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

55 AND 57 JOHN FINNIE STREETLB35912

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Group Category Details
100000019 - see notes
Date Added
03/07/1980
Local Authority
East Ayrshire
Planning Authority
East Ayrshire
Burgh
Kilmarnock
NGR
NS 42637 37880
Coordinates
242637, 637880

Description

Probably Gabriel Andrew, circa 1890. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay by 3-bay Flemish Renaissance office and commercial building. Red Ballochmyle sandstone ashlar; polished granite ground floor with ashlar arches surmounting. Band, lintel and sill courses; mock parapet with pedimented attic windows.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: arched door surrounds to extremes of outer bays, each with 2-leaf timber panelled doors and semi-circular fanlights, architraved arched surround surmounting leading into band course; granite below. 3 slightly recessed arched windows to central bay, pilasters between. 1st and attic floors with 2-storey, 3 & 4-light canted oriel windows to outer bays with triangular pedimented gableheads. Bipartite window to central bay of 1st and attic floors, similarly gabled head to attic.

S ELEVATION: adjoining much lower, late 20th century, 3-storey retail and office premises; blind 1st floor with central wallhead stack.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: adjoining to ground floor: much lower, late 20th century, flat-roofed office building.

N (WOODSTOCK STREET) ELEVATION: 4 semi-circular arched windows to ground floor; 3 pilastered and transomed window to each floor above; architraved triangular pedimented gableheads to attic windows.

Steeply pitched, piended grey slate roof, lead ridging, flashing and valleys. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods, concealed gutter to projecting cornice of attic storey, down pipes held within cornicing disappearing to centre of ground floor. Coursed red ashlar wallhead stack with projecting moulded neck copes to centre of S elevation, stack to centre of N elevation now removed.

INTERIOR: remodelled 1988, now forming modern building society to ground floor, office accommodation above. 2-leaf timber panelled doors to John Finnie Street doorways, leading to partially glazed inner door with heavy squared fanlight of square quarry surmounting. Some timber work surviving, skirting boards etc. Some plaster cornicing to upper offices.

Statement of Special Interest

Part of the John Finnie Street A-Group. John Finnie Street is nearly ? mile long and was built around 1864. It provided a grand thoroughfare for the town with the focal point to the north being the railway station. Business and commerce spread to this street and rows of high quality, 3-storey or more, red sandstone buildings were constructed. The ground floors were given over to retail; offices and accommodation were above. The street dominated the lower, narrower streets in Kilmarnock that were filled with traditional buildings. The street's architect was William Railton, who went on to design the Kilmarnock Infirmary (now demolished) and the surveyor was Robert Blackwood. Not long after the street was built, Archibald Adamson noted the number of handsome buildings. This building was a branch of the British Linen Bank, a Bank of Scotland and a Bradford and Bingley branch in the later 20th century. At the present time, the building is used as the Scottish Building Society with a sheriff's clerk office above.

References

Bibliography

James McKie, PLAN OF THE TOWN OF KILMARNOCK (1868) showing newly constructed John Finnie Street. Archibald Adamson, RAMBLES AROUND KILMARNOCK (1875) p3. Charles Reid, PLAN OF THE TOWN OF KILMARNOCK (1880) showing "blocks" on John Finnie Street. 25"/mile ORDNANCE SURVEY MAP (1896) showing building. Rob Close, AYRSHIRE & ARRAN - AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE (1994) pp103 -105. Frank Beattie, STREETS AND NEUKS, OLD KILMARNOCK (2000) p38.

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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Printed: 28/03/2024 18:26