Buildings

Name

Palace of Holyroodhouse, fountain in forecourt

Grid Ref

Grid Ref N

Grid Ref E

Notes

Carver - John Thomas.

The following date-based events are associated with this building:

event classic

Event Type	From	To	Notes
	1858

row(s) 1 - 1 of 1

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.

design classic

Person	Partnership Group	From	Notes
Andrew Kerr (senior)	A	1858	Working under Robert Matheson in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh
Charles Altamont Doyle	A	1858	Drawings - as asistant in H M Office of Works
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)	A	1858	With Robert Matheson as Architect for Scotland, and Andrew Kerr; Charles Doyle responsible for drawings
Robert Matheson	A	1858	As architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works - Charles Doyle responsible for drawings

row(s) 1 - 4 of 4

This structure is related to the following parent structure or site (click the item to view details):

Parent classic

Notes	Name
List description notes that John Fowler was involved at some stage but does not make clear what his input was. <br><br>Chapel now demolished.<br><br>Robert Reid work: <br><br>SE portion rebuilt; SE quarter refloored, replastered, new woodwork, Duke of Hamiltpon's apartment woodwork cut out, new plaster and woodwork refinished. Also rebuilding part of the south wall forming the garden front of the palace tpowards the east, new roof over north west angle. Duke of Hamilton's (commendator's0 house removed; one of the south towers in common rublle completely rebuilt in ashlar, parapaets of towers renewed. South side refaced in ashlar. Alterations to interior cost £1945. Abbey Court almost completely taken down and rebuilt. <br><br>John Douglas repair work (abstract from article by Dimitris Theodossopoulos):<br><br>The collapse of the significant church of Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh in December 1768 is discussed as the result of the ill-conceived repair of the roof in 1760, i.e., the substitution of the timber trusses with closelyspaced diaphragm masonry walls that aggravated the delicate equilibrium of the vaults and the poor state of a building being mutilated over 250 years. This study interprets these repairs by demonstrating the authorship and partnership of the architect John Douglas with the mason-developer James McPherson, who combined architectural ambition (the aesthetics of a flagstone roof) with the (cheaper) option of diaphragms, which would not involve a wright. The detailed examination of the procurement, the process of the intervention, the collapse, and the limited impact of its aftermath, are framed in a wider technical and historical context in Edinburgh and Scotland, during a period marked by several failures of medieval churches, and reveals a poor understanding of a critical element in Gothic construction. Analysis of all public archive material available sheds light on key events of the case, and critical study of the work of the two partnersâ attempts to identify the intentions of their project, whose limitations were inevitable once the partnership was formed.	Palace of Holyroodhouse

Notes

Name

List description notes that John Fowler was involved at some stage but does not make clear what his input was. Chapel now demolished. Robert Reid work: SE portion rebuilt; SE quarter refloored, replastered, new woodwork, Duke of Hamiltpon's apartment woodwork cut out, new plaster and woodwork refinished. Also rebuilding part of the south wall forming the garden front of the palace tpowards the east, new roof over north west angle. Duke of Hamilton's (commendator's0 house removed; one of the south towers in common rublle completely rebuilt in ashlar, parapaets of towers renewed. South side refaced in ashlar. Alterations to interior cost £1945. Abbey Court almost completely taken down and rebuilt. John Douglas repair work (abstract from article by Dimitris Theodossopoulos): The collapse of the significant church of Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh in December 1768 is discussed as the result of the ill-conceived repair of the roof in 1760, i.e., the substitution of the timber trusses with closelyspaced diaphragm masonry walls that aggravated the delicate equilibrium of the vaults and the poor state of a building being mutilated over 250 years. This study interprets these repairs by demonstrating the authorship and partnership of the architect John Douglas with the mason-developer James McPherson, who combined architectural ambition (the aesthetics of a flagstone roof) with the (cheaper) option of diaphragms, which would not involve a wright. The detailed examination of the procurement, the process of the intervention, the collapse, and the limited impact of its aftermath, are framed in a wider technical and historical context in Edinburgh and Scotland, during a period marked by several failures of medieval churches, and reveals a poor understanding of a critical element in Gothic construction. Analysis of all public archive material available sheds light on key events of the case, and critical study of the work of the two partnersâ attempts to identify the intentions of their project, whose limitations were inevitable once the partnership was formed.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

row(s) 1 - 1 of 1

The following books contain references to this building:

bio ref classic

Author	Year	Title	Part	Publisher	Notes
Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M	1984	Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland)		Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd	p141
Grant, James	1883		Old and New Edinburgh
RSA	1858				748
Richardson, J S	1950	The Abbey and Palace of Holyroodhouse: guide book

row(s) 1 - 4 of 4

The following periodicals contain references to this building:

period ref classic

Periodical Name	Date	Edition	Publisher	Notes
Building News	1859/06/10	*
Scotsman	1886/12/27	*		p6 - obituary of Andrew Kerr

row(s) 1 - 2 of 2

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

arc ref classic

Source	Name	Cat Number	Item Name	Notes
National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO)	Register House Plans
Historic Environment Scotland	Listed Buildings Register		28024

row(s) 1 - 2 of 2

Basic Site Details

Events

event classic

People

Design and Construction

design classic

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Parent Structure and Site

Parent classic

References

Bibliographic References

bio ref classic

Periodical References

period ref classic

Archive References

arc ref classic