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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
World
Abbie Meehan

'Beautiful' Edinburgh Jenners mosaic uncovered by builders during restoration work

A beautifully-detailed mosaic has been uncovered at the original entrance to the historic Jenners building on Edinburgh's Princes Street.

Founded in 1838, the Jenners building was the oldest independent department store in all of Scotland, before it was bought over by House of Fraser in 2005.

The Edinburgh store has seen a lot of change in recent years, closing in December 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic - and then being vacated by House of Fraser in May 2021.

READ MORE - The notorious Edinburgh boozer where a 20-person strong brawl left punters in fear

Most recently, a fatal fire occured in the building back in January, which was undergoing restoration to become a 96-room hotel in the centre of the capital.

Four were injured in the blaze, and one firefighter tragically lost his life - 38-year-old Barry Martin.

Now, work has begun once again on the historic building - and something beautiful has been discovered.

Anyone walking past the building will notice where the original entranceway to the store was, as the golden Jenners lettering shines above.

The entire building in all it's glory. (Submitted)

Cast-iron gates with C J & Co inscripted on them hold the building behind lock and key - but one eagle-eyed passerby looked a bit deeper.

A beautiful mosaic has been uncovered from underneath a metal address plate inside the entranceway - also depicting the initials C J & Co.

The initials stand for Charles Jenner & Co, the original owner of the glorious institution.

An identical mosaic sits opposite the uncovered one, showing the same intricate pattern and bold colours.

The date of 1894 is also included in the mosaic, with the numbers on each corner of the brightly-coloured design.

This is where the Jenners mosaics are hidden away! (Submitted)

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This date being shown most likely indicates that this sign was constructed when the building was re-designed in 1893 by Scottish architect, William Hamilton Beattie.

After one man posted the 'ghost sign' to their social media, local reaction ensued as many complimented the detail of the mosaic, and the bright and bold design.

One Twitter user wrote: "Beautiful. love it. Thanks x."

Another said: "That's beautiful, I'm looking forward to when all the restoration is completed hopefully will be able to have a wee look."

The mosaic was hidden by a gold address plate. (Google Maps)

Another noted: "Beautiful, what size are they approx, just a small tile size or a large entrance display?"

The original poster replied: "Oh, good question! Off the top of my head I'd say about 15 inches square."

Plans are in place to restore the formidable building into a 96-room hotel in the upper floors, complete with food and retail stores in the ground area of the property.

We hope to see the iconic Jenners building restored to its former wonderful glory, and appreciate its beauty for years to come.

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