Building record MAB30267 - 32, 34-36 ST ANDREW STREET

Late 18th century houses, 2-storey and attic, constructed of squared granite construction with skewputts and coped chimneys.

Late 18th century houses, 2-storey and attic, constructed of squared granite construction with skewputts and coped chimneys. Watching brief carried out by AOC in September 2008 during the removal of Japanese Knotweed behind these buildings. Remnants of stone walls, brick floor surfaces and cobbled surfaces were recorded. These outbuilding remains were associated with the development of garden backlands during the mid-19th century. Watching brief carried out over the excavation of trial pits within these buildings by AOC in September 2009. Two pits were dug but no earlier floor or occupation deposits were found in either test pit. However a large pit containing a small amount of glass, bone and a single 17th century pottery sherd was located at the front of the building. Historic building recording carried out by NTS in 2010. The results of the building recording suggest that 32 St Andrew Street was originally of 1-1/2 storeys in three bays with a central door flanked by two window openings. At some point between Ainslie's town plan of 1805 and the first Ordnance Survey town plan of 1868 number the building had been completely transformed. Evidence from the Census suggests that as early as 1841 this property was home to 17 individuals and the enlargement of the building must be reflected in this figure. It would appear that at some point prior to 1841 the wallhead was raised to provide a full first storey of accommodation as well as attic level. In addition, much of the rear elevation was taken down in order to create a two storey extension to the rear. This was subsequently enlarged to the north by the time of the 1868 OS town plan. While this was occurring, an existing recess was filled in brick allowing fires to be introduced to the rooms at the rear of the building. The façade of 32 St Andrew Street was also altered by enlarging the window openings and providing two additional doorways on either side of the original central entrance. The survey has also showed that 34-36 St Andrew Street appears to have been built with two stories and a symmetrical façade of three bays both on its front and rear elevations. The interior retains a great deal of evidence for its original layout which consists of larger rooms to the south, each fitted with a fire, with smaller more private rooms positioned to the north. The main changes to the building's fabric appear to be in response to the subsequent building of the adjacent number 2 Threadneedle Street. The proximity of this building necessitated the blocking of windows overlooking the narrow pend and their conversion into shallow recesses. The provision of windows on the west gable are in all likelihood related to these changes. As with the adjacent number 32, the façade of number 34-36 St Andrew Street was altered at some point in its history with the insertion of another door and the widening of the adjacent window. Again this may have been to better accommodate a ground floor shop which in this instance is given additional support through the presence of several generations of shoemakers alluded to in the census records. These buildings have now undergone restoration as part of the National Trust's 'Little Houses' scheme, in association with the Peterhead CARS, and have been brought back into residential use.

AOC, 2009, Archaeological investigations of floor deposits 34 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3501.

NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND, 2010, 2-4 THREADNEEDLE ST & 32, 34-36 ST ANDREW ST: HISTORIC BUILDING RECORDING (Bibliographic reference). SAB1323.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2010, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND: VOL 10, 2009, p.27 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3514.

Record last edited

Mar 3 2020 12:05PM