Description

Early-mid 19th century corner warehouse with adjacent warehouses to E (Virginia Street), dated 1861, and to S (Weighhouse Square). 4-storey and attic, 7 x 5-bay corner warehouse with distinctive loft openings. Adjacent 4-bay warehouse to S (Virginia Street), and 6-bay warehouse to S (Weighhouse Square). Coursed granite rubble. Regularly spaced rectangular windows to all elevations.

7 Weigh-House Square: central 5-storey pedimented section with 2-leaf timber hoist doors to W, similar to N with hoist doors now infilled. Some segmental-arched openings to ground, some with 2-leaf timber doors with vents at upper sections.

6-10 Virginia Street: central 2-bay nepus gable with wide stack at apex with date panel.

Predominantly timber windows with vertical metal bars, some sash and case, others fixed with timber astragals. Grey slates. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: timber flooring, some timber panelling at stairs, concertina doors to lifts. Steel columns and beams to Virginia Street. Weigh-House Square converted to small storage units, columns not visible but thought to be cast-iron.

Statement of Interest

This is a particularly striking set of warehouses with near intact street elevations, situated near to the Harbour. They add significant value to the streetscape in this part of the city. At one time the Harbour area possessed a great number of granite warehouses, but these have become increasingly uncommon and survivors of this quality are rare. The timber hoist doors and regular fenestration are particularly distinctive features of these warehouses. Warehouses are an important part of Aberdeen's commercial and social history. They are a visible reminder of the harbour's importance to the prosperity of the expanding 19th century city.

The site of Nos 6-10 Virginia Street originally contained several houses and workshops, which were bought for £320 in 1860 by The Shore Porter Society. They were then initially converted into shops and dwelling houses in 1861. In 1891 the building was converted into a bonded warehouse and used as to provide additional storage facilities to the warehouses at 5 and 7 Weigh-House Square.

No 5 Weigh-House Square was purchased in 1906 by the Society from John Begg, an Aberdeen merchant. Begg had purchased the building in 1847 and it is assumed that the conversion to a bonded warehouse dates from this time. It is now a general warehouse.

No 7 Weigh-House Square was erected circa 1862 on the site of previous tenements owned by the Society and was built as a bonded warehouse. It remains as such.

The Shore Porters Society, established in 1498, claims to be the oldest established transport business in the world. The porters were originally called The Pynours or Workmen until 1836, when it become The Shore Porters Society. The porters would originally trundle barrels of goods, unloaded from the ships at the nearby harbour, up Ship Row and into the town for payment of a penny. The Society today continues to provide both storage facilities and a removal service.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17771026

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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