Description

H M Office of Works, 1935-37. 3-storey; L-plan former office building/employment exchange with short narrow wing to N side. Late 17th century Scottish Renaissance design with pedimented dormer windows and flanking ogee-roofed pavilion-style entrance porches to principal (E) elevation. Coursed rockfaced sandstone rubble to principal elevation; harled to N side; sandstone ashlar dressings. Base course and eaves band to principal elevation. Architraved windows with flanking long and short surrounds to upper floors to principal elevation; those to 1st floor with relieving arches above; those to 2nd floor with pediments. Coped gables; scrolled skewputts to principle elevation. Angle quoins to principle elevation.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 5 bays. Entrance porches project to flanking outer bays; each with small window with moulded surround and entrance with 6-panel timber door to inner return; panel to outer return of right porch bears crown above letters ER and date 1936, all carved in stone. Ground floor window to each of 3 central bays; each curved at upper edges and with long and short surrounds and radiating keyblocks to lintel. Window to each bay to 1st floor. 4 dormer windows (to spaces in between bays) to 2nd floor. Short section of harled and coped boundary wall set back to outer right; central entrance with long and short surrounds; 6-panel timber door.

W ELEVATION: 7 bays; architraved entrances to 2nd bay from left and 2nd bay from right. 2-light mullioned window to each floor to central bay; otherwise fairly regular fenestration.

N ELEVATION: short narrow wing projects to right of centre. 4 bays to left; regularly fenestrated to upper storeys. 3 irregularly fenestrated bays to right.

Mainly 20-pane timber sash and case windows to principle (N) elevation; mainly 12/15-pane timber sash and case windows elsewhere. Grey slate roofs where visible. Harled coped gablehead stack to S side; octagonal cans.

Statement of Interest

A finely detailed and constructed 1930's building in the vernacular revival tradition. It unusually bears the insignia of (the never crowned) Edward VIII. It originally housed the Inland Revenue as well as the local labour exchange. It ceased to be used by government departments in 1994 and was converted to flats in 1998.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56630431

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)