History / Whaling ship memorial given listed status
A MEMORIAL at Victoria Pier in Lerwick has been given listed status.
The Diana fountain has now been deemed a C-listed ‘building’ by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), after a public consultation.
The memorial, made in 1890, pays tribute to the crew of the Hull whaling ship Diana, which had many Shetlanders on board.
In 1866 she became stuck in ice in Baffin Bay for more than six months, resulting in some of the crew dying.
Other crew were said to be malnourished and were left in poor health, with the ship eventually returning to Ronas Voe in 1867.
The drinking fountain on the memorial has since been replaced by a chalice.
An application was made to HES in 2023 to invite the heritage organisation to consider assessing the site for designation.
The application to HES said it was an “important touchstone to the C19 [19th Century] whaling industry of both Scotland and England, particularly in the Shetland Islands and Kingston upon Hull, England where it was a significant part of their economies”.
HES said the fountain met the criteria of “special architectural or historic interest” for several reasons.
This included its social, historical and commemorative interest for its association with the whaling industry. HES also highlighted the good quality construction and its historic setting.
In a report, the heritage organisation said the Diana memorial fountain is “not a rare example of its building type for its late-19th century date, however it is one of a small number of other designated sites and structures symbolic of whaling in Scotland”.
During the recent consultation eight members of the public submitted responses, all of which were in favour of listed status.
One said: “The fountain is a piece of Shetland history and that so much of the history of the area has been lost. It’s time to maintain the history of Shetland and honour the memory of these men.”
However land owner Lerwick Port Authority advised HES that the memorial may have to be moved in the future as the port develops.
The port authority also said the memorial had been moved in the past.
HES responded by saying that listed building consent will now likely be required before any future repair works or moves take place.
In its assessment, HES said the memorial meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:
- “Its construction in good quality materials in contrasting pink and grey granite. Later additions and changes to the original location have not affected the structure’s historic character or its cultural significance.
- “Its historic setting is largely unchanged and it remains at Victoria Pier, very close to its original location.
- “Its social historical interest and commemorative interest for its association with the ill-fated 1866-67 voyage of the whaling ship, Diana and for its association with Arctic whaling and the role Shetland played in that industry.”
Designations from HES included listed building status and scheduled monuments.
They are designed to protect and preserve features of historic or architectural significance.
An application for the Clickimin Leisure Complex in Lerwick was also submitted a couple of years ago by an architectural heritage charity, but HES ruled that the building should not be listed.
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