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Summary

Description

William Baillie, 1903. Single storey, 6-bay, roughly hall-plan former board school (now a library) in plain Art Nouveau style with multiple gables and prominent central ventilator. Square snecked rubble; red sandstone ashlar dressings; moulded and corniced eavescourse forming skews; overhanging timber bracketed eaves. Earlier 20th century 2- and 3-storey, 22-bay former high school (now primary school) linked to N of library on ground falling steeply to N; mid-20th century hall to NW of plan; various later additions to N; shallow piended roofs, some shaped gabled breaking eaves dormers. Rendered; concrete cills and dressings; deep concrete block basecourse.

LIBRARY (FORMER PRIMARY SCHOOL): S (entrance) elevation: symmetrical, 6 bays. Slightly advanced gabled outer bays with shaped apexes, transomed and mullioned tripartite windows. Doors to penultimate bays to left and right. 2 bipartite windows to centre. Large central square-plan timber ventilator with shallow bellcast lead roof, tall finial, large 4-pane roof lights to left and right. E elevation: wide gable to right with 3 windows (tall central window); arrow slit to gable apex. Tall breaking eaves dormer with round arched dormer head. Small window to left (blocked). W elevation: similar to E. N (rear) elevation: symmetrical, 4 bays. Slightly advanced gables to outer bays with tall single windows off-centre. 2 paired windows to centre bays. Coped chimney to mid roof; 4-pane rooflights flanking ventilator. Later flat-roofed brise-block and rendered corridor link straddling left hand gable, connecting library to primary school. Interior: kingpost timber roof and prominent round arches to former central hall; former classrooms surrounding hall. Small windows: 6-pane upper sashes and 2-pane lower sashes in timber sash and case; large windows: 9- and 12-pane upper sashes and 4-pane lower sashes in timber sash and case. Grey slates. Cast-iron rain water goods, decorative hoppers.

PRIMARY SCHOOL (FORMER HIGH SCHOOL): S (entrance) elevation: 22 bays. Regular fenestration, predominantly bipartite windows; slightly advanced 4- and 5-bay pavilion ends; entrances to 6th and 18th bay; central entrance porch with link to former primary school. N (rear) elevation: advanced 2-storey, gambrel roofed gym block to centre; piended stair towers to left and right (gym and towers part of original school plan), tripartite 8-pane metal windows to upper storey. Various later additions, including 4-storey classroom block to E and mid-20th century brick-clad pitched roof assembly hall to N (full-height glazing to N); later 20th century flat-roofed, curved formal entrance to NW. Interior: extensive timber boarded dado panelling throughout; plain cast-iron metal railings and mahogany handrails to stairwells; timber boarded interior with original dressings rooms to gym block completely in tact. 12-pane timber sash and case windows to original block, 8-pane cast-iron windows with bottom hopper to early gym block. Grey slates.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: 1903. Low round coped red sandstone rubble boundary wall to S, and partially to E and W. Coping dentilled at central entrance gates to S. Plain cast-iron railings with inverted heartshaped finials regularly spaced along fence.

Statement of Special Interest

This 'central hall' former board school makes an important contribution to Currie's streetscape, positioned in a key site at the edge of the conservation area. The school displays a neat plan and its red sanstone detailing is well-executed. Glasgow architect, William Baillie LRIBA (1875-1951, is known to have designed and extended a number of board schools in West Lothian and Midlothian, including West Calder, Mid Calder, Pumpherston, Livingston, Seafield and Balerno at the turn of the 20th century. Dean Park Primary School, Balerno is listed category C(S). The age of school leavers was increased to 14 in 1901 and this prompted the extension of existing schools and the building of new ones as popoulations increased in the outskirts of Edinburgh and in neighbouring industrial villages. The central hall plan which premdominated in Britain from the late 19th century to the early 20th century was replaced by the later long narrow school plans to increase the cross-ventilation required in educational buildings - as seen in the later high school linked to the N. Good interior timber fittings to original gym block.

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