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Summary

Description

W R Herring, 1898-1904 (with later 20th century alterations). 2-storey, 7-bay rectangular former railway station and office block for gasworks. Plain Edwardian classical design with Baroque pediment. Red brick with contrasting yellow brick and ashlar sandstone dressings. Bays divided on all sides by giant yellow brick pilasters with fluted ashlar capitals and slightly projecting red brick pedestals with ashlar coping; red brick entablature above with ashlar architrave and eaves cornice. Yellow brick basket arches to ground floor windows; stone sills throughout.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical arrangement: later 20th century concrete steps up to central entrance (at slightly above ground floor level). Later 20th century panelled timber door with glazed surround; round arched window to upper bay (formerly open under stone segmental arch where footbridge adjoined); Baroque pediment above supported on ashlar pilasters with red brick pedestals; circular clock face in architraved surround to centre; moulded ashlar cornice with ball finial. 3 flanking bays; each with 6-light stone mullion and transom window to upper floor. Decorative shields (taken from demolished structures on the site) incorporating coats of arms of Edinburgh and Leith (the gas corporations of each having amalgamated) to 2nd and 5th bays.

S ELEVATION: 2 bays; that to slightly wider right bay having formerly been open at ground floor level (the upper floor supported on a steel beam) to allow trains to pass through; now infilled and rendered with 2 windows and door to left; truncated window to ground floor of left bay; steel staircase leads to later 20th fire escape door which has been inserted to right bay of upper storey.

N ELEVATION: similar to S elevation in reverse; slightly wider bay to left formerly open at ground floor level; now infiled with brick with 2 later 20th century windows and door at lower level.

E ELEVATION: lower section of ground floor built into coursed sandstone rubble boundary wall; ground floor windows (mainly truncated by this) blocked with smaller inserted windows to most bays; stone architraves to 1st floor windows; pediment of principal elevation echoed in central wallhead chimney with curved pediment-like base.

Mainly fixed light windows; some side casements to E elevation. Grey slate piended roof. Single red brick wallhead stack with stone dressings, including coping; lower section curved like Baroque pediment.

INTERIOR: wide flight of stone steps leads down to ground floor from slightly higher entrance; narrower curved stone staircase adjoins to N of present entrance (this was formerly the route taken by workers at the gasworks between the train that transported them here and the site itself - a footbridge at 1st floor level providing the link to the latter).

RAILWAY PLATFORM: island platform adjoins building running N/S from side elevations: engineering brick sides with projecting concrete kerb blocks; surface has been asphalted.

Statement of Special Interest

B group with other contemporary buildings on gasworks site: No 1 Gasholder and the main gates/gatehouse. Unusual works station building with internal route taken by workers going to and from work still intact (external footbridge to and from gasworks site missing). A good example of stately corporation architecture applied to an industrial site. The works was commenced in 1898 to supply much needed extra gas to the City of Edinburgh. The manufacture of gas was commenced in 1902 and the first section officially opened in 1903.

References

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