Description

Jenkins & Marr, 1887; remodelled internally by J A O Allan, 1934; new toilets and further remodelling by C Keith, 1979; single storey addition to SW, 2000. 2-storey, attic and basement, 12-bay, rectangular-plan school. Rough-faced grey granite ashlar with finely finished dressings to all but Aberdeen- bond SW elevation. Base course; moulded ground and 1st floor cill courses; dividing band course; lintel cornice to 1st floor; eaves course and cornice. Panelled aprons; pilastered round-arched openings to ground floor; pilastered bays to 1st floor; oculus dormers with Renaissance detailing to attic floor.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; 12-bay, arranged 3-6-3; central bays recessed; regular fenestration to each bay of ground and 1st floors; 6-light rectangular dormer rising from eaves at attic floor; single dormer to centre of bays to left and right at attic floor.

NW ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; 9-bay, arranged 3-3-3; recessed central bays, pilastered doorpiece, corniced with block pediment, pilastered round-arched doorway with keystone motif, replacement timber door with fanlight above, windows flanking to left and right; regular fenestration to 1st floor; dormer to centre of attic floor, flanked by modern rectangular bipartite dormer. Regular fenestration to ground and 1st floors of bays to right, dormer to centre bay of attic floor. Doorway rising to form round-arched window to centre bay of bays to left, flanked to left and right by single window; regular fenestration to 1st floor; modern tripartite rectangular dormer to attic floor.

SW ELEVATION: symmetrical; 12-bay; modern addition advanced from centre bay at ground floor; simple regular fenestration to each floor, attic floor breaking eaves.

SE ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; 9-bay, arranged 3-3-3; recessed central bays, pilastered doorpiece, corniced with block pediment, pilastered round-arched doorway with keystone motif, replacement timber door with fanlight above, windows flanking to left and right; regular fenestration to 1st floor; dormer to centre of attic floor, flanked by modern rectangular bipartite dormer. Regular fenestration to ground and 1st floors of bays to left, dormer to centre bay of attic floor. Doorway rising to form round-arched window to centre bay of bays to right, flanked to left and right by single window; regular fenestration to 1st floor; modern tripartite rectangular dormer to attic floor.

Replacement windows. Piended grey slate roof with lead ridges and finials to apexes. Coped ridge stacks with octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: 3-storey open galleried hall to centre, with decorative iron railings to balconies, some original tiling survives with anthemion and palmette frieze. Pilastered and corniced doorways, panelling below dados. Various later remodellings.

ANCILLARY STRUCTURE AND LODGE: 2-storey, 8-bay, rectangular-plan ancillary structure (currently in use as nursery, 2001) to SW of school; coursed granite; louvred timber ventilator to apex of roof. Small lodge to NE of School, single storey, tooled granite with finely finished cill and eaves course; rough-faced base course; replacement windows.

GATES, GATEPIERS, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: 2-leaf iron vehicular gate to NE of school, square-plan finely finished gatepiers, corniced necks and pyramidal caps, pedestrian gate flanking to right; low quadrant walls to left and right, with looped iron railings enclosing garden ground; high coped rubble walls with simple square-plan gatepiers to remainder.

Statement of Interest

The imposing Ashley Road School was built to serve the rapidly expanding communities to the W of Aberdeen. The plan and massing is similar to that of Mile-End School (see separate listing). Of particular note at Ashley Road School is the classically inspired detailing and unusual dormers. The school originally had 2 fine timber ventilators, which have since been removed.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56624808

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)