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Summary

Description

G Reid & J Smith Forbes, 1930-31. Monumental three-storey (basement to north) symmetrical classically detailed school of hollow pentagon-plan with hall cutting across central courtyard. Red brick with cream sandstone ashlar ground floor and dressings. Base course; moulded string course above ground floor; moulded cill course at second floor; banded ashlar eaves course, cornice and blocking course.

South (entrance) elevation: 19-bay with single windows per floor and bay. Centre seven bays advanced and with quoins above ground floor and tall ashlar parapet, lion head and acroterion with scroll base to centre; ground floor windows architraved and corniced; second floor windows with ashlar panels as aprons; round-arched and keystoned doorway, deep-set two-leaf panelled door and semi-circular fanlight, two small windows flanking, larger windows to outer bays; cornice and shallow parapet above ground floor raised over three centre bays inscribed 'LEITH ACADEMY SECONDARY SCHOOL' framed by sculptured lion heads; windows of centre bay recessed in moulded ashlar panel, carved school crest in panel between. Tall timber rooftop clock tower with decorative pierced cast-iron panels to centre above, clock face to each side and gilt surround, gilded urn finial with weathervane.

West (Duncan Place) elevation: nine-bay with seven centre bays advanced and single windows per bay and floor. Centre bays with ashlar ground floor; round-arched doorway to centre with two-leaf door and semi-circular fanlight with ornate radial astragal pattern; advanced bay above with three stair windows with fluted aprons in moulded recessed ashlar bay, cast-iron balcony on ashlar brackets to first floor window; above blocking course bearing fluted tablet. Angled bay to outer right return of front elevation with large blank panel at ground floor and giant round-arched recess with scroll-flanked acroterion above second floor string course and blind oculi to spandrels; blocking course bearing fluted tablet above. Recessed bays to outer left and penultimate right with small windows.

Northwest elevation: 13-bay with ashlar basement and single windows per bay and floor. Five centre bays advanced with quoins above ashlar ground floor and blocking course bearing tablet flanked by corner urns, second floor windows with aprons of ashlar panels. Recessed lower single bay stair block with entrance at ground floor and single windows above.

Northeast (rear) elevation: two bay with single bay stair blocks (see above) as splayed wings; two-storey and basement flat-roofed canted service block in re-entrant angle between wings.

East (Leith Links) elevation: ten-bay with five centre bays advanced; otherwise detailed as mirrored northwest elevation with brick quoins at ground floor.

Southeast elevation: mirrored west elevation.

Internal courtyard: two-storey ten-bay flat-roofed assembly hall cutting across courtyard, with wide casements at ground floor and wide round-arched windows with timber mullions divided by shallow brick pilasters at first floor; low brick parapet with plain railing to roof garden.

Timber sash and case windows, mostly 12-pane (now mostly boarded up), assembly hall with multi-pane casements and hopper windows. Green slate roof with lead flashings; two ornamental brick stacks with tapering ashlar head to main entrance block, tall square brick stalk to boilerhouse at rear of assembly hall. Moulded eaves gutter and gutterheads.

Interior: main vestibule with Neo-Georgian decorative scheme of panelled pilasters and square columns, anthemion and acroterion to frieze and cornices marking columns; memorial panels and school crest to walls; moulded doorways with fanlights of radial astragals; concentric plaster mouldings to ceiling. Similar scheme but plainer to main assembly hall.

Boundary wall, gatepiers and railings: low rubble boundary wall, square coped ashlar gatepiers to west, southeast and south elevation each with paterae detail, railings, decorative main gates.

Statement of Special Interest

Reid & Forbes specialised in school design and their work includes Inverness High School (1934), former Kelso High School (1936), Chirnside Primary School (1937-8) and Dalkeith High School (1959).

This building is also formerly known as Queen Margaret College. The building was converted into apartments around 2005.

Statutory address amended in 2006 and revised in 2021. Previously listed as '2 and 4A, 4B,4C and 4/1-4/22 (Inclusive Nos) Lochend Road (Former Leith Academy Secondary School) With Boundary Wall, Gatepiers And Railings'.

References

Bibliography

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