St John's Place

St John's Place
Kirkside (former)
The northern side of Perth City Hall, looking east along St John's Place from King Edward Street in 2010. St John's Kirk stands beyond City Hall
Length0.094 mi (0.151 km)
LocationPerth, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
West endKing Edward Street
East endSt John Street
Construction
Completion12th century

St John's Place (formerly known as Kirkside)[1] is an ancient street in the city of Perth, Scotland, located a short distance southeast of the city centre. Today it runs for about 500 feet (170 yd) between King Edward Street to the west and St John Street to the east; it is now markedly smaller than when it was originally laid out, due to the construction of both Perth City Hall in 1914 and of St John's Shopping Centre in 1987, both in King Edward Street.[2] The latter construction also saw the loss of the short-lived St John's Square, which was created in the 1960s.[3] There is also a South St John Street, while North St John Street (formerly College Yard) existed in the early 20th century.[4]

The street was established in at least the 12th century, prior to being given its current name, which is derived from St John's Kirk. The church, which stands at the junction of St John's Place and St John Street, is a Category A listed structure.[5] It was completed around 1448, replacing another church dating to 1126.[6]

Antique dealers Thomas Love & Sons (1869–2009) occupied 12–19 St John’s Place between the late 19th century and 1960.[7] In 1898, it connected its two warehouses with an overbridge.[8]

  • A late-19th-century view of the now-demolished Thomas Love & Sons at 12–19 St John's Place, looking west towards King Edward Street
    A late-19th-century view of the now-demolished Thomas Love & Sons at 12–19 St John's Place, looking west towards King Edward Street
  1. ^ Peacock, David (1849). Perth: Its Annals and Its Archives. Thomas Richardson. p. 490.
  2. ^ St John's Shopping Centre – Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland, Francis Hindes Groome (1901)
  3. ^ Gillon, Jack (2020). Perth History Tour. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781398101425.
  4. ^ Transactions and Proceedings of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, Volumes 9-10. Perthshire Society of Natural Science. 1931. p. 11.
  5. ^ "ST JOHN'S KIRK, KIRKSIDE, ST JOHN'S PLACE, ST JOHN STREET (LB39300)". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  6. ^ Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland, Francis Hindes Groome (1901)
  7. ^ "Thomas Love & Sons » Antique Dealers » Antiques Dealers". antiquetrade.leeds.ac.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  8. ^ The Scottish Law Review and Sheriff Court Reports. W. Hodge & Company. 1898. p. 325.