Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

David MacLaren (Ireland and MacLaren), dated 1881. 5-storey with domed corner turret, L-plan, freestyle former sailors' home on prominent corner site. Stugged ashlar sandstone, channelled to 1st floor, smooth dressings, concealed grey slate roof, flattened pyramidal roof over stairwell with flagpole and decorative iron parapet. Corniced shopfronts to ground floor with cast-iron columns and shouldered windows, angle pilasters supporting consoles; cill and lintel band to 1st floor, cill band to 3rd floor, wallhead frieze depicting names of famous sailors, consoled and dentilled parapet. Bi- and tripartite keystoned round-headed windows with polished Peterhead granite mullions

to 1st floor, segmental at oriel and angle, segmental and margined at 2nd floor with panelled aprons, angled to 3rd, timber sash and case frames, 2-pane to 1st floor, 8-pane to 2nd and 3rd, 4-pane to 4th; angle splayed to ground floor, canted to 1st and 2nd, segmental to 3rd and 4th; rectangular cast-iron rainwater goods.

DOCK STREET ELEVATION: prominent round-headed pilastered doorpiece to centre with mask keystone (Neptune?), Peterhead granite anta with decorative capitals, diaper-work at intrados and spandrels, 2-leaf cast-iron gates with sunburst motif 'fanlight' and lettering 'SAILORS' HOME', decorative consoles supporting parapet incorporating base of canted 1st floor oriel, 3-bay door-to-centre shopfront to left, 2-bay shopfront to right, altered shop door to angle at far right, datestone and cartouche above flanked by griffins supporting window above; tripartite and bipartite windows flanking oriel at 1st floor, tripartite to angle at right, windows to 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors arranged from left to right tripartite, bipartite, bipartite, tripartite; segmental pediment at parapet over relief depicting globe flanked by navigators, coped stacks to left and right rising from parapet; round angle tower with windows and corbelled parapet, leaded dome roof with lantern.

CANDLE LANE ELEVATION: 3-bay shopfront to ground floor left, bipartite to 1st floor flanked by single windows, 4 windows to 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors; 6 bays to right with windows at each floor similar to those at Dock Street elevation.

Chapel to far right: 3-bay gable, stugged sandstone ashlar, grey slate roof. Door to centre with round-headed overdoor inscribed 'SEAMEN'S CHAPEL', paired round-headed panels to left and right, large tripartite round-headed gallery window above, ashlar-coped skews with anchor relief at apex; right return elevation, blank rubble with red brick raised wallhead pertaining to later, now demolished building.

INTERIOR: Home; largely unaltered, scale and platt staircase with decorative cast-iron panel balusters and Jacobean style newel posts, round-headed niches at landings, some decorative plaster cornices. Chapel; derelict, but panelled gallery remains.

Statement of Special Interest

The names Nelson, Cook, Blake, Wood, Duncan, Dibdin and Napier appear at the wallhead frieze. The building cost about ?12,000 and is a significant part of Dundee's maritime history, reflecting concern for the social and moral welfare of sailors. The cast-iron sunburst motif is perhaps modelled on that in the famous Sailors' Home in Liverpool (demolished). A Tariff card of the 1920s states that use by sailors waned after the 1st World War, and that accommodation was now also provided for 'Commercial Travellers, Chauffeurs, Transport Drivers, Soldiers, Cyclists and Holiday-makers'. There were 34 single and 11 twin bedded rooms, 8 bathrooms, hot and cold water and electric light. It is now (1994) used as a hostel; the chapel is in a dilapidated condition.

References

Bibliography

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.