Description

Thomas Mackenzie, (of Mackenzie & Matthews), 1850. 2-storey, 5-bay collegiate gothic former Christ's College, with tower to SW. Tooled coursed granite ashlar, finely finished to margins; Aberdeen bond rubble to tower and rear elevations. Base course; chamfered reveals; cusped tracery; diagonal buttresses surmounted by elongated pyramidal pinnacles; dividing band course; eaves cornice; crenellated parapets.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; Tudor-arched doorway to centre bay of ground floor, 2-leaf timber door with gothic panelling, framed by string moulding with ornate drip stones; 2-light Tudor-arched windows with hoodmoulds to flanking bays to left and right; flat-arched 2-light windows to each bay of 1st floor.

W ELEVATION: asymmetrical; gabled bay to left, canted 5-light sandstone oriel window corbelled-out to 1st floor, window opening above with hoodmould, stone finial to apex. Square-plan 4-stage tower adjoining to left, regular fenestration to each stage, crenellated parapet with clockface to each elevation, 5-stage octagonal angle turret through all stages at NW, irregular fenestration. 2-storey, 2-bay block adjoining to right, openings to ground floor, regular fenestration to 1st floor. Single storey block advanced to outer right.

S ELEVATION: asymmetrical; gabled; single storey addition to left of ground floor, remainder not seen 2000. 4 window openings to 1st floor, 2 blind, modern metal flue to centre.

E ELEVATION: kneelered gabled bay to right, window to right of ground floor, louvred opening to left; canted 5-light sandstone oriel window corbelled-out to 1st floor, window opening above with hoodmould, stone finial to apex. 2-storey, single bay addition to left, louvred opening to ground floor, window to 1st floor.

Predominantly leaded diamond-pane windows with cusped tracery. Grey slate roof with lead ridge. Coped stone skews, blocked skewputts. Coped gablehead stacks to rear elevations with circular and octagonal cans.

INTERIOR: predominantly remodelled for use as bar and restaurant (late 20th century).

RAILINGS: iron railings on low coped wall flanking to E and W.

Statement of Interest

The College, now a bar and restaurant, was originally built as the Free Church College to train ministers for the Free Church. It occupies a prominent site at the end of Union Street. Christ's College, which contained a gymnasium, was built for a cost of ?2025, primarily funded by a Mr Francis Edmond and some of the other elders. The building was formally opened on 5 November 1850. Linked to the college was a museum and library (containing 17,000 volumes), both originally located in 2 Alford Place (see separate listing). The building is of picturesque composition, with fine collegiate gothic detailing.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17770874

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

• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)