Three modest Bank Row houses open into a remarkable former curing complex that preserves Wick’s herring, domestic and craft history.
Quick facts
- Date
- Early nineteenth century; later conversion to a heritage centre
- Architect / designer
- Original builders not identified; the wider Pulteneytown plan was commissioned from Thomas Telford
- Type
- Terraced flagstone houses, curing yard and surviving herring-curing complex
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB42286)
- OS grid reference
- ND 36525 50671
Architecture and continuing use
The street front combines harled and coursed Caithness-stone houses, while a pend leads to a flagstone courtyard, gabled ranges and a tall curing house. Surviving smoking racks, a cooperage and work spaces reveal how homes and fish processing were interwoven.
Its story
The buildings formed part of Lower Pulteneytown, the planned fishing settlement developed after 1809. Wick became one of northern Europe’s busiest herring ports; the complex was later adapted as a museum and has been cared for by the Wick Society since the early 1970s.
Why it is included
It is a rare surviving herring-curing complex and an unusually direct architectural record of the industry that transformed Wick.
What to notice
- Caithness flagstone coursing along Bank Row.
- The pend and central curing yard behind the domestic fronts.
- Industrial drying, smoking and cooperage spaces retained inside.
Reading the surroundings
The museum publishes seasonal opening times and admission information. Interior access depends on staffing and opening; the rear complex should be entered only during authorised visits.
Timeline
- Early nineteenth century The buildings formed part of Lower Pulteneytown, the planned fishing settlement developed after 1809. Wick became one of northern Europe’s busiest herring ports; the complex was later adapted as a museum and has been cared for by the Wick Society since the early 1970s.
- Present Volunteer-run local museum and heritage centre.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Opening hours and individual display areas can change. The record does not imply access outside the museum’s published arrangements.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Wick Heritage Centre, LB42286 — Designation status, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural or historical interest.
- Wick Society: Wick Heritage Centre — Current museum identity, address, opening information and collections.
Location
OS grid reference ND 36525 50671 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present identity. · 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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