Documents

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The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM90141_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600014672)

Summary

Description

The monument consists of the remains of Bishop's House, which stand some 50m NW of the W door of Elgin cathedral, on the west side of King Street.

Despite its name, it appears more likely that it formed the manse of the Precentor than the residence of the Bishop himself. As such it represents the only one of a number of manses belonging to members of the cathedral chapter to have survived more or less intact in its late medieval form.

The house has an L-shaped plan, comprising a main block and a jamb attached to the E end of the N wall, containing a turnpike stair below a caphouse chamber reached via a stair turret corbelled out on the N. Northward from the jamb there extends a N wing, which may possibly have been an addition. The door, in the W side of the jamb, was originally entered from a yard, which was in turn entered off a lane to the N.

The house would therefore in effect have backed on to

the main street (today's King Street). The principal block, which was set gable end to the street, contained on its ground floor a vaulted kitchen and cellar, both entered off a short passage from the stair. On the first floor was the hall with a main fireplace in the W gable and a wall-closet (pantry/buttery) entered from the screens passage

on the E.

All but the basement cellar have now collapsed; but late 19th-century drawings show the E gable to have had gableted crow-steps, a small oriel window similar to those at Balvenie Castle on the second floor, and the displayed arms of Bishop Patrick Hepburn (1535-73).

The N range contained a stable and a covered space probably for a carriage on its ground floor; from the latter, a door for pedestrians once opened to King Street but is now blocked. The upper floors contained chambers. The date 1557 is set below the crow- steps, while the N wall also has inserted in it the Royal arms and two smaller shields (one with the initials A.L.).

The area to be scheduled includes the standing structure of Bishop's House, and an area of ground the boundaries of which measure 10.67m on the E (running S from the surviving SE corner of the building along the east face of the boundary wall/fence), 15.1m on the S, 21.2m on the W, and 12.2m on the N (extending W from the surviving NW corner of the building along the N face of the boundary wall), as

shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a well-preserved example of a 16th century manse belonging to one of the canons of Elgin cathedral chapter. In addition to its architectural planning and detailing, its importance is enhanced by the potential of the surrounding area for shedding further light through archaeological excavation on the building's structural development, the history of its use, and the material culture of its occupants.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.