Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

KING HARALD STREET AND UNION STREET, ISLESBURGH COMMUNITY CENTRE (FORMERLY LERWICK CENTRAL PUBLIC SCHOOL), INCLUDING PLAYSHELTERS, BOUNDARY WALLS, RAILINGS, GATES, AND GATEPIERSLB43619

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
B
Date Added
12/08/1996
Local Authority
Shetland Islands
Planning Authority
Shetland Islands
Burgh
Lerwick
NGR
HU 47340 41229
Coordinates
447340, 1141229

Description

John M Aitken, 1902, with additions of 1933. Symmetrical Scots Baronial former school comprising 3-storey, 3-bay principal block with lower 3-storey, 2-bay wings flanking to N and S, each with 2-storey, 10-bay classroom wing extending from rear (W) giving U-plan. Stugged, squared and snecked sandstone walls with stugged, droved and polished ashlar dressings and details. Base course, string course articulated around lintels at ground, cill course at 1st floor, string and eaves courses at 2nd floor.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: centre bay of principal block gabled and slightly advanced; modern pointed-arched opening at ground; modern inscription with flanking quatrefoil decoration over lintel, hoodmould articulated around segmental-arched panel above, containing inscription reading "CENTRAL PUBLIC SCHOOL 1902". 4-light mullioned and transomed windows at floors above; hoodmould articulated around pointed-arched panel bearing burgh arms at 2nd floor lintel. Transomed bipartite windows at all floors in flanking bays; those at 2nd floor with pointed-arched lintels. Framed stone plaque at ground to outer right with inscription reading "Foundation Stone Laid 7th August 1901 by John M Aitken, Arch." Circular bartizans with blind arrowslits, quatrefoils, and machicolated and corniced eaves corbelled out at corners and framing 2nd floor. 3-storey 2-bay wings recessed at right and left; concrete covered steps with stugged and coped sandstone balustrades accessing pointed-arched doors adjacent to re-entrant angle with "GIRLS" and "BOYS" inscribed on lintels; single windows centred above at 2nd floor, bipartite windows at each floor in bays to outer left and right.

N ELEVATION: gable end of principal block with bipartite mullioned and transomed window to outer left of elevation, and centring gablehead at 2nd floor. Gable of N wing with bipartite windows at each floor to outer left, stair windows at outer right. Classroom wing extending to right; 10 bays, grouped 3-3-4 with bipartite windows inserted in centre bays of 3-bay groups.

S ELEVATION: mirrored image of N elevation except for no bipartite windows inserted in 3-bay groups of classroom wing.

Modern glazing throughout. Purple-grey slate roofs; square lantern centring ridges of principal block comprising slate-hung battered base, louvered timber sides, corniced at eaves with bell-cast pyramidal roof surmounted by bird weathervane. Conical bell-cast roofs with ball finials to bartizans. Crowstepped E gable of principal block with octagonal shaft finial engaged at apex. Crowstepped skew copes flanking coped 2-flue apex stacks with circular cans to principal block and wings. Ashlar skew copes to classroom wings; coped single-flue apex stacks with circular cans.

INTERIOR: symmetrically disposed timber stairs in N and S wings; turned spindles and newels with urn finials. Pyramidal cupola over central hall at 1st floor, formerly galleried with balustrade around. Basket-arched arcaded screen to E, staircase behind with decorative cast-iron balusters and timber handrail. Vertically-boarded timber wainscoting and pointed-arched door openings to classrooms; panelled doors with 6-pane uppers.

PLAYSHELTERS: oriented N-S, and flanking rear wings of main building. Purple grey slate roofs; basket-arched openings now infilled.

BOUNDARY WALLS: coped random rubble retaining wall to King Harald Street surmounted by iron railings with finialled stanchions. Flanking gatepiers with droved ashlar piers comprising stop-chamfered shafts with bases and pyramidal caps; 2-leaf iron gates, 3 cast-iron lamp standards remaining. Wall terminated to N and S by matching piers. Coped random rubble boundary walls to N and S.

Statement of Special Interest

The 4-bay westernmost extent of the classroom wings are additions of 1933. A photograph of circa 1970 shows there to be a window (matching the floors above) centred at the ground floor of the principal block. After closure of the school, conversion to use as a community centre was made in 1978-80. Aitken?s obituary of 1923 stated "there is no finer Public School in the north of Scotland - either as to internal arrangements or architectural beauty". Although the modern timber doors and glazing are out of character with the rest of the building, the new central arch is in keeping with the architecture and this remains one of the burgh?s most important buildings.

References

Bibliography

Mike Finnie SHETLAND (1990) p30. Shetland Islands Council Archive. James W Irvine LERWICK (1985) p217. Norman Hudson SOUVENIR POSTCARDS FROM SHETLAND (1992) p21. Shetland Islands Community Council ISLESBURGH HOUSE (1980) p12. Thomas Manson LERWICK DURING THE LAST HALF CENTURY (1991) p105 and 247.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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