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Summary

Description

Robert Morham, 1879 (with later additions - see notes). 2-storey, 7-bay Gothic school with advanced gabled outer-bays and central, shouldered chimney-gablet; sympathetic 5-bay addition (1931) adjoining to W. Squared and snecked, stugged ashlar with polished dressings. PRINCIPAL (S) ELEVATION: base course, string course with shallow-pointed arch openings over some windows, moulded cill course at 1st floor; dentiled eaves course. Mullioned and transomed windows to ground; tripartite window to centre, bipartites flanking. Pointed-arch recesses at some 1st floor windows with clasping columns to corner'angles and columnar mullions; centre arch glazed, outer-bays blind. Pair of metal pyramidal-capped ventilator hoods to ridge. Door to far left bay with bracketed cornice above and moulded panel to immediate right. Low wall with cast-iron railings runs between advanced outer bays. Rear (N) Elevation: 2-leaf, Gothic-arch timber door with scrolled metal hinges to far left. Shouldered chimney-gablet to centre of 1879 building. Later, metal cantilevered balcony with iron railings running full length of 1st floor.

INTERIOR: simple moulded cornicing and timber corbelled ceiling joists. Segmental arched window surrounds. Most rooms with timber dado to window height. Timber floor to hall in addition to W.

Statement of Special Interest

St Ann's on South Gray's Close is a good example of a former school building with restrained Gothic details, providing a valuable addition to this part of the Cowgate streetscape. The building was unobtrusively extended in 1931 with a hall to the W in the same style.

Between 1847 and 1880, St Anne's School occupied the 17th century 'Cross House' (now 2, 4 Skinners Close and 3, 4 South Gray's Close - see separate listing) located directly behind to the N. During the 1870s, Government Education Inspectors threatened to withdraw the annual grant from the School unless better accommodation was found, leading to the construction of Robert Morham's building. Local architect Robert Morham was responsible for much of the implementation of the lengthy E side of the adjacent Blackfriar Street following the Improvement Act of 1867 (see separate listings). St Ann's is currently a centre for children with learning and behavioural difficulties.

References

Bibliography

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