Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Mid 19th century; 1888 and circa 1900 alterations. 2-storey, 3-bay rectangular plan gabled public house with roughly central opening to close and with public house front at left with 6-panelled timber doors to public bar and to former jug bar and with well-preserved pub interior. Front elevation harled and washed; squared sandstone rubble to side; painted margins and raised painted cills. Base course to front and side elevations; deep string course and eaves course to front elevation. Regular fenestration to first floor with bipartite windows to outer bays. 4-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; plate glass to pub window. Grey slates; ashlar coped skews; ashlar coped stacks (some with replacement cope) with yellow clay cans.

INTERIOR OF PUBLIC HOUSE: well-preserved Victorian decorative scheme. Lobby at entrance to bar; 2-leaf inner door with stained leaded glass to upper panel, the right panel inscribed JUG BAR (re-sited when jug bar removed). Timber boarding to walls with decorative reeding at regular intervals, with bells still in place; compartmented timber ceiling to main area with timber cornice. Timber panelled and glazed partitions enclosing seating area with decorative finials and some remaining gas light fixtures; timber panelled dado in rear snug. Panelled counter-front with decorative carved scrolls; gantry with spirit casks. Mirror advertising William Whitelaw & Son's Pale Ales to left wall.

Statement of Special Interest

The Volunteer Arms is a simple but remarkably little altered building with a particularly good survival of the public house interior. The interior retains many of its fine Victorian fittings. Although it is a pub of modest size, the woodwork is quite elaborate - for example in the screens with finials and the scrolled brackets on the front of the counter - suggesting that the pub was prosperous at this date. The lounge area at the rear of the main bar which was originally two rooms dates from 1888 and it seems likely that the interior of the pub was remodelled at that date. Recent removal of the dark varnish on the timber boarded walls has revealed a section of stencilled decoration at the cornice level. This is a very unusual survival and may be contemporary with the 1888 remodelling. The large mirror advertising Whitelaw's Ales is a fine example of a what was called a mirror showcard. Advertisement mirrors like this were widely distributed to pubs by brewers, distillers and wholesalers in the late Victorian period but many have since been destroyed

The whole building including the public house and accommodation to the left of the close and the flat above has been in the ownership of one family from 1858 but map evidence shows that there was a pub on this site before that time. There was almost certainly a building on this site from the late 16th century or earlier, the long narrow shape of the feus in this part of Fisherrow indicating its early origins. Fisherrow was a busy harbour and fishing centre from the Middle Ages and trade was carried on up and down the coast and also with Holland. The 19th century brought increased prosperity with a new W pier constructed in the 1880s, though by this time little was being exported and the main trade was the landing of white fish and some herring.

In 1824 this building is shown much as it is now with a central close and apparently under one ownership. There is evidence to suggest that sometime between about 1830 and 1853 the exterior of the building was changed to its present appearance although the bipartite windows to first floor suggest further changes probably between 1890 and 1910.

Listed as part of thematic survey of Scotland's Heritage Pubs (2007-8).

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.