Field Visit
Date 24 June 1926
Event ID 1099190
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1099190
The West Port, St. Andrews.
One of the few surviving examples of a city gate in Scotland stands at the west end of South Street (Fig. 421 [SC 1106627]). The contract for its building, dated 18th May, 1589, and a supplementary contract of three months later are printed verbatim in the Transactions of the Edinburgh Architectural Association, vol. ix, p. 130. The contract was between Master David Russell, Dean of Guild, and Thomas Robertson, mason in Blebo. The latter was to erect "the West Port of the Sowth Geatt of the said citie, with ane sufficient and perfite rownd on ilk syde of the said Port, of fine ashlar work, conform to the form and fassoun of the Nathir-bow of Edinburghe." The Port was to have "ane cumlie and perfite pend," above which was to be "ane fair and sufficient battaling…fra end to end…with ane sufficient passage to ascend and pass up”. The two "rownds" or towers, one on each side, are in the later contract spoken of as "twa howsses." Above the pend were to be stones carved with "the Kingis Majesties armes" and the "comoun townis armes of the said citie beneth thame”.
The Port, however, was "completely renovated" in 1843, when also some structural alterations were made. It now consists of a central archway 11 ½ feet wide, set between two semi-octagonal gun-looped turrets and two smaller archways of modern construction. The "battling," which was specified to extend the full length of the Port, is confined to the central portion; it is pierced with little openings and is borne on a chequered corbelling. A modern carved panel replaces the coats of arms specified in the original contract, which in time had become almost obliterated.
RCAHMS 1933, visited 24 June 1926.
