Aberdeen, Broad Street, Provost Skene's House And Archway
House (16th Century), Sundial(S) (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Aberdeen, Broad Street, Provost Skene's House And Archway
Classification House (16th Century), Sundial(S) (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Cumberland House; Victoria Lodging House; 45 Guestrow
Canmore ID 20175
Site Number NJ90NW 52
NGR NJ 94198 06385
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/20175
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- Council Aberdeen, City Of
- Parish Aberdeen
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District City Of Aberdeen
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ90NW 52 94198 06385.
(NJ 9419 0638) Provost Skene's House (NAT)
OS 25" map, (1955).
During repair work to central heating pies, part of the stone floor of the old kitchen was uplifted within the 17th-century part of this house. No archaeological deposits were found, but a stone incised with the letters 'THHR' was discovered. It had been part of the floor and after being recorded, was replaced.
Sponsor: City of Aberdeen District Council.
A Cameron 1991.
This site has only been partially upgraded for SCRAN. For full information, please consult the Architecture Catalogues for Aberdeen.
January 1998
Originating in the 16th century (built 1545) as a plain, three-storeyed block with a forestair, this building was twice extended in length before being acquired in 1669 by George Skene, to whom its present form is principally due. Painted gallery of 1626; plasterwork of 1676; restored 1951-3. The bedroom and panelling in the Georgian drawing room are noteworthy. Was also a Victorian working house.
(Additional newspaper references cited by AAS).
J G Dunbar 1966; E Meldrum 1961; NMRS, MS/712/83.
NMRS REFERENCE:
Aberdeen, Broad Street, Provost Skene's House.
Built c.1545.
Street originally Guest Row.
Provost Skene's House also known as Cumberland House.
1688 (Coat of Arms over Door dated 1688). The west wing of this house is older. Area 1580. Good painted panelling, staircase and plaster ceiling.
NMRS REFERENCE:
Archway originally located in Union Terrace Gardens.
EXTERNAL REFERENCE:
Aberdeen Public Library, Reference Department:
Plans of plaster ceilings at no.45 Guestrow, measured and drawn by J. Scott Lawson. - 2 sheets
Slides of Cumberland House, Guestrow; Victoria Lodging House, Guestrow; Ancient gateway, Guestrow; Court in Guestrow.
Non-Guardianship Sites Plan Collection, DC28896- DC28926, 1929 & 1933.
Aberdeen Public Library
"Munro's Old Landmarks" - description
"Aberdeen in bygone Days" - slides - reference Dept.
S.N.P.G
"Memorials of the family of Skene" 1887 Spalding Club - print
Photographic Survey (9 October 1951)
Photographic survey by the Ministry of Works in 1951.
Photographic Survey (17 April 1952)
Photographic survey by the Ministry of Works in April 1952.
Photographic Survey (10 October 1952)
Photographic survey by the Ministry of Works in October 1952.
Publication Account (1997)
This outstanding piece of domestic architecture is one of the few remaining early buildings in the town figure 20. The earliest section is a three-storey wing perhaps dating from the mid sixteenth century. The interior has a painted gallery of 1626, which contains an important cycle of religious paintings; and some other seventeenth-century additions remain intact, for example a fine ceiling in one of the bedrooms. The house was owned by Sir George Skene, provost of Aberdeen in 1676-1685; used by the Duke of Cumberland in February 1746 on route north to crush the Jacobites; and was restored in the twentieth century.
Information from ‘Historic Aberdeen: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1997).
Watching Brief (1 November 2011 - 15 December 2011)
Service trenches around Provost Skene's House were monitored in November and December 2011 in preparation for the demolition of St Nicholas House. No archaeological deposits were recorded.
Information from Oasis (camerona1-125586) 24 July 2012
NJ 94198 06385 A watching brief was undertaken 1 November – 15 December 2011 during the excavation of a number of service trenches. No significant archaeological finds or features were recorded.
Archive: RCAHMS
Funder: Aberdeen City Council
Alison Cameron (Cameron Archaeology) 2012 (DES)
Watching Brief (26 August 2012 - 28 September 2012)
NJ 94198 06385 A watching brief during the excavation of post pits, and an evaluation on an area of open ground adjacent to St Nicholas House were undertaken, 26 August – 28 September 2012, in advance of possible development work. An area of undisturbed garden soil, overlying natural subsoil, may indicate the location of potentially undisturbed deposits in the open area between Provost Skene's House and St Nicholas House. In other areas 19th-century tenement wall foundations and a 20th-century concrete duct were recorded.
Archive: RCAHMS
Funder: Aberdeen City Council
Alison Cameron, Cameron Archaeology, 2013
(Source: DES)
Watching Brief (22 August 2014 - 23 February 2018)
NJ 94198 06385 A number of watching briefs were carried
out, 22 August 2014 – 23 February 2018 during various works
associated with a new shopping and office complex. In
general the ground was very disturbed, but medieval pottery
and butchered mammal bone was recovered from test pits
in Broad Street which had probably been disturbed from a
nearby midden. No finds were recovered in situ and features
dated to the 19th century or later.
Archive: NRHE
Funder: Muse Developments
Alison Cameron and Robert Lenfert – Cameron Archaeology
(Source: DES, Volume 19)
OASIS ID: camerona1-311072 (A Cameron) 2018
