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Former Hospital Lodge in York Place
1774-1901 AD

Former Hospital Lodge in York Place

This B-listed building on York Place, originally the lodge for the 1836 Perth County and City Infirmary was built in 1840 to a design by William Donald Mackenzie, a Perth City Architect, who was responsible for a number of impressive public and domestic buildings within the city. The Infirmary is now the A K Bell Library. It was built in a neo-classical style to harmonise with the main hospital building. It was moved and rebuilt on its present site on York Place in 1867. After being derelict for many years it was purchased and restored by the Perth and Kinross…

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28/11/2023
Building at 25 St John Street
1774-1901 AD / Commerce

Building at 25 St John Street

According to a plaque beside the left entrance, the building at 25 St John Street, erected between 1846-1847 in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzi, was designed by David Rhind, (1808-1883), a pupil of Pugin. Pugin worked with Barry on the design, construction and internal furnishings  of the Palace of Westminster. It was originally the local headquarters of the Central Bank, then the main Perth branch of the Bank of Scotland and most recently Lakeland. Rhind is responsible for a building of a similar design on the corner of South Street and Princes Street. The building currently houses a…

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28/11/2023
Parmelia Court
1774-1901 AD

Parmelia Court

This plaque records the 150th anniversary of the sailing to Australia in 1829 of the ship Parmelia to found the City of Perth, Capital of Western Australia. The Parmelia was the flagship of Captain James Stirling who founded and later was Governor of the new colony. The City of Perth, Australia, was named in honour of Sir George Murray of Ochtertyre, by Crieff who was Secretary of the Colonies at that time.

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28/11/2023
Water Vennel
1000-1603 AD / 1603-1774 AD

Water Vennel

Water Vennel runs from the Watergate down to Tay Street. A small plaque near its junction with Tay Street tells of its importance and gives some history of the Gowrie House whose northern boundary was formed by Water Vennel. This was an important access to the river when Gowrie House and its gardens  blocked so much of the river frontage.

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28/11/2023
Watergate
1000-1603 AD / 1603-1774 AD

Watergate

There is a modern information board just around the corner in nearby Baxter’s Vennel which gives a detailed account of the Watergate, one of the most important streets in historic Perth. For centuries it was the nearest road parallel to the River Tay. The board recounts the layout of vennels dating from medieval times including Water Vennel and Fountain Close. It also lists various buildings which existed here in the Medieval and Post Medieval periods. These included the Lord Chancellors House, the Bishop of Dunkeld's Palace and Gowrie House. The present buildings in Watergate were largely built in the 18th…

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28/11/2023
Green House in High Street
1774-1901 AD

Green House in High Street

This green-painted building bearing a multi-coloured coat-of-arms is at 28-30 High Street and is on the corner of High Street and Watergate. Pevsner describes this building as late 18th century. He considered it possible that much of the embellishment of the façade might be attributed to early 19th century. (Griffith, J. Perth And Kinross, After Pevsner 2001 p619).

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28/11/2023
Perth Harbours
1000-1603 AD

Perth Harbours

On Tay Street just south of Queen's Bridge and opposite the Sherriff Court is Panel 1 of the Medieval Trail which explains how Perth has been a ‘Perfect Location’ since at least medieval times. This replaced an earlier information board entitled 'Harbours of Perth' also pictured. In Medieval times the harbour was approximately where the aptly named Quayside Court housing complex now stands. The channel corresponds to where Canal Street now runs.

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27/11/2023
Bridges of Perth – Tay Street plaques
1000-1603 AD / 1603-1774 AD / 1774-1901 AD

Bridges of Perth – Tay Street plaques

A modern notice board on Tay Street outlines the history of the Bridges of Perth. It is Panel 3 of the Perth Medieval Trail entitled Crossing the Tay and replaces an earlier board (also pictured). A little further south along Tay Street is another board (Panel 2) entitled Soggy Feet which explains changes in the ground level of Tay Street over history. 

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27/11/2023
Bridges of Perth – North Inch plaques
1000-1603 AD / 1603-1774 AD / 1774-1901 AD

Bridges of Perth – North Inch plaques

At the gateway to the Memorial Garden, on the North Inch, there are two plaques, one on each side of the entrance. The left -hand side shows present Perth Bridge, the right-hand side shows the Old Perth Bridge. By comparison the new bridge has fewer arches each of which is higher and wider than in the Old Bridge. The Old Bridge being lower and the arches narrower it is clear there was a greater possibility of debris brought down by the river in flood could form a dam, which would cause the bridge to collapse.

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27/11/2023
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