Standing Building Recording

Date May 2016 - June 2016

Event ID 1037690

Category Recording

Type Standing Building Recording

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1037690

NT 27585 76902 A historic building survey was undertaken, May–June 2016, on a category B listed Imperial Grain Warehouse in advance of its demolition. The building was constructed in 1934 using reinforced concrete and included a grain distribution floor and grain supply belts to 70 individual grain silos. A delivery section, with seven individual floors, was accessed by a staircase and passenger lift. In 1957–9 a seven-bay extension was added and the building was extended again in 1968 with the addition of a further 12 bays. During the 1980s investment was made in improving the plant and machinery including a new dust extraction and

delivery system, and in 2004 a programme of concrete repairs was carried out. The warehouse continued in operation until the end of 2006, when the prohibitively expensive cost of upgrading it to meet new health and safety legislation together with uneconomic running costs forced its closure.

The survey has demonstrated that all four external elevations of the warehouse have remained largely unaltered since they were constructed. The largest modification occurred to the fenestration of the Phase 1 (1934) block when all the metal-framed windows were replaced by PVC windows in 1975. Presumably this not only allowed more light into the building but also ensured that the interior working floors were suitably pressurised for more efficient dust extraction. All the operational machinery within the

warehouse has remained untouched since the warehouse closed in 2006.

Archive: NRHE (intended). Reports: Edinburgh Council SMR and NRHE

Funder: Forth Ports Ltd

Michael Cressey – CFA Archaeology Ltd

(Source: DES, Volume 18)