Building record MAB40075 - TOWN HOUSE, MONTROSE

Town House, still in civic use, known locally as 'Ba Hoose'.

Town House, still in civic use, known locally as 'Ba Hoose'. It was built in 1763 to a design by John Hutcheon, partially covering the graveyard of the church to the south-east (NO75NW0004). It was enlarged to the designs of William Smith (of Montrose) in 1818, at which time the third storey was added and the south elevation extended. It is shown on the 1st edition OS map as an L-plan building, with a narrow section projecting from the south end with a triangular enclosure to the east of it. On the 2nd edition OS map, the narrow section and enclosure have been removed, creating a shallower L-plan. There were extensive internal alterations in the 20th century. It is a three-storey classical civic chambers, with sandstone ashlar to the frontage and squared snecked masonry to the rear, with a mutuled cornice at the eaves, a balustrade, rusticated quoins and architraved margins. The tall ground floor is arcaded, with shallow keystones, banded rustication and a band course between storeys. There are asymmetrical grey slate piended and pitched roofs and ashlar stacks with polygonal cans. The symmetrical north elevation has corniced windows to the first floor, with consoles to the centre and outer bays. The wallhead has a pediment with a clock at the centre of the tympanum and an urn finial. A balustrade with urn upon dies flanks the pediment at the ends. The west elevation is similar, but with a carved armorial panel to the tympanum. The section to the east of the south elevation is set back, and has a round-arched pend to the ground floor. The east elevation adjoins 119-121 High Street, and has a round-arched opening to the centre of the ground floor with a decorative wrought-iron screen with a gate at the centre. The ground floor arcade features an ashlar staircase against the east wall, with a fine cast-iron banister and a doorway beneath the steps. There is a corniced doorpiece within the arcade on the north elevation, surmounted by a wrought-iron fanlight. In December 1996 a piece of lead shot (1.1cm diameter) and a coin, possibly Earl of Stirling coinage (1632-9) were found at the back of the Housing Office. Now in Montrose Museum. A burial vault remains built into wall in the west half of the south block, and in 1999 a survey, followed by limited archaeological investigation, was undertaken in the vault. Architectural features relating to the original town house and to the early-19th century extension that created the vault were recorded. Two table tombs, two horizontal gravestones, and four commemorative plaques survive in the vault. Apart from one gravestone these all pre-dated the creation of the vault, and it was uncertain whether they remained in situ. To resolve this issue a limited excavation was undertaken that established that the table tombs were in-situ, but the horizontal gravemarkers had been moved. Three unidentified graves were encountered but not excavated, two of these pre-dated the table tombs. In 2000 a watching brief was undertaken in advance of renovations associated with the Town House. No archaeological features or deposits were discovered.

Period Notes
Built in 1763 with additions in 1818 and further late-19th century alterations. It was listed on 11/06/1971.

B/49162, B/49162 (Photograph). SAB24292.

B/49163, B/49163 (Photograph). SAB23438.

B/49164, B/49164 (Photograph). SAB23439.

B/49165, B/49165 (Photograph). SAB23440.

B/49167, B/49167 (Photograph). SAB23441.

B/49168, B/49168 (Photograph). SAB24293.

B/49169, B/49169 (Photograph). SAB23442.

B/49170, B/49170 (Photograph). SAB23443.

B/49171, B/49171 (Photograph). SAB23444.

SCHARLAU, F, -, MONTROSE TOWN HOUSE: A BRIEF HISTORY AND TOUR, Undated typescript (Bibliographic reference). SAB1733.

STRONACH, S, 1999, AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION AT THE TOWN HOUSE, HIGH STREET, MONTROSE, Survey/exc report (Bibliographic reference). SAB3287.

MOLONEY, C, 2000, The Town House, High Street, Montrose. DES 2000, p13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2885.

WATCHING BRIEF

ANGUS COUNCIL, 2014, ANGUS HERITAGE TRAILS: MONTROSE (Bibliographic reference). SAB8316.

Feb 12 2008 , AAS/08/1/DG2, AAS/08/1/DG2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB21212.

Record last edited

Aug 26 2024 12:51PM