Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

SCIENNES HOUSE PLACE, JEWISH BURIAL GROUND WITH GRAVEYARD WALLS, GATES AND RAILINGSLB30476

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
03/05/1990
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 26289 72250
Coordinates
326289, 672250

Description

Formed 1820, comprised of 1-24th of an acre, retained by existing sandstone rubble walls of varying dates, to S, E and W, probably largely 18th century. Lower wall to N, later 19th century, squared and snecked sandstone with saddleback ashlar coping; wrought-iron railings and 2-leaf gate.

Gravestones: 29 graves with variety of gravestones and wall monuments, dating from between 1820 and 1867, inscribed in Hebrew characters. Tripartite, Greek wall monument to E wall.

Statement of Special Interest

As the first Jewish Burial Ground in Scotland (pre-dating the Jews' Enclosure at the Glasgow Necropolis by about 5 years), the Sciennes House Place cemetery is of historic importance. 2 stones are dated 1817 and 1818, but the ground was only purchased in 1820, so these were probably carved at this date. The Jewish community was strong in Newington, where, in 1867, the next Edinburgh burial ground was opened, at Echo Bank. The ground was very secluded for many years, only to become apparent with the formation of Braid Place to N, later in the century. The Causewayside Police Station to E, stands on ground formerly known as Jews' Close. The ground is currently in the care of Edinburgh District Council.

References

Bibliography

William Pitcairn Anderson SILENCES THAT SPEAK (1931), pp704-705; Rabbi Daiches SCOTS MAGAZINE, "The Jew in Scotland", October 1946; J F Mitchell SOME EDINBURGH MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS (1961), pp275-6; John G Gray SOUTH SIDE STORY (1962), pp35-6; Abel Phillips FIRST JEWISH COMMUNITY (1979), pp6-9; Malcolm Cant SCIENNES AND THE GRANGE (1990), pp52-54.

About Listed Buildings

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.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

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

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