Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

9 ALBYN PLACE, INCLUDING GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLSLB20116

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
12/01/1967
Local Authority
Aberdeen
Planning Authority
Aberdeen
Burgh
Aberdeen
NGR
NJ 93169 5746
Coordinates
393169, 805746

Description

Probably Archibald Simpson, circa 1820; late 20th century additions and alterations. 2-storey and basement 3-bay classical villa. Tooled coursed granite with finely finished margins. Base course; 1st floor cill course; eaves cornice and blocking course.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; semi-circular-plan porch to centre bay at ground floor supported on Tuscan columns, semi-circular granite ashlar steps leading to doorway; 2-leaf panelled timber door with decorative fanlight, flanked by narrow windows, windows to centre of 1st floor above, blocking course stepped-up to centre; flanking bays to left and right slightly advanced, louvred openings to basement floor, window to ground floor of each bay set in round-arched ashlar recess with granite roundel above, regular fenestration to 1st floor. Single storey, flat-roofed wing adjoining to outer left.

W ELEVATION: asymmetrical; brick bay to left of ground floor (originally obscured by wing), window to centre and right bays; blind window to left of 1st floor, 2 widows flanking to right.

S ELEVATION: ground floor obscured by later additions, regular fenestration to 1st floor, harled flat-roofed late 20th century 2-storey addition adjoining to right, irregular fenestration.

E ELEVATION: asymmetrical; single storey wing obscuring ground floor, irregular fenestration; blind window to right of 1st floor, 2 windows flanking to left.

Predominantly 9-pane and 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Piended grey slate roof with lead ridges. Coped brick wallhead stacks with octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: majority of skirting boards, door and window architraves, panelled timber doors and cornices survive; fretwork design to some architraves. Pilastered entrance hall supporting segmental-arched roof, moulded anthemion motifs to necks of pilasters, round-arched niche flanked by round-arched doorway to left leading to stair; elegantly curved stair with decorative cast-iron balusters supporting wooden handrail; decorative timber fire surround to dining room (originally in 1 Albyn Place), panelled and mirrored overmantle, pilastered buffet recess; predominantly mid 20th century fireplaces to remaining rooms; fine 19th century timber fire surround to modern addition.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: low coped rough-faced granite wall to N, surmounted by railings, flanked to left and right by square-plan gatepiers with pyramidal caps; granite and brick coped rubble walls to E and W.

Statement of Special Interest

Albyn Place was originally built on the lands of Rubislaw, owned by James Skene. Skene lived in Albyn Place in Edinburgh (hence the same name in Aberdeen), and commissioned Archibald Elliot to prepare a scheme for Aberdeen based on the New Town in Edinburgh. Albyn Place was the only part of Elliot's scheme to be executed, the remainder being remodelled by Archibald Simpson just over a decade later, and again in the 1840s. 9 Albyn Place, which seems likely to have been designed by Simpson, who also designed the nearby Harlaw Academy, 28 Albyn Place and probably some of the other houses on the street (see separate listings). The columned porch is a slightly later addition, with columns of Cruden Bay brick. The house originally had 2 wings to E and W, that to the W has since been removed. The house was owned by Professor Theodore Cash in 1898, then by William Clark Souter, who sold it to the trustees of the Royal Northern Club in 1948 (the RNC amalgamated with the University Club in 1979 to form the Royal Northern and University Club), in whose ownership it remains. Some of the fittings from the clubs previous building at 1 Albyn Place, notably the impressive fireplace in the dining room, were brought to 9 Albyn Place. Despite the enlargements in the late 20th century, 9 Albyn Place is a remarkably complete example of an early villa built as Aberdeen expanded westwards in the 19th century.

References

Bibliography

TITLE DEEDS AND DOCUMENTS, in possession of Royal Northern and University Club; J Wood, PLAN OF THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, (1821); 1st (1864) and 2nd (1901) EDITION OS MAPS; Post Office Directory, PLAN OF THE CITY OF ABERDEEN, (1880); G M Fraser, "Archibald Simpson, Architect and His Times", ABERDEEN WEEKLY JOURNAL, 14 June 1918; W D Chapman & C F Riley, GRANITE CITY: A PLAN FOR ABERDEEN, (1952), p149; The Royal Northern & University Club, THE NORTHERNER, 1998-1999; W A Brogden, ABERDEEN: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, (2nd Edition: 1998), p121.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 29/03/2024 15:54