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Edinburgh, 185, 187 Canongate, Bible Land

Tenement (17th Century)

Site Name Edinburgh, 185, 187 Canongate, Bible Land

Classification Tenement (17th Century)

Alternative Name(s) 183 - 187, 187 - 199, 187 - 267, 191, 195 - 197, 213 - 217 Canongate; Shoemaker's Land;

Canmore ID 52359

Site Number NT27SE 330

NGR NT 26364 73770

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/52359

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Edinburgh, City Of
  • Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District City Of Edinburgh
  • Former County Midlothian

Archaeology Notes

NT27SE 330 26364 73770

The almost entirely rebuilt front of a double tenement put up by the Incorporation of Cordiners in 1677. Five storeys high. Rebuilding completed 1956, Robert Hurd. Above the door a pedimented cartouche bears the Cordiners' emblem of a crowned shoemaker's rounding-knife flanked by cherubs' heads. Below is an open book inscribed: Behold how good a thing it is / and how becoming well / together such as brethren are / in unity to dwell, followed by (IT IS AN) HONOUR FOR (A MAN) TO CEASE FROM STRIFE.

J Geddie 1930; RCAHMS 1951; J Gifford, C McWilliam and D Walker 1984

Architecture Notes

NT27SE 330 26364 73770

Shoemakers' or Bible Land. Large five-storeyed tenement with two gables facing the street and closely-spaced windows. Turnpike stair near centre of the front ends and an ogee roof.

See also Edinburgh, Canongate, Shoemaker's Land.

Insignia of the shoemakers carved on the first floor level.

EXTERNAL REFERENCE:

City Architect's Collection

Photostat of drawing of Bible, Morocco and Shoemaker's Lands as in 1677 by A A MacCulloch 1943

Activities

Publication Account (1951)

108. Bible Land, 187-197 Canongate.

This large L-shaped double-tenement, built by the Incorporation of Cordiners in 1677, has an interesting front of rubble with ashlar dressings. The facade is divided by the common stair which is capped with an ogival roof above the wall-head. Both parts contain five storeys above the cellarage, but the original arrangement of the street floor survives only just W. of the stair as modern shops have been intruded at either end. The stair entrance is adorned with a mural tablet; from the moulded cornice twisted pilasters rise on either side of a scrolled cartouche and support a triangular pediment bearing in the tympanum a cherub's head. On the cartouche is represented a shoemaker's rounding knife, surmounted by a crown and flanked by two cherub's heads and the date 1677. An open scroll below is inscribed with the opening words of the Scottish metrical version of the 133rd Psalm:

BEHOLD HOW GOOD A THING IT IS

AND HOW BECOMING WELL

TOGETHER SUCH AS BRETHREN ARE

IN UNITY TO DWELL

followed in smaller letters by a text from the Book of Proverbs (xx, 3) [IT IS AN] HONOUR FOR [A MAN] TO CEASE FROM STRIFE. In the E. half of the front the upper windows are grouped in pairs and threes, except in the attic where there is a single light in each of the two gabled projections that rise above the wall-head. Neither of these gablets is crowstepped and the skews of the W. one are curved; but another single gablet rises from the back wall and this is crow-stepped. In the W. half of the front the windows are arranged in pairs, except on the top floor where there are two single lights; these may originally have been in gablets and in any case they seem to have been enlarged. At the date of visit the property had been condemned and was closed; consequently no examination of the interior could be made.

RCAHMS 1951

Project (1997)

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.

The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

Field Visit (24 September 1999)

Cartouche-like panel with an inscribed open book or scroll at the base, then a rounding-knife topped by a crown, flanked by two angel heads. The top of the cartouche contains a mask. Over the top of the whole thing, in a pediment, is another angel head. There are twisted columns at each outer side.

The building was commissioned by the Incorporation of Cordiners c.1677. According to Gifford et al, the building was almost entirely rebuilt at a later unspecified date. (1)

Inspected By : K M W / D. King

Inscriptions : Open book or scroll inscribed (incised gilded letters): BEhold how good a thing it is /and how becoming well / Together such as brethren are / In unity to dwell / IT IS AN HONOUR FOR MEN TO CEASE FROM STRIFE

Either side of the rounding-knife: 16 77

Signatures : None Visible

Design period : c1677

Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0540)

References

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