Description

Mid-18th century. 2-storey 3-bay house incorporating rare bow window to right forming Post Office. Coursed painted rubble with raised base course. Plain raised surrounds with cornice to bowed shop window. Main entrance door to centre with further door to post office to right (NW).

OUTBUILDINGS: various later outbuildings to rear (SW) including former mailroom in mid 18th century 2-storey block. Smaller single storey ranges to rear probably mid 19th century.

Pitched roof; grey slates. Later plate glass in timber sash and case windows with small pane glazing to bowed shopfront. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Interest

Sanquhar Post Office forms a B-group with 35, 37 High Street, 14-24 High Street and 28-34 High Street (see separate listings). Sanquhar Post Office is a good example of a mid eighteenth century house incorporating a Post Office with a rare example of a bow-fronted shop window. The Post Office is accepted as being the oldest in the world still to be in operation having been founded in 1712.

Bow-fronted shops began to be developed from the mid eighteenth century onwards alongside the rise of more formal shop fascias. They offered superior display space and more light and also made a clear statement that the building in question was a shop of some form and was open for business. Bow fronts were adopted across Scotland by the later eighteenth century and the insertion of the bow front on the Sanquhar Post Office is likely to date from this period. Few examples of bow-fronted shops survive in Scotland, the most notable comparisons to this example being found at 513 Lawnmarket Edinburgh and 8 South Street in Perth (see separate listings).

The Post Office is thought to have been in operation continuously since 1712 when it formed a stopping point for mail runners operating a cross border postal service for local gentry known as the 'Nithsdale cross-post'. The long association of the building as a Post Office has been recognised by the Royal Mail with outgoing mail uniquely franked with 'Sanquhar Dumfriesshire 1712' instead of the days date.

List description updated 2009.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793027

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.

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