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Publication Account

Date 1977

Event ID 1017875

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1017875

The New Wark, built in the late fourteenth century, was a massive stone structure. Its purpose may have originally been a defensive one, indeed in its day it served both as a prison and barracks (Shirley, 1915, 25). Most of the New Wark was removed in 1764, what remained was converted into dwelling houses which were in turn pulled down in 1846. A portion of the vaults of the building were laid bare when workmen were digging the foundations of a public urinal in 1908 and one of the discoveries was an iron cleek found in a fireplace (Shirley, 1915, 46). Edgar described the structure as having a forestair with vaults or cellars 'having four shops before and dwellings and shops for the fleshers on the back parts, with many rooms and apartments which are now all thrown down and demolished' (Reid, 1915, 55).

Information from ‘Historic Dumfries: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1977).

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