Banff, 34 Low Street, Town House

Photographic survey of buildings in Banff by the Scottish National Buildings Record in June 1957.

The town-house stands at the N end of Low Street fronting the raised paved area known as the Plainstanes. It comprises a steeple, originally self-contained, which was completed in 1767, and to the N a three-storeyed main block of 1796-7. Although the following description was written in 1842, the building remains unchanged in external appearance: 'The town-house, built about forty years ago, is a very large, but entirely plain building, forming two sides of a square, with a spire rising from the external angle. The spire, which is much older than the house, is a sort of fluted cone, of very graceful proportions, rising from a square tower. The whole height of the spire is 100 feet. The tower, spire, and front of the house are built of dressed freestone. The house is of three very lofty stories. It contains a hall, two large drawing-rooms, Town council Chamber, Sheriff-court Room, Town Chamberlain's and Sheriff Clerk's offices, and prisons. The staircase and landing-places are spacious'.

The main block is of T-plan, measuring 16.2m across its principal (W) front by 23.7m in depth, and is built of sandstone rubble, some of which was probably re-used from the previous tolbooth. The five-bay main front is faced with sandstone ashlar, with channelled blocks in the ground storey and the quoins. The square-headed entrance-doorway is placed centrally, and the fenestration is regular. The roof is gabled, with a flat apex, and is slated. The town council gave much consideration to the best form of roof-structure, but having seen a model prepared by the wright John Smith, they concluded that 'the flat roof, tho' more expensive is ... by far the most substantial and proper'. It survives largely unaltered, some of the original assembly-marks still being visible.

The steeple, which is partly enclosed on the N and E by the later building, is square on plan and measures some 5.5m across its exposed S front. Its four-storeyed tower carries a spire 29m in overall height, and both are faced with sandstone ashlar. At ground-floor level the W front has a heavily moulded square-headed doorway below a blind oculus, both recessed within a round-headed arch. At the next level the visible faces display blind thermal windows, while the clockstage above is intaken by a concave course. The clock-faces, which have been renewed, are surmounted by broken gablets supported by consoles and linked at cornice-level by a continuous string-course. The belfry stage has a round-headed louvred opening in each face, and the tower terminates in a heavily-moulded corbelled cornice surmounted at each angle by a ball-and-square finial. The stone spire is octagonal, each facet being concave and pierced by oval vents, and is terminated by a small stone drum surmounted by a ball and weathervane.'

Internally, much of the original character of the building has been lost in modern alterations, but a musicians' gallery and the coving of the ceiling of the original ballroom survive above an inserted ceiling on the second floor. The cells, situated in the vaulted rear block, remain largely unaltered, the two in the SE angle retaining early strengthened doors.

The steeple contains a cantilevered newel-less stair to second-floor level. In the belfry there is a bell 0.6m in height and 0.76m in diameter at the mouth, which bears the cast inscription: LESTER AND PACK LONDON FECIT, and the incised one: THE BURGH OF BANFF 1767. The disused clock-mechanism is presumably the one which was ordered in London, at the same time as the bell, in February 1767.

HISTORY

Banff had a tolbooth in 15014 which probably stood in the SW angle of Low Street and Strait Path, on the site occupied since 1801 by the Tolbooth Hotel. Rebuilding took place in the early 18th century, when financial assistance was provided by the Convention of Royal Burghs. In 1762, following the demolition of the ruinous steeple, the town council resumed possession of part of a house at the Plainstanes as a site for the present steeple, which was completed in 1767.6 Plans were provided by 'Mr Adam' (almost certainly John Adam), and the mason contractor was John Marr. The erection of the steeple was resisted by the owner of the property to the S, Admiral Gordon, who expressed fear' of the spire falling on the roof of my house, or if it stand, which will be a miracle, a continual alarm of bees'. Adam reported that there was 'no risk of falling, except from an earthquake or Iightning'.

In 1794 the old tolbooth was described as ruinous and dangerous, and a year later the council obtained plans from James Reid, wright, for a new building to adjoin the steeple. The length of the site, which was burgh property, was subsequently increased by the partial demolition of an adjacent house, 'for making a handsome front, and giving proper accommodation to the town and county' . Construction began in 1796 and was largely completed in the following year. The county authorities offered £700 of the estimated cost of £1700, and subscriptions included 100 guineas from Sir William Grant, MP.

Information from ‘Tolbooths and Town-Houses: Civic Architecture in Scotland to 1833’ (1996).

NJ66SE 434 NJ 6898 6396

NJ 6898 6396 The floorboards and most of the joists in the ground floor rooms to the N and S of the main entrance of Banff Town House (NJ66SE 434), built in 1796, were fully recorded in November and December 2004 prior to being renewed. When the floor and underlying rubble in the N room was removed, c 4.6m of an earlier wall, running E-W, was revealed. This wall foundation pre-dates the Town House and it has been suggested that it might be the remains of Banff Palace, the town house of Lord Banff, reported to have been destroyed by Munro in 1642. No other archaeological features or finds were evident.

Report lodged with Aberdeenshire SMR and NMRS.

Sponsor: Aberdeenshire Council.