Description

Alexander Mavor, 1893; extended early 20th century, probably J A O Allan. 3-storey and attic, 5-bay school with baroque detailing. Rough-faced granite ashlar to ground floor, tooled ashlar to 1st floor, finely finished dressings and margins. Base course; cill courses; band courses; eaves blocking course.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; 5-bay arranged 1-3-1; 3 central bays recessed, paired windows to each floor of centre bay, architraved and corniced windows through all floors, tripartite openings to 1st and 2nd floors, breaking eaves course with pediment, single window flanking to outer left and right. Bays to outer right and left advanced, tripartite architraved and corniced windows through all floors, depressed-arched windows to ground floor, with keystone motif, pediment surmounting 2nd floor, with oeil-de-beuf opening to centre, flanked by pilasters surmounted by spherical finials.

NE ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 3-bay; wing advanced to right, architraved tripartite window to 1st floor, regular fenestration to returns; flat-roofed harled addition to re-entrant angle to left, tall stair window above, flanked by single windows and paired small windows, 3 windows to 2nd floor; bay to left slightly advanced, tripartite architraved and corniced windows through all floors, depressed-arched windows to ground floor, with keystone motif, pediment surmounting 2nd floor, with oeil-de-beuf opening to centre, flanked by pilasters surmounted by spherical finials, single windows flanking to right.

NW ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; 4-bay; triple windows to centre 2 bays through all floors; bays to left and right advanced, tripartite windows through all floors, pediment surmounting eaves course, with oeil-de-beuf set in centre, irregular windows flanking to left and right; wings to outer left and right.

SW ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 3-bay; wing advanced to left, regular fenestration to each floor and returns; near-regular fenestration to central bay; tripartite architraved and corniced windows through all floors of bay advanced bay to right, depressed-arched windows to ground floor, with keystone motif, pediment surmounting 2nd floor, with oeil-de-beuf opening to centre, flanked by pilasters surmounted by spherical finials.

Replacement windows. Piended and platformed slate roof with lead ridges. Corniced ridge stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen 2001.

GATES, GATEPIERS, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: square-plan gatepiers with banded rustication and decorative caps to SE and NE, 2-leaf iron gate to NE, 3 gatepiers and double 2-leaf gate to SE, low rough-faced quadrant walls flanking gatepiers, hooped railings enclosing garden ground behind walls, high coped walls to NW.

LODGE (88 GRAY STREET): to N of school; tooled coursed grey granite, with finely finished dressings; 2-bay principal elevation to NE, doorway to left, with pilastered panelled timber door; gabled bay advanced to right with architraved tripartite window to centre, small opening set in gablehead; extension to SW. Replacement windows; grey slate roof with lead ridges; corniced ridge stack.

Statement of Interest

Broomhill Primary School is well detailed and imposing. It survives largely unaltered with the exception of two wings, probably added by J A O Allan, who was the Education Board architect in the early 20th century. The school, which was described as "equipped in the most modern style", accommodated 1105 pupils. The survival of the iron railings and gates is particularly unusual. The school originally had a fine decorative lantern ventilator, but this has been removed.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77777078

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

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  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
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