Edinburgh, 11 Parliament Square, Advocates' Library
Library (19th Century), War Memorial (20th Century)
Site Name Edinburgh, 11 Parliament Square, Advocates' Library
Classification Library (19th Century), War Memorial (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) George Iv Bridge; National Library Of Scotland; War Memorial Plaque
Canmore ID 113279
Site Number NT27SE 785
NGR NT 25684 73513
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/113279
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
REFERENCE: EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY LIBRARY -PLANS
Playfair Coll. -12 sheets
Playfair Coll. -Staircase-1819-40 sheets (P.6)
Corridor or present Library-1820-46 sheets (P.6)
Eastern Apartments-1835-11 sheets (P.6)
Reading Room-1840-15 sheets (P.6)
Watching Brief (15 August 2012 - 16 August 2012)
An archaeological watching brief was undertaken during the excavation of three geotechnical test pits outside the Advocates Library, The Faculty of Advocates, 11 Parliament Square, Edinburgh. Two of the test pits located immediately north and south of the Advocates Library were intended to assess its foundations, whilst the third test pits intended to investigate a fractured water pipe was located in the courtyard which lies to the south of the Signet Library. The watching brief revealed only deposits of made ground and failed to locate the base of the Advocates Library foundations.
Information from Thomas Bradley-Lovekin (AOC Archaeology Group) 28 August 2016. OASIS ID: aocarcha1-133169
Standing Building Recording (5 March 2021 - 26 March 2021)
NT 25716 73486 A Level 2 historic building survey was undertaken of several disused Courts and related rooms at 11 Parliament Square, Edinburgh prior to the alteration of the existing structure including external and internal adaptions to incorporate modern office space. The work took place on 5–26 March 2021.
The Oldrieve Extension was constructed due to a need for increased court space and the modernisation of existing court rooms in the early 20th century. Over the course of the 20th century the interior layout of the building has been altered significantly with courts being added and others falling out of use with modernisation and subdivision of larger rooms. Whilst the interior has seen significant alteration, the exterior façade onto Cowgate is an impressive example of Edwardian architecture.
The archaeological watching brief was undertaken on the excavation of a lift shaft, which measured 3m² and was excavated to a depth of 1.2m. It revealed a series of walls, two of which post-dated the 17th-century library wall and a further three that pre-dated the library wall. The earlier walls were on differing alignments to the library wall and two were clearly truncated and robbed-out by the foundation cut for the library wall. From the ‘garden soil’ backfill identified during the excavations, a small assemblage of pottery, glass, bone, shell, roof tile and iron nails were recovered.
Archive: NRHE (intended)
Funder: Michael Laurie Architects Ltd
Information from Robert Usher and Lindsay Dunbar (AOC Archaeology Group) 3 May 2021. OASIS Id: aocarcha1-418468
(Source: DES Vol 22)
