Archers' Hall
Encyclopedia
The Archers' Hall is the club house of the Royal Company of Archers
, the Sovereign's Bodyguard
in Scotland
. It is located at 66 Buccleuch Street in the Southside of Edinburgh
, and has been used by the company for over 330 years. Building commenced on 15 August 1776, and was completed in 1777 to designs by Alexander Laing. When the foundation stone was laid in 1776, two lines of Latin were inscribed on a plate which was set in the stone. These lines, beginning , were taken from:
The Royal Company of Archers were granted the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" by a Royal charter
of Queen Anne, 1713.
The building was extended in 1900 by Robert Rowand Anderson
and his partner, A. F. Balfour Paul. The principal hall inside measures 40 by, and is 18 feet (5.5 m) high. Two other rooms of 18 by are contained in the building, as well as a kitchen, cellars, lobby, and other apartments. The ground behind the house was laid out into a bowling green
, known as The Meadows, and maintained by the Edinburgh Bowling Club until its redevelopment in 2008. The hall serves as a venue for various dinners and meetings of the Royal Company of Archers and the club. An external lodge, adjacent to the hall, houses an indoor changing rooms, shooting gallery and a bow workshop.
Archers' Hall is a category B listed building, a building "of regional or more than local importance". There is a proposal to demolish the lodge.
In 2008 09 the corner lodge, existing archery butts and bowling pavilion were demolished to improve club facilities. Inside, an 8-person lift was installed to connect the basement, principal and main hall levels, and a new access through the north façade was built. The work also included repairs to existing stonework, and replacement of missing sections using natural stone chosen to match. The work was carried out by LDN Architects. Since 9 February 2008 the club's commercial entity is Bowmen Limited, a registered private company.
Public access to the Archers' Hall is available by appointment.
Royal Company of Archers
The Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's...
, the Sovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard
Sovereign's Bodyguard is the name given to three ceremonial units in the United Kingdom who are tasked with guarding the Sovereign. These units are:*Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms - formed 1509...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is located at 66 Buccleuch Street in the Southside of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and has been used by the company for over 330 years. Building commenced on 15 August 1776, and was completed in 1777 to designs by Alexander Laing. When the foundation stone was laid in 1776, two lines of Latin were inscribed on a plate which was set in the stone. These lines, beginning , were taken from:
The Royal Company of Archers were granted the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" by a Royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
of Queen Anne, 1713.
The building was extended in 1900 by Robert Rowand Anderson
Robert Rowand Anderson
Sir Robert Rowand Anderson RSA was a Scottish Victorian architect. Anderson trained in the office of George Gilbert Scott in London before setting up his own practice in Edinburgh in 1860. During the 1860s his main work was small churches in the 'First Pointed' style that is characteristic of...
and his partner, A. F. Balfour Paul. The principal hall inside measures 40 by, and is 18 feet (5.5 m) high. Two other rooms of 18 by are contained in the building, as well as a kitchen, cellars, lobby, and other apartments. The ground behind the house was laid out into a bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
, known as The Meadows, and maintained by the Edinburgh Bowling Club until its redevelopment in 2008. The hall serves as a venue for various dinners and meetings of the Royal Company of Archers and the club. An external lodge, adjacent to the hall, houses an indoor changing rooms, shooting gallery and a bow workshop.
Archers' Hall is a category B listed building, a building "of regional or more than local importance". There is a proposal to demolish the lodge.
In 2008 09 the corner lodge, existing archery butts and bowling pavilion were demolished to improve club facilities. Inside, an 8-person lift was installed to connect the basement, principal and main hall levels, and a new access through the north façade was built. The work also included repairs to existing stonework, and replacement of missing sections using natural stone chosen to match. The work was carried out by LDN Architects. Since 9 February 2008 the club's commercial entity is Bowmen Limited, a registered private company.
Public access to the Archers' Hall is available by appointment.