Description

William Ramage, 1862. Three-storey and basement, 13-bay, E-plan Italianate former mental hospital. Tooled coursed granite finely finished to margins. Base course; recessed cills to ground floor, projecting cills to remainder; long and short ashlar quoins; eaves course; overhanging eaves.

Southeast (principal) elevation: near-symmetrical; three-bay gabled entrance block, stepped forward; quadripartite square-plan columned, flat-roofed porch advanced to ground floor, stone steps to central panelled timber door with letterbox fanlight, flanked to left and right by single windows; regular fenestration to first and second floors. Regular fenestration to basement, ground, first and second floors of flanking bays to left and right. Four-storey, square-plan Italianate towers recessed behind penultimate bays to left and right, round-arched windows to each elevation with impost and keystone details, weathervane to apex. Bays to outer left and right stepped forward, three windowed bow through ground and first floors, two windows to attic floor of bay to left, upper floor removed of bay to right, blind windows to inside returns.

Northeast elevation: asymmetrical; eight-bay; regular fenestration to three bays to left, timber door with letterbox fanlight flanked to left and right by canted windows at ground floor to left; regular fenestration to first floor; second floor cills only surviving, remainder flat roofed; coped wall adjoining to outer left with lean-to timber ancillary structure, doorway to rear of building.

Northwest elevation: near-symmetrical; 13-bay; regular fenestration; four-bay block advanced to centre; flanked to left and right by three-bay blocks; flat-roofed blocks advanced to flanking bays, with tower behind, windows to inside returns; single bay block to outer right with metal fire escape; block to outer left blank, second floor removed.

Southwest elevation: near-symmetrical; ten-bay, doorway near-centre of ground floor, flanked to left and right by canted windows spanning two bays, regular fenestration to remainder; semi-circular coped wall advanced to outer left, with lean-to shelter to right return.

Predominantly twelve-pane and nine-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof with lead ridge. Coped granite ridge and wallhead stacks with octagonal cans. Cast iron rainwater goods.

Interior: simple, which much of original cornicing, panelling, doors and skirting boards surviving.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with John Forbes of Newe Obelisk and 32 Westburn Road (Asylum Lodge).

The lunatic asylum in Aberdeen was established at Cornhill in 1800, so that the mentally ill patients could be treated separately from other patients. Archibald Simpson designed the main asylum building in the early 19th century, which has since been replaced and engulfed by later additions. The number of patients steadily increased. Clerkseat House (now demolished) was built in 1852 as the residence of the Physician Superintendent, Dr Jamieson, but it soon had to be used to accommodate patients.

In 1861 Elmhill was purchased and in 1862 Elmhill House was built for £10,866, to accommodate patients paying higher rates. Dr Jamieson, was one of the first doctors to lecture on mental diseases, and rather than punishment, advocated fresh air, exercise, baths and work as treatment.

The east part of Elmhill House was damaged by a bomb during the war and has not been replaced.

The building was converted into flats around 2004.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2019. Previously listed as 'Cornhill Road, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Elmhill House'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17770024

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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