From Beyond the Devil's Beef Tub: A Note from Dumfries and Galloway

Abstract

T h e S c o t t i s h G e o r g i a n S o c i e t y ( s g s ) was founded in Edinburgh 50 years ago in response to Edinburgh University proposals for demolishing George Square and rebuilding modern university facilities. The building industry at that time was recovering from the loss of architects and skilled tradesmen during the war years. In South-West Scotland, local government, in those days, was in the hands of the county councils of Dumfriesshire, the Stewartry and Wigtownshire, the large burgh of Dumfries and 15 small burgh councils, each a housing authority in its own right. With staff shortages, some of the early post-war housing schemes were based on pre-war designs made available by the rias, and housing layouts were prepared by consultants like Frank Mears from Edinburgh, who was also planning consultant to Dumfries Town Council and Dumfriesshire County Council at the time when planning committees were set up under the 1948 Planning Act to establish development control. The Planning Act introduced the control of buildings of architectural and historic interest. The Scottish Development Department, responsible for planning in Scotland, initiated the survey of buildings to be listed guided by Ian Lindsay as Chief Investigator with private architects making local surveys in different parts of the country. In South-West Scotland, draft lists became available in the late 1950s and 1960s but the first list to become statutory in Dumfries and Galloway was the one for Dumfries Burgh issued in 1972. The sgs soon established itself to comment and make representations on proposals relating to listed buildings. Carnsalloch House north of Dumfries, designed by Isacc Ware in 1758, had received grant for repairs, was for sale and was in danger of demolition. Terregles House, west of Dumfries, and No 6 Bank Street, in the town, were also at risk. So, Colin McWilliam came to photograph these buildings (Figure 7.1). Carnsalloch was saved thanks to John Gladstone of Capenoch who was a Regional Correspondent of the sgs. He persuaded the Cheshire Home Foundation to acquire the house, but unfortunately, now after 40 years, it is again on the market and very much ‘at risk’. Terregles House and No. 6 Bank Street were demolished. Colin McWilliam’s photographs are in the National Monuments Record of Scotland (nmrs) of the Royal Commission and the eighteenth century rainwater head in lead from Bank Street is in the Dumfries Burgh Museum. Building control was in the hands of the Dean of Guild Courts in the towns and a