Description

A G Sidney Mitchell, 1885. Built as Edinburgh Industrial Ragged School. Parsonage style, pink rock faced sandstone with polised red ashlar dressings, stone mullions to bipartites, chamfered reveals. Roughly

U plan complex with ranges of varying heights to S, Wand E forming courtyard at rear.

PRINCIPAL ELEVATION: (not currently main entrance elevation) to S: advanced tall twin gabled bay at centre with central doorway in moulded surround, small window over. Canted bays flanking at ground floor, bipartites to 1st floor, windowsto attic in gableheads. Tall 3 bay

wings adjoining, 3 windows at each floor, 3 small timber gabled dormers to attic. Forming T with long E range adjoining to right.

E ELEVATION: currently entrance elevation. Asymmetrical; tall 2 storey and attic 10 bay range withlower 7 bay range adjoining to N. Main block with broad advanced gabled bay to left of centre with large pointed arched doorway atground floor, glazed typanmun, timber door. Bipartite to right with small oblong window over.2 trefoil headed bipartites at 1st floor set in arched panel with blind oculus to tympanum. Wing to left with 5 windows at ground floor, 3 bipartites at 1st floor, 2 timber dormers to attic flanking central gablehead breaking eaves with wallhead stack, arrow slit opening to gablehead. Wing to right 5 bay with tall bipartites at ground floor (2 altered with stone transoms),

3 bipartites with single windows between at 1st floor, 3 timber gabled dormers to attic. Lower range adjoining to N with central canted bay rising through 2 floors, moulded band course with foliate carving, foundation plaque to 1st floor apron with name and date, moulded cope

to blocking course, timber dormer to attic above. Flanking bays symmetrical; tall bipartite flanked by single light at ground floor, tall bipartite breaking eaves in gabled dormerhead at 1st floor with

2 small windows flanking. Lower, singleto N, advanced, with 3 light window at ground floor, small window to gablehead.

W ELEVATION: long range with harled, piended addition projecting. Single windows and doors at ground floor, tall windows at 1st floor, central wallhead stack, 2 timber dormers to attic. Single storey boiler house and single storey piended range in red brick closing courtyard to W and N.

REAR COURTYARD: with lower, piended blocks projecting from main building.

HOUSE: small, single storey, 5 bay gabled building at rear now forming 2 houses, central doorway with 2 small windows to right, oblong window over, flanked by 2 tall windows. 2 tall windows and small window to attic on gable. Timber louvred belfry with pyramidal roof and finial to ridge. Other outbuildings to rear.

Original glazing has timber sash and case windows with small panes to upper sash and plate glass or larger panes to lower. Some glazing replaced in uPVC. Grey green slates and red ridge tiles

throughout, ashlar coped skews, corniced ashlar stacks.

INTERIOR: much altered. Marble plaque in entrance hall to memory of Thomas Guthrie, founder.

BOUNDARY WALLS: low rubble boundary walls with gablet cope and railings to Lasswade Road. 2 pairs of ashlar gabled GATEPIERS, probably originally with lamps,and cast iron gates. 1914 18 WAR MEMORIAL behind wall to Lasswade Road, Celtic cross with incised ornament, on plinth with plaque.

Statement of Interest

Dr Guthrie?s School was originally founded in Ramsay Lane, Castlehill, Edinburgh, in 1847 and having greatly expanded moved to this purpose built building in 1887. Dr Thomas Guthrie, preacher and philanthropist, founded the Ragged School movement, providing food, clothing and education for poor children. The school was supported by Government grant and public subscription. Guthrie died in 1873, but the movement continued; this boys school opened in 1887, and the girls school at Gilmerton in 1904. The school became an Approved School, then a List D school, but is now a nursing home and has undergone alterations to the interior.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17791622

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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