History in Structure

Gateway And Boundary Wall, Leith Fort, North Fort Street, Leith, Edinburgh

A Category B Listed Building in Leith, Edinburgh

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.9767 / 55°58'36"N

Longitude: -3.1855 / 3°11'7"W

OS Eastings: 326115

OS Northings: 676601

OS Grid: NT261766

Mapcode National: GBR 8Q5.70

Mapcode Global: WH6SM.11CJ

Plus Code: 9C7RXRG7+MQ

Entry Name: Gateway And Boundary Wall, Leith Fort, North Fort Street, Leith, Edinburgh

Listing Name: North Fort Street, Leith Fort Lodges, Gateway and Boundary Wall

Listing Date: 14 December 1970

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 364294

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB27221

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200364294

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: Leith

Traditional County: Midlothian

Tagged with: Building

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Description

Circa 1810. Cream sandstone.

GUARDHOUSES: pair of matching 2-storey Palladian lodges aligned to flank gateway framing forecourt (within fort); rubble walls, droved ashlar to front, polished ashlar dressings. 2-storey with 2-bay open-pedimented end gables flanked by single storey bays; inner bays with with round-headed openings and pilasters, outer bays plainer; oculi on rear elevations. Pedimented 4-bay Roman Doric loggias to court, with entablature and blocking course, centre bays pedimented.

GATEWAY: ashlar, with base course and coping. Pair of square piers flanked by round-headed pedestrian arches with impost stones. Outer posts of arches with Ordnance Survey benchmarks.

BOUNDARY WALL: ashlar coped rubble wall to North Fort Street and N side of site.

Statement of Interest

The fort was built to protect the harbour, containing a battery of

9 guns, to the initial plans of James Craig, starting in 1779. It was later developed as the HQ of the Royal Artillery in Scotland, considerable enlargement having taken place during the Napoleonic Wars to house French Prisoners. Most of it was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the housing schemes now in its place. The guardhouses are part of the later enlargement at the beginning of the 19th century, not appearing on the map of 1804, but clearly shown by 1817.

External Links

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