Description

LODGE

Probably James Matthews, circa 1860. Single storey and basement, 4-bay lodge to SE of Aberdeen Grammar School. Tooled coursed granite ashlar with finely finished margins. Base course; chamfered reveals; curved angles, corbelled to right angles below eaves; eaves course; crowstepped gables with inset blind narrow openings, spherical finials to apex.

NE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; gabled porch advanced to penultimate bay to left, segmental-arched doorway with decorative roll moulding, keystone detail, timber door, small window to right return; window to bay to outer left, window to penultimate bay to right and bay to outer right.

NW ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 2-bay; gabled bay to left; advanced gabled bay to right, irregular fenestration to basement, single window off-centre to left of ground floor.

SW ELEVATION: gabled bay to right, remainder not seen 2000.

SE ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 2-bay; gabled bay advanced to right, canted window with stone piended roof to ground floor; window to recessed flanking bay to left.

Variety of small-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof with lead ridges. Beaked skewputts. Coped granite gablehead and ridge stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen 2000.

BRIDGE OVER DEN BURN, GATES, GATEPIERS, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: looped iron railings to NE of lodge with decorative iron piers forming parapet of bridge over Den Burn. 4 square-plan granite gatepiers to principal entrance to SE of lodge, rough-faced, finely finished to margins, stop chamfered angles, corniced with pyramidal caps surmounted by spherical finials, 2-leaf decorative iron gate to centre, flanked to left and right by 2 pedestrian gates; low granite walls adjoining to left and right, swept out to street surmounted by decorative iron railings with fleur-de-lys caps, piers at angles; 2 piers to N of gates within playground. Granite wall to E, coped, surmounted by decorative iron railings with foliate caps, 2-leaf iron gate to centre, with decorative iron piers, stone steps up to playground level. Rubble walls to remainder, with pointed coping, simple iron gates with square-plan gatepiers.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Lord Byron Statue, Aberdeen Grammar School, Language Block and French School. According to Groome Aberdeen Grammar School, though not the building which exists today, can be traced back as far as 1262, when it attracted "advanced pupils from the best primary schools, and has a close connection...with the university." (Groome p 11). The previous school, which Lord Byron attended, was built in 1757, on Schoolhill near the entrance to Gordon's College (see separate listing). James Matthews prepared designs for the present school in 1861-63. The finely detailed lodge, which seems likely to have been by Matthews, is a miniature version of the baronial school. Particularly fine also are the railings to the SE and NE.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17770364

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House