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Gothenburg Tavern, High Street, Prestonpans

A Category B Listed Building in Prestonpans, East Lothian

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.9575 / 55°57'26"N

Longitude: -2.9906 / 2°59'26"W

OS Eastings: 338246

OS Northings: 674273

OS Grid: NT382742

Mapcode National: GBR 2J.XL2Q

Mapcode Global: WH7TV.1J58

Plus Code: 9C7VX245+XQ

Entry Name: Gothenburg Tavern, High Street, Prestonpans

Listing Name: 227 High Street, the Gothenburg (Formerly Forth Tavern)

Listing Date: 21 December 1984

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 386241

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB40324

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Prestoungrange Gothenburg
The Goth
The Gothenburg
Prestonpans, High Street, Gothenburg Tavern

ID on this website: 200386241

Location: Prestonpans

County: East Lothian

Town: Prestonpans

Electoral Ward: Preston, Seton and Gosford

Traditional County: East Lothian

Tagged with: Pub

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Description

Possibly Dunn & Findlay, 1908. Imposing public house in Arts and Crafts style with Art Nouveau interior. 2-storey, essentially 6-bay. Main elevations in red sandstone ashlar with base course to ground floor, upper floor brown harled with some sandstone dressings and timber features.

N (FRONT) ELEVATION: quasi-symmetrical, essentially 6-bay. 2 central bays slightly raised and projecting from upper floor: 2 tripartite windows to ground with stone mullions and transoms, separated by blank carved plaque; upper floor with Tudor style, mock-timbering, 2 canted timber oriel windows under jettied gablehead. Central bays flanked at ground to either side by tripartite windows and moulded round-arched doorways, that to the NE set in the corner angle. 1st floor with timber silhouette balustrade, projecting central bays flanked to each side by tripartite window and canted timber oriel windows clasping corner angles; angle of return with single window to W, with glazed door and single window to E.

S ELEVATION: irregular and undistinguished, including a variety of single, bipartite, tripartite and 1 large stair window. Flat-roofed extensions to rear.

E ELEVATION: projecting and piended ingleneuk with 3 small windows, flanked by single window to S (rear).

W ELEVATION: projecting and piended ingleneuk with 4 small windows, flanked by bipartite window to N and single window to S.

Fenestration very varied. To front elevation, ground floor has unusual diamond glazing pattern in timber below leaded upper lights; 1st floor windows in sections of 8 small panes, casement or top-opening. Other elevations have variety of sash and case, top-opening and fixed timber windows.

Roofs piended, with exception of front gablehead, in flat-profile red clay tiles, ridges in same material. Projecting chimney breasts on E and W elevations above ingleneuks, tall stacks harled with brick caps and plain cans. Similar projecting stack also to rear. Decorative rainwater hoppers to all elevations inscribed "1908".

INTERIOR: exceptional, surviving largely intact, with island bar, gantry and original fittings. Arcaded recesses and ingleneuk in bar, ingleneuk also in E room. Jug bar behind glazed panelled door to front. Glazed and decorative Art Nouveau tilework above timber- panelled dado. Some decorative stained glass.

Statement of Interest

This unusual pub was founded on the "Gothenburg" principle. Such establishments were, and a few still are, essentially charitable companies whose prime aims were to control drunkenness and to ensure that profits from drink were reinvested in amenities for the local community. "Goths" were popular around the turn of the century in various mining areas in Scotland, especially in Fife and Lothian, and several still survive (eg Kelty, Bowhill, Ballingry, Valleyfield, Newtongrange, Armadale, Fallin, etc).

External Links

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