Burgh School, Park Avenue, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Entry Name: Burgh School, Park Avenue, Edinburgh

Listing Name: 1D and 1E Duddingston Park and 61, 63, 64 - 72 (Inclusive Nos) Park Avenue, Portobello High School Annexe with Retaining Walls, Gates and Gatepiers

Listing Date: 14 September 1989

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 371012

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB30207

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Edinburgh, Park Avenue, Burgh School

ID on this website: 200371012

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: Portobello/Craigmillar

Traditional County: Midlothian

Tagged with: Architectural structure

Description

W ELEVATION: 2 advanced 2-storey gabled bays to N, flanking tall single storey bay; hoodmoulded 3-light pointed arch windows at ground to gabled bays, bipartites flanked by narrow windows at 1st floor and hoodmoulded blind trefoil panels in gableheads; recessed bay at centre with window at ground (detailed as above) set in gabled bay with trefoil detail, and closely flanked by set-off wallhead stacks. Single storey bay to outer left with hoodmoulded doorway with blank panel above flanked by tripartite window in gabled bay, again with attached wallhead stack; recessed single storey bays flanking to right with doorway (detailed as above), flanked by tripartite windows and with decorative gabled ventilators in deep roof pitch above. 9, 2-storey bays to outer right with bipartite stair windows to outer left, 1 stepped and 1 pointed arch and hoodmoulded tripartite window at ground; tripartite 1st floor window at centre, flanked by bipartites, each breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads; further bipartites similarly breaking eaves in flanking bays. Sawtooth coping to low, irregularly placed buttresses. Gabled return elevation to S with hoodmoulded tripartite pointed arch window flanked by narrow windows at ground, and with hoodmoulded bull's-eye in gablehead.

E ELEVATION: gabled bays to N detailed similarly to those on W elevation, without hoodmoulds, 2-storey gabled projection added by Robert Wilson, 1897, to recessed bays at centre, with pointed arch hoodmoulded tripartite at ground, 3 bipartites at 1st floor, and trefoil in gablehead. Single storey projection linked principal range to E block, with additional flat-roofed storey added 1929. Single storey rectangular projection to outer left similarly given further storey, 1929. Single storey M-gabled bays adjoined to N return elevation with gabled stone bellcote set in valley; trefoil detail to each gablehead.

E BLOCK: Robert Wilson, 1899-1901. Largely symmetrical 2-storey block. Pinker, bull-faced, squared and snecked sandstone.

E ELEVATION: cill course at 1st floor; advanced gabled bays at centre with tripartite window at centre flanked by single windows on each floor, pointed hoodmoulded panel to 1st floor windows at centre and arrowslit ventilator at apex. 3 recessed bays flanking each side comprised of bipartites at centre, breaking eaves at 1st floor in gabled dormerheads, flanked by single windows.

W ELEVATION: 8 advanced bays with regular fenestration at centre, M-gable over 6 centre bays; recessed gabled bay to outer right, and linking bays to outer left. Decorative leaded fleche at centre with apron, trefoiled arcade and crocketted pinnacles; gilded weather-vane finial.

RETAINING WALLS, GATES AND GATEPIERS: 1875-6. Snecked, stugged sandstone retaining walls with ashlar coping, stepped to W with narrow gablet capped piers at intervals and simple railings. Rubble walls with semi-circular coping to E and N. Large gabled stone pedestrian gateway to S, buttress flanked with segmental opening and trefoil panel in apex; simpler, gabled stone gateway to N. 2 pairs of decorative cast-iron arrowhead gates. Decorative railings to E with wrought-iron panels. Playground shelters abutting perimeter walls to N and S.

Statement of Interest

The design is similar to Lambie Moffat's Brunswick Road School. The mason was Andrew Wilson, the joiner, Henry Scott. The school was opened officially as Portobello Public School, on 26 April 1876; the cost, minus architect's fees, was estimated at £5,921. The annexe was opened on 22 October 1901. The former janitor's house to N, is listed separately.

External Links

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