A photograph showing the house that was located at the junction of Portland Street and Wellington Road. It can be seen on the Ordnance Survey 1867 Aberdeen town plan, sheet LXXV.15.3.

This image looks north and gives a good view of the building that is thought to have once been the home of Provost George Auldjo of Portlethen (1756-1806). He followed his father, John Auldjo, in running the brick and tiles works in the Clayworks, located to the rear of this house.

The brick and tile works exploited the large amount of clay in the area. By the late 1860s the clay pits were ceasing to be worked. The Clayhills area was consequently leased out for yards and works of various kinds.

The building visible on the right is likely the preserved provision works which was active for only one or two years before moving to South Mount Street.

This house was demolished, and the area radically altered, with the road and railway improvement scheme that finished in 1904. This was carried out by the railway companies as part of the Joint Station extension scheme.

The improvements saw the construction of the lower part of South College Street, which would run through the Clayhills area.

For more details on the Clayhills brick and tile works and the roadworks see G. M. Fraser's article 'Affleck Street and the Clayhills' in The Press and Journal, 16th July 1926, page 4 and the article 'Ferryhill Street Improvements' in The Aberdeen Daily Journal, 24th October 1904, page 4.

Location

Ferryhill

Keyword

Houses

Photographer