Description

Sydney Mitchell and Wilson, 1898; converted for secular use by

R D Cameron in 1976. Cruciform-plan, Perpendicular Gothic church now in use as school; 2 stage incomplete tower to NW; dominant nave with low side aisles, polygonal apse, shallow transepts; single storey octagonal church hall adjoining to N. Squared and snecked cream rubble sandstone with red sandstone dressings.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: TOWER: raised base course; trefoil headed blind traceried panels to carved frieze between stages; plate tracery to 2nd stage window. Tall stylized buttresses flanking multiple moulded and dentilled pointed arched doorway at ground; modern boarded door; stylised crockets to hoodmould with flanking blind traceried quatrefoil panels; carved frieze above; round arched recessed window to 2nd stage above. CHANCEL: base course; cill course to ground floor windows; dividing band course; plate tracery to dominant chancel window; stylized pedimented buttresses flanking window with additional substantial buttress to outer right. 3 tripartite, trefoil headed windows slightly recessed at ground; carved frieze of trefoil headed blind traceried panels above; flanking taller panels of same design; pointed arched chancel window with finial.

S ELEVATION: base course; buttresses flanking side aisle window openings and to outer left; plate tracery to clerestory and transept windows; string course incorporating clerestory hoodmoulds. Polygonal apse to E; transept and 4 bay linking block adjoining to west. Bipartite window to ground floor of transept; cill course to pointed arched window above. Porch to outer left of side aisle; pointed arched doorway with boarded door; trefoil headed niche and carved stone cross finial above; modern windows in bays to outer left; pointed arched clerestory windows above.

N ELEVATION: raised base course; buttresses flanking side aisle and clerestory windows; plate tracery to tower, clerestory and transept windows; string course incorporating clerestory hoodmoulds. Tower to outer right; pointed arched window to 1st stage set in carved panel featuring trefoil and quatrefoil motifs flanked by tall stylised buttresses; carved frieze above with trefoil headed panels; round arched window to 2nd stage above. 3 bay linking block adjoining to left; modern side aisle windows at ground; pointed arched clerestory windows above. Transept adjoining to outer left (see above).

CHURCH HALL: adjoining transept to N; base course; advanced cills; pedimented buttresses breaking eaves to outer angles; crenellated parapet. Pointed arched doorway adjoining transept; 2 leaf boarded door; paired tripartite windows to each face; carved pinnacle surmounting roof.

Predominantly small paned leaded windows with stained glass border glazing; some plate glass modern pivot windows. Grey slate roofs; original rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: main church divided but with some original features remaining; impressive hammerbeam roof to original nave (now offices and class rooms at ground and gymnasium at 1st floor), with carved stone corbels and quatrefoil carving to brackets and dentilled beams; timber roofs also to the polygonal apse and transepts; multiple-moulded, pink sandstone pointed arches between apse, transepts and chancel also remain although divided. Original decorative encaustic tiled floor to entrance hall. Floreate plaster ceiling rose to former church hall (now music room).

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: low coped boundary wall; original iron railings; panelled red sandstone gatepiers to front and side entrances.

Statement of Interest

No longer in ecclesiastical use. A turreted belfry and octagonal spire were planned to complete the NW tower.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• St Margaret's School, Edinburgh at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7594124

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

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings