Linlithgow, 212-214 High Street, Rear
Tannery (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Linlithgow, 212-214 High Street, Rear
Classification Tannery (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Tannery
Canmore ID 214482
Site Number NS97NE 224
NGR NS 99968 77116
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/214482
- Council West Lothian
- Parish Linlithgow
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District West Lothian
- Former County West Lothian
No 212, with its fanlight, Doric doorway and broad coach pend acts as a handsome introduction to this long sedate row of good, plain classical houses. To the rear of 212 is the remains of a contemporary tannery, a rare survivor of the 17 Linlithgow had in the 18th century. Good views to the rear of the varying length of the Long Rigs may be had from the lochside.
Taken from "West Lothian: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Stuart Eydmann, Richard Jaques and Charles McKean, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
Standing Building Recording (July 2007)
NS 9996 7711 As part of a multi-phase response to the planned development of the site, a standing building survey on two former tannery buildings and a disused bakery was carried out in July 2007. The tannery buildings (Buildings 1 & 2) were found to have several phases of modification and later re-use.
Building 1 was an early 19th-century domestic building that was reduced in size to create a tannery drying shed. Building 2 was a large rectilinear drying shed with workshops below. When the tannery ceased operation the building was converted, resulting in major alterations to its fenestration. The ground floor workshops were cleared in favour of an open-plan layout. Buildings 3 and 4 were associated with a bakery that was in operation at the site in 2002. The bakery building (Building 3) has a modern panelled interior and large gas bread oven. Building 4 was built using the lower walls of a much earlier building which survived to first floor
height on its northern half, and probably dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. The building was last used as a freezer shed by the bakery and its interior was modern.
Other features recorded included a courtyard wall enclosing Buildings 1 and 2 and a vennel wall running from the High Street to Linlithgow Loch. The vennel was found to contain masonry associated with several buildings that were demolished by 1947. A series of test-pits were excavated in September 2007 on the locations of the piles used in the construction of new buildings (Units 7A and B). This followed an evaluation of the site where
buried walls had been recorded within these units. Fourteen testpits were excavated. One revealed what may be a wall recorded during the evaluation and a second revealed the foundations of the demolished vennel wall. A third revealed a pit containing part of a wooden barrel within which were deposits of wood, perhaps coarse sawdust and wooden planking. The lowest excavated deposit contained numerous small bones. A subsequent watching brief revealed no additional remains.
Archive deposited with RCAHMS and WoSAS SMR.
Funded by: Hardie Associates Ltd.