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Latitude: 55.932 / 55°55'55"N
Longitude: -3.1843 / 3°11'3"W
OS Eastings: 326105
OS Northings: 671630
OS Grid: NT261716
Mapcode National: GBR 8QP.H0
Mapcode Global: WH6ST.15Y8
Plus Code: 9C7RWRJ8+R7
Entry Name: Pillar Surmounted By Wyvern, Grange Loan, Edinburgh
Listing Name: Grange Loan, Pillar Surmounted by Wyvern Set into Mutual Wall Between 108-110 (Even Nos) Grange Loan and 2 Lauder Road
Listing Date: 14 December 1970
Category: B
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 371252
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB30381
Building Class: Cultural
Also known as: Edinburgh, Grange Loan, Pillar Surmounted By Wyvern
ID on this website: 200371252
Location: Edinburgh
County: Edinburgh
Town: Edinburgh
Electoral Ward: Southside/Newington
Traditional County: Midlothian
Tagged with: Architectural structure
Early 18th century. Square ashlar pillar, set into boundary wall of 108 Grange Loan, approximately 3m high, surmounted by carved stone coronet and wyvern.
S (GRANGE LOAN) ELEVATION: rubble base to approximately 75cms; fluted pillar with carved ashlar bands, 2 bands with tassle carving, 1 blank. Ionic style capital; plinth supporting coronet and wyvern's head to W). Banded polished ashlar to W face. Adjoined to tall rubble boundary Wall to N.
This pillar is one of an identical pair removed from the grounds of Grange House, when it was demolished in 1936. Although commonly known as the "Lauder Griffins", it has been established that the heraldic beasts are in fact wyverns (see Grange Association (1982), p90).
Wyverns were supposed to have the barbed tail of a serpent, wings, and the head of a fire-breathing dragon, whilst griffins were composites of lions and eagles. The wyverns and coronets seem to be heraldic devices from the arms of the Seton family, with which the Dick Lauders of Grange House were closely linked during the 18th century.
The original location of the pillars is not known, although it seems likely that they served as gatepiers. A late 19th centruy photograph (see THE GRANGE OF ST GILES, p88) shows the pillars as part of an ornamental garden retreat or arbour.
The other pillar now stands some 100m to the West on Grange Loan, set into the boundary wall of No 130 and Lovers' Loan.
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