Description

J M Dick Peddie, 1880, with later additions: E wing added 1886-1891, W wing 1899, both by Dick Peddie; further extension to E in the 1920s with plain classical doctor's residence and link block; 3-storey U-plan range added (J & F Johnston, 1994) to form enclosed courtyard to rear. 2-storey and attic with 2-storey ranges; classical style. Cream sandstone polished ashlar to principal elevation; stugged and snecked sandstone to side and rear elevations.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: ORIGINAL BLOCK: 1880. Symmetrical; 2-storey centre and attic, 11 bays grouped 3-5-3; flanked by recessed, 2-storey, 4-bay ward blocks; W ward block extended by a further 4 bays. ENTRANCE BLOCK: tall, central block; 5-bay recessed centre flanked by shallow, advanced, 3-window bays. Plinth; ground and 1st floor cill course; cornice band between ground and 1st corbelled out on moulded consoles as balconies at projecting 3-window bays; cornice band between 1st and attic; eaves cornice and blocking course. Bold, Grecian entrance porch at centre; pair of single windows flanking at ground. 1st floor windows throughout divided by pilastrade with attached Roman Doric columns; attic windows divided by pilastrade with recessed panels and, over central entrance bay, by tapering pilasters flanking blind, recessed panel. Pediment raised over triglyphed frieze breaking wallhead at centre bay.

WARD BLOCKS: 4 bays, single windows at ground and 1st floors. W block extended by 4 bays; 1st bay blind at ground; keystoned niche at 1st floor; outer 3 bays identical to original 4 bays. 1st floor windows divided by wide pilastrade.

E AND W WINGS: extending N-S either side forming U-plan to rear. Single, identical, pedimented bays flanking original block at Salisbury Place elevation; 2-storey with full-height, 4-light, canted windows; secondary pediment over bay windows; acanthus acterion over main pediments. Cill course and cornice continued across wing additions.

FORMER DOCTOR'S RESIDENCE: 3-storey, 4-bay block; central bays very slightly advanced. Cill course at 1st floor; plain eaves course; clasping pilasters; blank, central inscription panel at 1st floor; cornice and blocking course. Linked to W wing by contemporary, single bay, recessed entrance block with pilastered ground floor.

Plate glass, timber, sash and case windows to principal elevations; single pane upper sashes; 2-pane lower sash subdivided by horizontal glazing bar; distinctive timber pilaster mullions with roundel detail dividing 1st floor windows over central entrance bay. Variety of glazing patterns to rear. W wing; fixed plate-glass upper sashes, hopper-swivel lower panels; elsewhere sash and case, 4-pane lower and upper sashes or 2-pane upper, 4-pane lower. Grey slate pitched and piended roofs.

INTERIOR: principal staircase: elaborately detailed cast-iron balusters with timber handrail; decorative plaster cornice at cove-ceiling with lantern over. Ledmore marble floor installed 1994. Secondary service stair: cast-iron balusters and timber handrail; diminutive Corinthianesque cast-iron newel post.

MORTUARY CHAPEL AND CARRIAGE HOUSES: Circa 1890. L-plan; single storey and basement. Squared and snecked rubble sandstone with ashlar dressings. CHAPEL: advanced mortuary chapel to E; tripartite window in round-arched panel to S; 2-leaf, round-arched, panelled door with decorative cast-iron hinges to N. CARRIAGE HOUSES: 3-bay to S; doorway to outer left; doorways to basement sub-station to centre and outer right; 5-bay to N; 3 segmental-arched carriage gates to centre and bays to right; doorway and single window to bays to left. Tunnel linking mortuary chapel to hospital basement.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS AND RAILINGS: 2 pairs of square-plan, corniced gatepiers with pyramidal caps to Salisbury Place; original iron railings.

The striking and unusual colour scheme of the principal staircase and entrance hall follows an earlier precedent by Peddie and Kinnear devised for Belmore, Cupar.

Statement of Interest

Named after M J A Longmore whose trustees provided £10,000 for the hospital building fund. Built for the Edinburgh Hospital for Incurables which was founded in 1874 to accommodate people presumed to be incurable and in need of constant medical supervision. Their first premises were in Salisbury Place Villa demolished to make way for the new hospital in 1880; the building was added to continuously until the First World War. In 1903 a Royal Charter was granted; in 1906 the Liberton Hospital opened, jointly forming the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Incurables. Peddie and Kinnear's square-plan, corniced wallhead stacks (illustrations in the Health Board Archive; see above), had been removed from the original hospital block but have been reinstated during conversion to offices 1993-4. Benefaction boards removed from principal staircase during office conversion and hung in W corridor.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17795218

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)