Description

Circa 1820. two-storey and attic rectangular-plan classical villa with single-storey wing and outbuildings to north, large modern single storey extension. Cream sandstone, ashlar front and south elevation with rusticated quoins, coursed and squared stugged rubble to rear and side. Rusticated ground floor; band course above ground floor; cill band course at first floor; deep dentilled eaves cornice with blocking course above; architraved and corniced windows at first floor; fluted panels to aprons of first floor windows; segmental-arched timber dormer windows.

West (entrance) elevation: four-bay; single storey north wing; Roman Doric porch with angle pilasters, frieze, cornice and blocking course to bay to left of centre, single windows with bracketted cills on returns, two-leaf panelled door with rectangular plate glass fanlight; single windows to first floor above. Remaining bays with single windows to ground and first floor. Two dormers above. Flat-roofed north wing with two rectangular windows set in round-arched panels.

South (garden) elevation: three-bay; central bowed bay with three windows to ground (central door later alteration) and first floor, decorative cast-iron balcony to first floor, half-conical roof and dormer window. Single windows to outer bays.

North (rear) elevation: at first floor tall stair window to left of centre; single window to right of centre. Two rubble-built single storey outbuildings with piend roofs flanking service court.

East elevation: large single storey modern extension at ground floor; at first floor blocked window to left, two single windows to right; central wallhead stack; two dormers. Timber sash and case windows, mostly four-pane, some small-pane glazing to rear, side and north wing. Slate piend roof with lead flashings; two broad transverse stacks, two roof lights to north.

Interior: not seen 1992.

Statement of Interest

Woodburn House is thought to have been built in 1812 (Smith), in an area known as 'the land of Canaan', which covered 65 acres from Newbattle Terrace in the north to the Jordan Burn in the south. The house does not appear on Kirkwood's map of 1817 but is shown on Pollock's map of 1834. This rural area of meadows, orchards and gardens was the largest of the estates on which Morningside was gradually to develop.

Woodburn House was built at a cost of £300 for William Baillie, Writer to the Signet. It was then occupied from 1816-60 by George Ross, an advocate, who was a great benefactor, and for a long time the sole supporter, of the Old Schoolhouse in Morningside Road.

Woodburn was established as a sanatorium (for the treatment of tuberculosis) in 1889 by Dr Isabella Mears and her husband DR W.P. Mears. A purpose-built sanatorium was erected to the north of the main house in 1899-1900 (Historic Hospitals).

A pioneer in medicine, Isabella Mears was the 25th female doctor on the General Medical Register and prior to her work at Woodburn Sanatorium, had been a medical missionary in China (British Medical Journal). She studied Medicine at Edinburgh University but had to take her final exams in Dublin, as at that time Universities in Britain did not allow women to do so (Historic Hospitals).

Woodburn Sanatorium is thought to be one of the first sanatoria in the UK (British Medical Journal, 1936). Mears was a pioneer of open-air treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis and Woodburn was a very early example of this type of treatment in Scotland (Historic Hospitals, Horowitz Murray and Stark).

For some years after 1914 Woodburn House was the residence of her son, Sir Frank Mears, the noted architect and town planner.

From 1922 until 1966, the building was used as a Royal Infirmary nurses' home and later became a part of the Astley Ainslie Hospital.

Description and Summary of Special Interest updated with additional information (2020).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17807200

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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