Description

James Walker and A Burgess of London, 1835-45 with later additions, to initial designs by Robert Stevenson. 1700ft pier. Main section: coursed rockfaced sandstone sides stepped slightly out towards base and tooled sandstone kerb blocks. Fin-shaped concrete wharf (on concrete posts) added to N by L Mouchel and Partners with A Hannay Thompson, General Superintendent Engineer, 1936. 2 timber wharves to E side (the southernmost one adjacent to stone-built warehouse), both set within recesses in pier, the sides of which are of stugged ashlar, stepped out towards base. Corrugated metal facing to W side of pier. 4 slipways to E side: that to N with coursed stugged sandstone sides and stone setts to surface; slipway to S has sides and kerb blocks of stugged ashlar droved at edges and concreted slipway; timber wharf to W; metal crane on concrete base directly to N: 2 slipways added to SE angle of pier by Sir Thomas Bouch in 1846-48; space in between curved in order to accommodate bows/sterns of railway ferries; both of stugged ashlar droved at edges; surface of stone setts and stone flags to larger slipway; mainly uneven stone flags to smaller slipway; curved wall in between has projecting lip at ground level.

Some stone setts to main section of pier. Railway tracks in parts. Various structures including stone built warehouse and leading light (see separate list descriptions). Large mid 20th century brick and corrugated iron warehouse and late 20th century circular brick pilot station towards tip of pier. Parts remain (some incorporated into later buildings) of original stugged ashlar dividing wall running N/S; also coursed snecked sandstone railway retaining wall opposite.

LAMP STANDARDS: 5 cast iron gas lamp standards remain, variously intact and mostly on later stone bases; with 'Granton Pier' in embossed letters; some with 'Alloa Foundry 18–' and some 'Shotts'.

Statement of Interest

A group with stone built warehouse, 1-4 Granton Square and former Granton Hotel (all part of the original planned waterside developments of the Duke of Buccleuch of the 1830's. Mid pier is significant as the first 'Ro-Ro' railway ferry terminus; it was from here that loaded railway trucks were directly transferred into large steamers (saving the need for them to be unloaded and loaded again); this was managed by means of moveable stages and powerful stationary engines, designed by Thomas Bouch. Appearance of pier has been altered by reclamation of foreshore between here and western breakwater pier circa 1970. See also leading light.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17569473

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)