Village Timewarp
Quaint, historic Footdee is perfectly designed to protect its thriving community from the worst of the North Sea winds
IF it still stood alone, Footdee (pronounced Fittie) would be a top spot on the Aberdeenshire tourist trail. But the Granite City has long since swallowed up this community in its expansion south and now it’s only visited by the occasional traveller.
Footdee is something of a time capsule. Parts are perfectly preserved, while others show the changes in the area’s history, like strata in rock.
Modern visitors will see fewer fishermen, but more colour in the customised outbuildings.
Protected as Footdee Conservation Area, it’s a mere 3.6 hectares (8.8 acres) in size. It was one of the first such areas created by the Town Council in the late 1960s.
The origins of its name may seem obvious – it sits at the foot of the Dee, after all – but it’s widely believed the name is in fact a skewed homage to St Fotinus or Fotin.
Designed by the same John Smith responsible for Balmoral Castle, it was intended as a functional community for fisherfolk. Houses that face towards each other turn their strongest sides towards the weather, built low and of granite to withstand the North Sea elements.
When improvements were planned for the harbour by another famous name of the era, Thomas Telford, those displaced were to be moved to this new village.
Footdee was originally built around two squares, North and South, with Pilot Square added later.
Smith’s houses were a vast improvement on previous lodgings. Most folk would have occupied a single-room dwelling with all their fishing gear inside with them, nets hung in the roof space to dry.
The new houses had more rooms and small gardens, often with sheds for storing equipment.
Fishing was a family affair in those days. Nets were mended and lines prepared by women and children, while the men went to sea.
When the Town Council began to sell off the single storey properties to tenants at the end of the 19th century, folk began to build upwards. A little of the original character was then lost, but granite, slate and timber were still all that was to hand. Today you may spot the odd bit of UPVC, too.
East St Clements Church stands close to the heart, built
in 1828 on the site of churches dating back at least as far as 1467. There’s evidence the first church was thatched.
Once-functional objects are given an artistic touch. Water stand-pipes have wee faces, while the sheds used for storing fishing paraphernalia are painted, bringing colour to the back gardens they sit in.
Known as “tarry” sheds because of the bitumen used to seal them, some were made of timber charred to prevent rot and fire.
Time has take its toll on many of those original outbuildings, but some still stand. Look out for those on the north side of North Square. Many of these are classically timber-built, sometimes using driftwood.
North Square has a Mission Hall, central to the community and typical of the close relationship between religion and those whose work at sea brought them into close contact with their own mortality.
Houses 8-15 in North Square are Grade C-listed and are a glimpse into the original heart of Footdee. Of the few houses in Footdee that are listed, these are the only contiguous ones.
In contrast, Middle Row has seen a number of extensions, but because this shows the changing use of the houses, it’s considered part of the area’s character.
Pocra Quay lies on the business end of Footdee, once a hive of industry itself. The name is a condensed form of Powcreek, meaning the wide mouth of a burn. Shortened in Doric to Po’cra, the name stuck.
Carry on round towards the North Sea and you’ll arrive at the North Pier, home to the Marine Operations Centre. This striking modern building functions like an air traffic control tower for the comings and goings of the harbour. The design, chosen in an architectural competition, is intended to echo a traditional lighthouse.
Its predecessor, the roundhouse or Pilot’s House, still exists nearby, a reminder of just how historic a port this is. The Royal Charter was granted in 1136 and it has been home to marine trades from fishing and shipbuilding to the great Northlink ferries to the Shetlands.
There’s a small playground – exposed to the elements – from which you can see the gardens of the eastern South Square houses. In fact, open space for play and leisure are an anomaly in Footdee. The area was designed for work and shelter, with no trees or public gardens.
There are few finer planned coastal communities that remain vibrant and occupied. Thanks to its pedestrianised streets, it’s a welcoming place for a wander – though the weather’s always keen to remind you just how close to the coast you are.
Don’t Miss...
Footdee is in the Dee Special Conservation Area. Look out for birds such as goosander.