Description

John A Carfrae, 1903. 3-storey, Queen Anne school, angled around an irregular site. Squared and coursed red sandstone with polished ashlar bands and dressings. Mutuled cornice to principal elevation. Windows at 2nd floor smaller.

SSW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3-bay gabled bay advanced at centre with bipartite windows to each floor, 2nd floor with centre window in Gibbsian surround with round-arched above and roundel carving of Queen Margaret; obelisk finials flanking at skewblocks. 2 bays to left with tripartite windows in immediate bay and single windows in outer bay to each floor; outer left with canted entrance tower, ashlar at ground, with Gibbsian round-arched door and narrow lights, entablature above (mutuled cornice) and narrow single windows to each floor above terminating in cornice and rooftop belvidere of arcaded timber, (segmental arches) and piended roof with decorative wrought-iron(?) finial, linking into main roof pitch. To right, tripartite windows to immediate right, 2 single lights in outer bay with canted porch in re-entrant angle (formed with advanced outer bays to right) with Gibbsian round-arched door, narrow light, mutuled cornice and unmoulded, coped ashlar balustrade. 3 outer bays to right with gabled bay of 2 bipartites at centre (breaking eaves at 2nd floor), flanked by bays of bipartites flanked by single windows with 2nd floor bipartites breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads.

WSW ELEVATION: 3-bay, those at centre and right with bipartite windows to right and single windows to left; bay to left gabled with bipartites at ground and single window to each floor to right above.

NW (SIDE ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: tall doorpiece, pilaster-flanked, with segmental-arched fanlight, keystone and segmental pediment, to left; above, 3 closely grouped narrow windows with 2nd floor gabled flanked by single windows.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: asymmetrical, multi-fenestrated. Including 2 gabled bays to left, broader gabled bay to right with round-arched bipartite to 2nd floor at centre, flanked by 2 stair bays with bipartites and single windows to each floor. Modern addition to outer left.

Small-pane timber, sash and case windows, simple radial fanlights. Panelled 2-leaf timber doors. Grey slates. 2 decorative pagoda ridge ventilators, timber louvred, with swept aprons and ogeed caps and attenuated finials. Stylised gutter fixtures. Tall wallhead stacks on returns of principal gable, with cornice and coping; gablehead stack to rear.

INTERIOR: not seen.

OUTBUILDING: 2-storey, 7-bay rectangular-plan building by gate on Albion Place. Squared and snecked red sandstone with bull-faced quoins.

Entrance in otherwise blank elevation to W in ashlar quasi-porch. Regular fenestration to S, stair window to right of otherwise regular fenestration to N. All windows blocked. Half-piend, to W, gable to E, grey slates.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS, GATES AND RAILINGS: coursed, bull-faced red sandstone boundary walls to sides and rear with semicircular coping. Red sandstone ashlar gatepiers to N, WSW, 2 pairs to SSW, with moulded panels and deep flat cornices. Wrought-iron 2-leaf and single gates with decorative detailing; plain railings on dwarf wall.

Statement of Interest

Carfrae was architect to the School Board in the Edwardian years and provided some excellent designs (see also the Duncan Street School): the Albion Road School is of particular note for its mastery of an irregular site and the unusual belvidere feature. It groups well with its neighbour the Lockhart Memorial Church.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17796105

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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