History in Structure

Filter House, Waterworks, Buckstone Terrace, Comiston Road, Edinburgh

A Category B Listed Building in Edinburgh, Edinburgh

We don't have any photos of this building yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

Coordinates

Latitude: 55.9023 / 55°54'8"N

Longitude: -3.2034 / 3°12'12"W

OS Eastings: 324853

OS Northings: 668336

OS Grid: NT248683

Mapcode National: GBR 6026.UF

Mapcode Global: WH6SS.RXR4

Plus Code: 9C7RWQ2W+WJ

Entry Name: Filter House, Waterworks, Buckstone Terrace, Comiston Road, Edinburgh

Listing Name: Former Filter House, Hillend Pump House and Entrance Gates and Boundary Wall, Fairmilehead Water Treatment Works, Buckstone Terrace, Edinburgh

Listing Date: 3 December 1998

Last Amended: 12 June 2024

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 407687

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB45834

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200407687

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: Colinton/Fairmilehead

Traditional County: Midlothian

Description

Filter House and pump house by J and A Leslie and Reid, engineers, 1910; entrance gates and boundary wall earlier 20th century when site was extended. Both filter house and pump house are of Edwardian Baroque design. All the structures are of coursed, slightly rock-faced sandstone with contrasting red sandstone ashlar dressings.

FILTER HOUSE (NT2485 6834): single storey; 6-bay; rectangular-plan, symmetrical Edwardian Baroque water filter house with pedimented gables and central oculi. Deep red sandstone plinth; wide corniced eaves course. Architraved windows with bracketed projecting cills on all sides; channelled quoins. W ELEVATION: central entrance with moulded architraved surround with keystone; moulded pediment above; 2-leaf panelled timber door. Flanking windows with keystones. Moulded pediment above with central louvred oculus with splayed voussoirs at cardinal points. E ELEVATION: central round-arched entrance with moulded surround and 2-leaf boarded timber door. Flanking windows. Moulded pediment above with central louvred oculus with splayed voussoirs at cardinal points. N AND S ELEVATIONS: 6 regularly spaced windows to either side. Mainly 12-pane fixed timber frame windows with single opening lights. Grey slate roof. Cast-iron rainwater goods. INTERIOR: not inspected (1997).

HILLEND PUMP HOUSE (NT 2479 6828): Single storey, single cell; rectangular plan. Simplified Edwardian Baroque design. Deep moulded eaves cornice; V-jointed quoins; V-jointed long and short surrounds to all openings. N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: entrance with panelled timber door and 2-pane overlight to right. Single window to left. S AND W ELEVATIONS: single window to centre.

E ELEVATION: entrance with boarded timber door to centre. 3-pane timber windows with top hoppers. Flat asphalted roof. Cast iron rainwater goods.

ENTRANCE GATES AND BOUNDARY WALL (NT 2475 6838): low stone wall surmounted by replacement railings; includes 2 pairs of gate piers and terminates in pier at each end. N pier approximately 30ft to N of main entrance; S pier immediately to W of pumphouse. Sandstone wall is snecked with ashlar coping and piers; piers square in plan with projecting base and band courses and pyramid caps. Wall curves E at main entrance; 2nd entrance is to W of filter house.

Statement of Interest

Originally established with 12 pressure filters the works was able to treat 4 million gallons of water per day and supplied the high areas of Fairmilehead and Braid Hills. The buildings show some similarity in the use of pediments and V-jointed angle quoins to J & A Leslie's earlier (1870's and 80's) designs for outlet houses at Alnwickhill Reservoir; however at Alnwickhill the precedents were strictly Roman rather than loosely Baroque.

Statutory Address revised in 2024. Previously listed as '55 Buckstone Terrace, Fairmilehead Water Treatment Works, Filter House, Hillend Pump House and Entrance Gates and Boundary Wall'.

External Links

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

Other nearby listed buildings

BritishListedBuildings.co.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact BritishListedBuildings.co.uk for any queries related to any individual listed building, planning permission related to listed buildings or the listing process itself.

British Listed Buildings is a Good Stuff website.