Study Room Name Series: 5. Beefcan Close
If you’ve ever booked the Beefcan Close study room in the Main Library, you may have wondered where the name comes from. Like several study spaces across the Library, this room is named after a real place in Dundee’s history — and it has a story worth knowing.
What (and Where) Was Beefcan Close?
Beefcan Close was one of Dundee’s many historic closes — narrow passageways running off the city’s main streets, particularly around the Nethergate and Seagate areas. These closes were a vital part of everyday life in the city from the medieval period onwards, forming busy routes between homes, workshops, storage spaces, and markets.
The name Beefcan is believed to come from the area’s association with food storage and trade, likely linked to meat preservation and containers used by local merchants. Dundee was a thriving port and trading town, and places like Beefcan Close played a practical role in keeping the city running.
Beefcan Close, Dundee
Life in Dundee’s Closes
Closes were not quiet, hidden corners — they were busy, noisy, and full of life. People lived, worked, traded, and socialised in these spaces. They reflected the realities of urban life in historic Dundee: close-knit communities, shared resources, and streets that served many purposes at once.
While many of these closes have disappeared due to redevelopment, their names live on in records, maps, and — in this case — within the University Library itself.
Old Dundee Closes … and other corners. Available at DJCAD Library
Why Name a Study Room After a Close?
Naming study rooms after historic Dundee locations helps connect the University community to the city’s past. It’s a reminder that Dundee has always been a place of learning, industry, and shared spaces — values that continue within the Library today.
Just as Beefcan Close once brought people together for practical purposes, the Beefcan Close study room is now a space for collaboration, discussion, and focused work.
Beefcan Close Today
The Beefcan Close study room, located in the Main Library, middle floor, offers a modern space for group study and meetings. While the surroundings are very different from its historic namesake, the idea of a shared, purposeful space remains the same.
Next time you book the room, take a moment to appreciate the link between your study session and Dundee’s long history of work, trade, and community life.
It’s just one of the many ways the Library quietly weaves local history into everyday university life — turning a simple room booking into a small connection with the city beyond the campus walls.
Picture of beefcan close study room below
