Corn Exchange (Dalkeith)
The Dalkeith Corn Exchange is a former grain trading building in the Scottish town of Dalkeith in the Midlothian Council Area . In 1972 the structure was included in the Scottish List of Monuments in the highest category A. Furthermore, together with various surrounding buildings, it forms a category B monument ensemble.
history
Construction began in 1853 and the building opened on August 10, 1854. Scottish architect David Cousin is responsible for the design . The total cost was £ 3,800. At first it was used as a trading building for grain according to its intended purpose and at that time it was the largest internal grain transhipment point in Scotland. In the middle of the 20th century, trading there was given up and the building was used for dance events under the name Empress Dance Hall . A company later set up a production facility there and the building was eventually used as a warehouse.
The building has not been in use since 1986 and its poor condition was first pointed out in 1990. Although investors repeatedly submitted plans for restoration and continued use and Historic Scotland also provided financial resources, work on the building was never started. An application for demolition from 1998 while retaining the historical facades was refused. In 2001 it was entered on the register of endangered buildings in Scotland. Most recently, in 2012, its condition was classified as moderate with a moderate risk to the building fabric. An application for restoration and subsequent mixed use as an office and public building from 2013 was granted subject to certain conditions.
description
The structure is located between High Street and St. Andrew Street in the old center of Dalkeith, not far from the Old Town Hall . It is designed in the Jacobean style . The main entrance is on the High Street. An elongated building with eaves runs along the street, dominated by two symmetrical cross gables . A slightly protruding bell tower with a weather vane sits between the gables , with which the two gables are also decorated. Various plaques are embedded at the foot of the tower, showing, among other things, the year of construction and the coat of arms of the Dukes of Buccleuch . On the gable-facing facades, triple windows with stone central pillars are installed at ground level , while elongated quintuplet windows are installed on the upper floor and twin windows in the gable are also installed with central pillars. The central, two-winged main portal closes with a Tudor arch with a profiled reveal . Two similarly designed but smaller doors are on the outside.
Beyond the eaves part of the building along the High Street extends an elongated and higher part of the building with a gable roof , which ends with a mighty gable on St. Andrew Street. The facade there is more simply designed. The three entrance doors correspond to those at the front, but without any further ornamentation. There are two quintuplet windows on the upper floor and a triple window in the gable, each with a stone center post. The roofs are covered with gray slate. A five-axis blind arcade inside the building is designed with Tudor arches, as are various passageways.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ Entry on buildingsatrisk.org.uk ( Memento of the original dated August 12, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- Entry on Corn Exchange in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland's database
Coordinates: 55 ° 53 '46.3 " N , 3 ° 3' 59.5" W.