Building record MAB33228 - TOWN HOUSE, KIRRIEMUIR

Former Town house, now in use as a Museum.

Former Town house, now in use as a Museum. It was built in 1604, and an 18th century engraving of the building shows a projecting round-ended central forestair. It was repaired and altered in the 1830s, and remodelled by John Carver in 1862-3, when the forestair was removed and a clock-tower added. There were further alterations in 1896 by Alexander Johnston Murray relating to the Post Office taking over the building. Originally there was a jail in the west half of the ground floor, and the 1896 alterations cleared out the cells and offices and thinned the walls to give more space. It is shown on the 1st edition OS map as a rectangular building, and depicted as the 'Town House'. On the 2nd edition OS map it has been extended to the north and west, and is depicted as a Post Office. It was originally a plain rectangular building with sandstone walls and a hipped roof, measuring 11.4 metres x 7 metres (37 feet 5 inches x 23 feet) in plan, with walls 1.4 metres (4 feet 7 inches) thick. It is now a two-storey approximately rectangular-plan building, with bows to the north and west, and rounded angles, corbelled to square. The clock tower is three-storey, with stepped crenellation and a pyramidal roof. It is rubble-built, but the 1862-3 remodelling included re-facing it with ashlar, and a triangular pediment with the arms of the Douglases was also added at this time. The original form of the building is still visible at the rear, with plain walls and rounded corners. An extended watching brief was undertaken by SUAT Ltd on town centre enhancements in 1994. Wall foundations were uncovered on the north side, which probably represent the remains of the former external stairway leading to the upper story of the building. A very large, partly dressed, red sandstone block had been removed from beside the foundations. It measured 0.89 metres x 0.66 metres x 0.75 metres (2 feet 11 inches x 2 feet 2 inches x 2 feet 6 inches), and had a smooth top surface. Some mortar adhered to the lower surfaces. On the upper smooth surface was the badly corroded stump of an iron projection and what appeared to be a socket hole for another. Such a stone could have functioned as the base for a steelyard which was known to have been located in front of the townhouse. A desk based review in advance of refitting and conversion to a heritage centre uncovered three phases of major structural change. Limited excavation, again by SUAT Ltd in 2000, on the ground floor revealed evidence of a demolition phase and a sequence of floor deposits dating to the early 19th century or earlier. Foundation remains that probably date to the original 17th century structure were also found. Within the building is a First World War Roll of Honour from North United Free Church, and a framed glazed montage of six Reid brothers who died in World War I.

Period Notes
Built in 1604, with repairs and alterations in the 1830s, 1862-3 and 1896, when the building was taken over by the Post Office. It was listed on 11/06/1971.

B/93572/NC, B/93572/NC (Photograph). SAB23556.

ROY, M, 08/2000, ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION AT KIRRIEMUIR TOWNHOUSE, REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB3039.

Stirton, J, 1896, [Untitled], 29-31 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11196.

Reid, A, 1909, [Untitled], 307 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9621.

Cachart, R, 1994, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 83 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11461.

SUAT, 2000, A DESK-TOP REVIEW AT THE TOWN HOUSE, KIRRIEMUIR, ANGUS, DBA (Bibliographic reference). SAB1739.

ROY, M, 2000, The Town House, Kirriemuir. DES 2000, p13, p13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1601.

SURVEY/EXCAVATION

Record last edited

Sep 23 2025 2:48PM