A low sandstone workshop preserves the recognisable form of a village smithy even though the building has moved into domestic use.
Quick facts
- Date
- Early nineteenth century; domestic conversion approved in 2007
- Architect / designer
- Designer not recorded
- Type
- Single-storey sandstone smithy with later western addition and yard wall
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB27533)
- OS grid reference
- NT 12370 74113
Architecture and continuing use
The original three-bay workshop is a simple gabled rectangle in squared and snecked sandstone. A taller two-bay addition at the west has a half-hipped roof. Wide boarded doors, multi-pane windows, an open roof structure and a ridge ventilator expressed the needs of a working forge; a curved rubble wall enclosed the smith’s yard.
Its story
The smithy was built in the early nineteenth century and remained a working workshop when it was listed in 1994. HES recorded mechanical operation of the eastern brick forge and remnants of another forge at the west. Official planning notices in 2007 advertised conversion of the blacksmith’s building to domestic use, marking a major change from craft production.
Why it is included
It represents skilled village work and shows how a strongly functional workshop can retain architectural identity after conversion.
What to notice
- The broad former work doors on the north elevation.
- A ridge ventilator that once helped serve the smoky forge interior.
- The curved wall defining the former blacksmith’s court.
Reading the surroundings
This is now a private domestic property. View discreetly from public routes and do not enter the yard; historic descriptions of a working smithy do not describe current public access.
Timeline
- Early 19th century The sandstone smithy was built beside Newliston Road.
- 8 March 1994 HES listed it while the forge was still recorded as working.
- 2007 Official notices advertised proposals to convert the former blacksmith’s building to a dwelling.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The 2007 notices establish the approved conversion process, but the present record does not independently verify which internal forge fittings survive.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Former Kirkliston Smithy, LB27533 — Current designation status, statutory identity, official mapped point, date, fabric and significance.
- The Edinburgh Gazette: Kirkliston smithy conversion notices — Official 2007 planning-notice evidence for proposals to convert the former blacksmith’s building to domestic use.
- City of Edinburgh Council: Kirkliston conservation-area character appraisal — Local-authority evidence for settlement development, important buildings, streetscape, materials and landscape setting.
- Kirkliston Gala: village heritage trail — Community heritage interpretation connecting named buildings with the village’s social, religious and working history.
Location
OS grid reference NT 12370 74113 · Location confidence: High for the current HES designation point; public text separately qualifies access, component identity and current use. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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