the rear has a pitched roof of reeded thatch, with a concrete ridge and cement fillets to the later flat stone skews and skewputts. There are two bays to the main (east) elevation and four bays to the west elevation (two of which are contained within the present link block). The north gable is blank and the south gable has a single window opening. The openings are concealed behind late-20^th century timber shutters. The windows are replica three-pane timber sliding sashes.

The interior of the buildings were seen (2017). The building fronting Glasgow Vennel has been converted into a modern office. The rear building, which is entered via the link block between the two buildings, comprises a single room with exposed rubble walls and a flagstone floor. Set into the wallhead, the replacement A-frame timber roof structure is exposed, along with the underside of the thatch. There is a rubble chimneybreast to the south with dressed sandstone surrounds.

Legal exclusions

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the flat-roofed link block.

The link block was added in the late 20^th century and is not of special architectural or historical interest.

Historical development

Irvine became a Royal Burgh in the mid 13^th century and the town grew to become a major west coast port. During the late 17^th century a direct route east was created from the high street along Glasgow Vennel and Ballot Road. The vennel served as part of the main thoroughfare for the transportation of goods between Irvine Harbour and Glasgow.

The exact date of construction of the Heckling Shop buildings on Glasgow Vennel is not known, however it is likely that they contain fabric dating from at least the late 18^th century. The poet Robert Burns worked in the buildings as a flax dresser in 1781-82 (see Association with people or events of national importance). As is noted in Burns' letter of 2 August 1787, the Heckling Shop building was damaged by a fire that broke out on 31 December 1781. It is thought that the fire occurred in the building to the rear, however the extent of the damage is not known.

First shown on Wood's Plan of the Town of Irvine (1819), the pair of heckling shop buildings are largely depicted as they are currently (2021), with the exception of an additional building abutting the north gable of that fronting the vennel. Historic maps show that various small-scale buildings were added in the associated yard to the north of the present buildings from the mid 19^th century until at least the mid 20^th century. These additions were removed as part of the restoration works of the early 1980s, which saw the buildings converted into a museum.

Shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1956, a link block between the two buildings was added in the mid 20^th century but this was replaced as part of the 1980s works by the present link block. As part of the restoration in 1982, the thatched roof was reinstated, the interiors were stripped back and altered, the walls and flagstones were repaired and the north gable wall was rebuilt. Last used as a museum in 2010, the buildings are currently owned by the local authority and are let out commercially (2019).

Statement of Interest

The Heckling Shop, 10 Glasgow Vennel, Irvine meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

It is a rare example of a surviving vernacular building that retains much of its early character and fabric.

It is the only remaining example of a thatched roof building in Irvine and is one of only three that are known to survive in North Ayrshire. It is also among a relatively small number of thatched buildings that survive across Scotland.

In its renovated state, it continues to display traditional building methods and materials characteristic of the region, including the thick rubble walls and the irregular plan form.

It is one of a very small number of buildings that provide a well-documented and tangible connection with Scotland's National Poet, Robert Burns.

It remains largely unaltered with much of the historic fabric and contextual setting still evident. It is a key part of the built heritage of Irvine and tells us about the layout and character of the town during the 18^th century.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: the flat-roofed link block.

Architectural interest

Design

The Heckling Shop has been constructed and repaired using traditional materials and methods that are characteristic of this part of Scotland. The buildings were extensively restored during the 1980s, which included the reconstruction of the north gable and the rethatching of the roof of the rear building. The renovations show how the building has been altered to accommodate improvements in current use and modern standards.

The use of thatch as a roofing material has a long tradition in Scotland. Thatched buildings are often single storey cottages or crofthouses, which are traditionally built, reflecting pre-industrial construction methods and materials. The survival of this building type into the 21^st century is extremely rare (see Age and Rarity for more information). The Heckling Shop retains its thatched roof, which has been traditionally replaced and maintained.

The design and construction of the building, the method of thatching and the thatching material used was a distinctly localised practice. The best examples of local vernacular buildings will normally be listed because together they illustrate the importance of distinctive local and regional traditions.

The central and southern regions of Scotland have a history of diverse local thatching techniques. The industrial and agricultural revolution of the 18^th and 19^th centuries transformed areas of this region in a very short period of time and as a result relatively few thatch buildings survive. As one of the most important ports in southwest Scotland, Irvine was a centre of trade, where craft and harbour-side industries also thrived. The town prospered in the mid 19^th century and the majority of the thatched roofed buildings were replaced with slate roofs around this time. The Heckling Shop is the only building in the town that remains thatched following these redevelopments of the 19^th century.

With the significant shift of people to towns and cities and improvements in transport and communication, this region experienced a variety of thatching techniques and traditions. The traditional thatching material in this area would have been oat straw, as was often the case across Scotland. However, with the planting of the Tay reed beds in the 18^th century and the increased availability of reed as a result now means that most buildings in the central and southern regions are thatched in reed.

These regions of Scotland are fairly well protected from the extreme weather prevailing in the Highlands and Islands. Consequently, thatched roofs did not require heavy duty fixings to keep the thatch in place. Instead, most thatches were secured into position using pegs, which involved bunches of straw being placed onto the roof in courses. One or two split wood pegs would be pushed through the holding band to secure the thatch in place. This method was usually carried out over a turfed underlay (Scotland's Thatched Buildings 2018: p.27). The use of chicken-wire to keep the thatch in place became common after the 1930s as extra security against bad weather. This is the method used to secure the thatch of the Heckling Shop and reflects its late 20^th century reconstruction date.

The use of a concrete ridge and infill to the skews, which can be seen at the Heckling Shop, would not have been a traditional method of thatching in this area but became a feature of later examples. A historic photograph from around the turn of the 20^th century shows that at this time, the skews to the Heckling shop had been rebuilt in brick and the original turf ridge appears to have been replaced by a moulded terracotta, masonry or concrete ridge (Old Irvine).

The interiors of this type of traditional cottage were often simple. Many of them have been refurbished and historic features no longer survive. The Heckling Shop buildings were fully renovated in the 1980s and there does not appear to be any original interior fixtures, fittings or decorative schemes surviving. The interior of that fronting Glasgow Vennel has been converted into a modern office with no internal features of note now evident. The interior of the Heckling Shop has been restored as a single open-plan space, stripped back to expose the rubble walls, a flagstone floor and the replacement roof structure. The original internal layout would likely have had a but-and-ben arrangement, separating the different areas for the storage and dressing of the flax (Irvine Burns Club). Although the internal layout has been altered and contains replacement material, the simplicity of the space reflects the early character of the building.

The long and narrow rectangular footprint of the Heckling Shop is a typical plan form of traditional buildings throughout Scotland, as the expense of suitable timbers restricted the depth which could be spanned by the roof. The skewed footprint of that fronting Glasgow Vennel bends and responds to the original layout of the street. The irregular and organic nature of the plan is a typical characteristic of pre-Improvement vernacular buildings. It is therefore of special interest.

Authenticity of material can be an important factor in assessing the significance of thatched buildings, however buildings which have been repaired over time (perhaps with new roofing material or rethatched) can also be listed. The retention of the overall traditional character of vernacular buildings is therefore important in determining their special architectural or historic interest.

The overall appearance of the Heckling Shop is that of an improved mid to late 18^th century thatched building that has been renovated in recent decades. Together the buildings retain a significant proportion of their 18^th century vernacular character and fabric that includes the irregular plan form, the thatched roof and the thick rubble walls. Their survival is unusual and was likely due to the early recognition of its direct connection with the poet Robert Burns.

Setting

Situated within the Conservation Area of Irvine Town Centre, the Heckling Shop buildings are located on the eastern side of Glasgow Vennel, just to the north of what was the High Street. Dating from the 18^th century and the only remaining thatched building in the town, the Heckling Shop buildings form a key component of Irvine's historic core.

Glasgow Vennel is first depicted on Armstrong's New Map of Ayrshire (1775). It was originally known as 'Smiddy' or 'Smithy Bar' and is a narrow street comprising rows of low single- and two-storey houses that largely date from the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The vennel retains much of its historic streetscape character, despite alterations and later insertions, including 21^st century housing to the former yard to the north of the Heckling Shop. Early features of the vennel include the cobbles, which were uncovered during the 1980s. Retention of much of the wider setting contributes to the special interest of the Heckling Shop buildings. This is further enhanced by the survival of the lodging house at No. 4 Glasgow Vennel (LB35415), where Burns resided for a period whilst working in Irvine.

The Heckling Shop buildings comprise two detached parallel buildings that follow the traditional plan form of a house to the front and a barn or workshop to the rear. The core footprint of the buildings has remained largely unchanged since at least the early 19^th century, despite the insertion of a late-20^th century linking corridor, which replaced a connecting wall. The retention of their immediate setting contributes to our understanding of how such buildings would have functioned. The survival of the early footprint, without any significant additions or losses, is rare and adds to the special interest of the buildings.

Historic interest

Age and rarity

The survival of thatched buildings into the 21^st century is extremely rare. A Survey of Thatched Buildings in Scotland, published in 2016 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), found that were only around 200 buildings with thatched roofs in Scotland. Those which retain their traditional vernacular character, including plan forms and construction techniques may be of special interest in listing terms. The SPAB survey report shows that the Heckling Shop is one of only three thatched buildings to remain in North Ayrshire, with the other two examples being modern structures or replicas. Within East, North and South Ayrshire, there are only eleven other thatched buildings remaining (SPAB, pp.106, 272-76, 402-18).

These once prolific traditional buildings are now extremely rare. The Heckling Shop is an early surviving building in Irvine and is the only remaining thatched building in the town. It has a close historical association with an internationally renowned poet and is an important remnant of the flax trade, which was once prominent across the region in the late 18^th century. The buildings have been moderately altered but they retain a significant amount of 18^th century fabric and continue to demonstrate traditional building skills and materials.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting.

As a surviving example of a former Heckling Shop, the buildings contribute to our understanding of the linen industry during the late 18^th century, and its importance to the social and economic development of Irvine.

The Heckling Shop is of further social historical interest as it is one of a small number of buildings that have a direct and well-substantiated connection to the poet Robert Burns (see Association with people or events of national importance).

Association with people or events of national importance

The Heckling Shop, 10 Glasgow Vennel, has a close historical association with a person of national importance.

Scotland's National Poet Robert Burns lived in Irvine for a period of nine months beteween 1781-2 and took lodgings at the nearby building at No.4 Glasgow Vennel (LB35415). During the 1780s the buildings at No.10 functioned as a heckling shop and a store, in which the flax was dressed prior to spinning. It is believed that Burns' partner Alexander Peacock resided in (or in part of) the building fronting Glasgow Vennel (Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory 1905, p.36). For 10-12 hours a day over a period of six months Burns worked in the heckling shop, learning the craft of flax-dressing from his partner, who was his mother's brother-in-law. The laborious process involved drawing the rough and impure flax through 'the heckles' (a large comb comprising a bed of nails in a wooden board). He found the work very tedious, while the dust from the flax was stifling and the odious smell sickened him (Irvine Burns Club).

Burns' time in Irvine and working in the heckling shop is well-documented, both in his own writings and by others. This association with Burns was recognised from an early stage and the buildings were captioned on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1856, published 1857) as 'The Poet Burns Flax-dressing Shop'. This early recognition and appreciation may explain why the buildings have been retained and have remained relatively unaltered. In addition to working in the Heckling Shop, Burns may also have resided in the loft of one of the buildings, before he relocated to lodgings at the nearby No.4 Glasgow Vennel (Burns Museum).

Writing in a letter to Mrs Dunlop in 1797, his brother Gilbert noted that he and Robert had '…for several years taken land of my father for the purpose of raising flax on our own account. In the course of selling it, Robert began to think of turning flax-dresser, both as being suitable to his grand view of settling in life, and as subservient to the flax raising. He accordingly wrought at the business of a flax-dresser in Irvine for six months, but abandoned it at that period, as neither agreeing with his health nor inclination.'

In an autobiographical letter to Dr. John Moore (2 August 1787), Burns wrote 'My twenty-third year was to me an important era. Partly through whim, and partly that I wished to set about doing something in life, I joined a flax-dresser in a neighbouring town (Irvine), to learn his trade. This was an unlucky affair. My partner was a scoundrel of the first water; and to finish the whole, as we were giving a welcome carousal to the New Year, the shop took fire and burnt to ashes, and I was left, like a true poet, not worth a sixpence.' (The Letters of Robert Burns)

In the same letter Burns noted that his time in Irvine, was an important period in his life. At that time it was the busiest harbour in the west of Scotland and Burns became friends with a local sea captain, Richard Brown, who encouraged him to pursue his poetic talents and seek to have his poems published. While in Irvine, Burns wrote melancholic poems such as 'Prayer under Pressure of Violent Anguish' and it was here that he ultimately made the decision to '…endeavour at the character of a poet.' (Burns' letter to Richard Brown, Edinburgh, 30 December 1787).

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing
Wikidata IDs Q108407586 Q108407587

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