Edinburgh, Holyrood Palace, Abbeyhill, Queen Mary's Bath

"QUEEN MARY'S BATH."

The tiny, irregular building (RCAHMS 1951, Figs. 302, 309, 310), popularly known as Queen Mary's Bath although it is in reality a lodge or pavilion, stands at the N. apex of the gusset enclosed by Abbey Strand, Abbeyhill and the modern approach to Palace Yard. It does not appear in the view of 1544 (Fig. 59) nor in the one that is attributed to Rowland Johnson and is published in Holinshed's Chronicles (1577); but Gordon of Rothiemay illustrates it in his pictorial map of 1647 and its position is more particularly shown in a survey of 1671, at which date it stood immediately beyond the N.W. corner of the King's Privy Garden with its entrance facing the "caichepelle," or tennis court, which lay about 20 yards to the S. From architectural evidence it can be dated to the last quarter of the 16th century, that is to say, to the first half of the reign of James VI. It is known to have been reconditioned in 1852, when a richly-inlaid dagger was found hidden in the boarding of the roof.

The shape of the building is best grasped from the plan (Fig. 309). It has only two storeys, and the masonry is rubble with dressings of freestone, slightly chamfered. The N. angle is rounded off and develops into a turret set out on an encorbelment of three members, shoulder-high from the ground, the two lower members continuing along the W. wall. Towards the N.E. angle part of the masonry overhangs and is borne on separate corbels of oak which, if not original, must be of some considerable age. The high, pyramidal, slated roof is flanked on two sides by tall chimney-stalks. The entrance, facing S.E., opens into a small lobby at the foot of a winding stair which is contained in a small annexe projecting from the main building and covered with a lean-to roof. A doorway opposite the entrance admits to the basement chamber. Irregular in shape, this little room is lit from N. and S.W. and has a fireplace in the N.E. wall. At the W. corner is a wide, arched recess, which shows signs of alteration. The floor is tiled. The cramped, winding stair opens into the S. corner of the upper room, and on the left of the entrance can be traced a built-up recess, the flooring in front of which can be moved to expose a cavity,7 ft. 4 in. long by 2 ft. wide, above the arched recess on the floor below. The cavity is thought to have contained a bath, but the arrangement rather suggests a place of concealment. The upper room is lit by a window in the turret and by two dormers. Beside the southernmost of these is a fireplace. The fabric has been repaired, and is now in the custody of the Ministry of Works.

RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941

Late 16th century. Curious, diminutive, 2-storey, square-plan garden pavilion with pyramid roof, corbelled-out turret at N angle and Scots Renaissance detailing. Rubble built with roughly squared dressings to W and chamfered margins to E elevations. Corbelling at first floor, N elevation. Doorway at single-storey lean-to section at W elevation; some dentiled timber corbelling to SE. Pedimented dormers to E and W breaking eaves. Ball and spike finials.

Graded Scottish slate. Tall, coursed sandstone stacks (see Notes).

References:

Old and New Edinburgh (1890). E J MacRae, The Royal Mile (1962) p41.

John Gifford et al, Buildings of Scotland - Edinburgh, (1991) p141. Charles

McKean, Edinburgh - An Illustrated Architectural Guide (1992) p25.

References from previous list description: Inv. 87; MacRae - Royal Mile

Report 58. C & D Arch IV p475.

Notes:

The ground beneath the Palace of Holyroodhouse and nearby structures

(including Croft-an-Righ House, the buildings on the N side of Abbey Strand

and the buildings around Mews Court) is scheduled under the Ancient

Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 for its archaeological

importance. The upstanding remains of Holyrood Abbey and Queen Mary's

Bath are also scheduled monuments. Significant upstanding and below-ground archaeological remains may survive as part of and in addition to the structures and features described above.

'Queen Mary's Bath House' is a highly unusual and very rare late 16th century survival. Although the original function of this distinctive building remains uncertain, it was most probably a garden pavilion for the then newly created North privy gardens within the grounds of the palace of Holyroodhouse. Its eye-catching, asymmetric form contributes significantly to the Abbeyhill streetscape. It became isolated following demolition of most of the buildings to the N range of the palace grounds, carried out in subsequent years. It forms part of a larger group of structures that comprise the Holyrood complex (see separate listings) and was once attached to the former privy garden and palace wall. Old & New Edinburgh (1890) describes the building as situated 'north-eastward of the tennis court" and notes that the tradition of it having been a bath house is of 'considerable antiquity'. Following demolition of a neighbouring building in 1852, the Bath House was repaired and to some extent restored with the two stacks added at this time.

Part of A-group comprising: Palace of Holyroodhouse; 28 and 30 Croft-An-

Righ (Croft-An-Righ House); Abbey Strand Eastern Building; Abbey Strand

Western Building; Queen Mary's Bath House; North Garden Sundial; Palace

Forecourt Fountain; Abbey Court House; Gatehouse and Former Guard

Rooms; Palace Coach House; Stables; Queen's Gallery (see separate

listings).

List description revised as part of the Edinburgh Holyrood Ward resurvey

(2007/08). List description updated 2012.

Information from Historic Scotland, 14th December 1970