Description

Possibly 1838, schoolhouse extended later 20th century. Tall Tudor style, single storey, rectangular-plan, former schoolroom with 2 window gable to road (S) and large tripartite windows breaking eaves into gabled dormerheads at W; adjoining 2-storey, 3-bay schoolhouse with stone windowheads breaking eaves and extended at rear. Harled with ashlar margins and quoin strips. Pointed arch windows with raked cills, timber transoms and mullions, and oculus (blocked) to schoolroom.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: schoolroom to W with transomed tripartite windows flanking square headed tripartite at W elevation, 2 transomed bipartite windows (obscured by foliage) at S gable and oculus over lean-to outshot an N gable. Symmetrical S (entrance elevation) to schoolhouse with centre door and flanking windows.

Multi-pane glazing pattern in decoratively-astragalled timber windows to schoolroom; out-of-character top-opening plate glass glazing to schoolhouse. Grey slates and cast iron fanlight. Coped harled and ashlar stacks with cans. Ashlar-coped skews with moulded skewputts.

INTERIOR: some good interior detail retained including schoolroom with hammerbeam roof on stone corbels and boarded dado; schoolhouse with panelled timber doors, timber balusters and granite and marble fireplaces.

Statement of Interest

An important component in the small village of Forbestown, the former female public school, an interestingly detailed building, is sited high up on a natural terrace overlooking the River Don. It is thought that the schoolroom may have been used for some time as a Chapel, and as a meeting room for free masons. Confusion regarding the date of the school has arisen as the 1st Ordnance Survey map shows the girls school at the eastern edge of the small row of buildings which constitute Forbestown, but the 2nd edition shows it at the western edge, the position of this building. According to the New Statistical Account 'A new parochial school' together with 'a suitable dwelling-house for the schoolmaster' was built in 1838, with the Forbestown School dated at circa 1830. It is therefore possible that the current building dates from later in the 19th century, and replaces an earlier structure which was 'Built by Sir Charles Forbes with money given for that purpose by an Indian friend in Bombay' (Third Statistical Account).

Category changed from B to C(S) in 2006.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56621956

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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