Description

John Murdoch, 1879. 2-storey and attic, 7-bay asymmetrical-plan Scottish Baronial school on corner site, with single storey and attic wing to left. Coursed, snecked sandstone; ashlar dressings. Base course; crowstepped gables;

SE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: architraved, open-pedimented doorpiece to penultimate bay to right; 3-light leaded fanlight; swagged frieze; bipartite windows aligned above at 1st floor; single window at attic breaks eaves to form pediment. Regular fenestration at all floors to bay to right (attic window breaks eaves to form pediment). Corbelled angle turret to outer right; small single window within. 2 arrowslit windows at ground floor to bay to left of entrance; 3-light mullioned and transomed architraved and hoodmoulded window (blind panel above central light) at 1st floor; single window at attic breaks eaves to form pediment. Circular-plan stair tower adjacent; 2 stepped windows to 1st 2 stages, 3 openings at attic. Advanced crowstepped gabled bay to left of stair tower comprising 3 light window at ground; 2 single windows at 1st floor; single, pilastered segmental-pedimented window at attic. Single window to catslide section at ground in penultimate bay to left; single window at attic forms pediment head; 2-light windows at ground and attic to bay to left. Single storey and attic section to outer left comprises timber door and small opening at ground to crowstepped gable elevation; modern forestair to glazed timber door at attic. Timber door to left, 2-light windows at ground and attic to recessed section. 4 single windows at ground to re-entrant angle, 5-light dormer at attic.

NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2 single windows to left at ground floor; blind window at attic with segmental-pedimented head; pepperpot turret to outer left; timber door to centre.

NW ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 4-bay; near regular fenestration to ground and 1st floors of centre bay, gabled dormers flanking wallhead stack to attic floor; gabled bay to left, bipartite windows to ground and 1st floors, single window with round-arched decorative pediment; gabled bay to right, ground floor obscured by flat-roofed harled addition, 4-light canted window to 1st floor; tripartite window with decorative pediment set in gablehead. Adjoining bays to right not seen 1999.

Plate glass timber sash and case windows. Coped wallhead and gablehead stacks with circular cans. Slate roof; crowstepped gables. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen 1999.

GATEPIERS, GATES, RAILINGS AND BOUNDARY WALL: square-plan panelled stone gatepiers to main entrance; 2-leaf iron gates; square-plan stone gatepiers to single storey wing; 2-leaf timber gate; coped rubble boundary wall enclosing site.

Statement of Interest

John Murdoch is also the architect of the large adjacent villas in Craigweil Road, all executed in 1879 (see separate list descriptions). The school is notable for its careful detailing, for example the pedimented doorpiece with its swagged frieze and shafted and segmental attic window to the entrance elevation gabled bay.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17838519

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.

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