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Summary

Description

Early 19th century with 1859 additions and alterations by Frederick Thomas Pilkington and later alterations 1880. Single storey, irregular-plan, classically styled former school and schoolhouse building prominently sited to the street corner of a residential area. Predominantly stugged ashlar with smooth and droved dressings. Window openings have stop chamfered arises and the window margins to the principal elevation are raised

Principal (south) elevation with 3-bay schoolhouse to centre, flanked by advanced gabled bays. The gabled bay to the right is the early 19th century principal schoolroom and the gabled bay to the left is a later addition to the schoolhouse. There is a plain apex roundel and stone finial to the principal schoolroom gable. The entrance to left (50 Kirkhill Road) has a consoled bracketed hoodmould. There is a double gabled range extending from the east elevation creating a recessed L-plan to the southeast corner (now rendered). The rear (north) elevation comprises stepped gabled ranges, with the central one dated 1880. The northwest corner is corbelled out. To the west elevation there is a single storey outhouse which is linked to a boundary wall. There is carved stone detailing over the principal windows in the form of round arched and pointed arched capitals.

8 and 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Graded slate roof with ridge ventilators. Pointed stone skews with decorative skewputts. Shouldered and corniced wallhead stacks. Cast iron rainwater goods.

The interior of the former school building was seen in 2015 and has plain timber panelling to dado height within the classroom areas and timber and glazed classroom doors. There are exposed timber roof trusses on shaped stone corbels. The flat press in the principal classroom has a 4-panel door and there is a rear stone stair to the basement area. Evidence of earlier timber sash and case windows remain to corridors now enclosed by later additions.

Statement of Special Interest

The former Kirkhill School and Schoolhouse is an early example of a purpose built school which was built by a philanthropic industrialist for the children of his workforce at Esk Mills. Esk Mills was one of three mills in and around Penicuik and many of the buildings associated with this once thriving and important local papermaking industry have been demolished. Kirkhill School and Schoolhouse is a rare surviving building associated with this important historic mill and therefore a significant part of the area's social and economic history.

The former school and schoolhouse at Kirkhill was built in several phases. It shown as a T-plan building on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map, which was surveyed in 1852. The Dictionary of Scottish Architects credits the architect Frederick Thomas Pilkington with work to the building in 1859, although the extent of his alterations are not known at present.

The 2nd edition Ordnance Survey Map of 1892 shows the school extended to the north and with two projecting bays to the east elevation. This plan shows separate walled playground areas to the rear with small outbuildings suggesting the building was split into boys and girls at this time. This development phase is likely to date to 1880 as dated on the central gable of the north elevation. The school appears to have remained in this form for some time however 1944-50 aerial photographs show the east elevation has been altered with the two east bays enlarged to form the double gabled section that is extant today. A former entrance bay section to the southeast corner has been demolished and this area is now rendered.

The former Esk Mills for which Kirkhill School was built was established in 1777 and was Scotland's first working cotton mill set up by the pioneering Peter Brotherston of the Cotton Spinning School in Edinburgh. High material costs and a downturn in the cotton trade forced the mill to close in the early 19th century. The Caledonian Mercury of 12 May 1804 notes that the 'House and Grounds of Kirkhill on the South Esk' were to be sold at this date. It is likely that James Brown bought the mill at this time as it is noted in 'The Paper Industry in Scotland' that James Brown started business in 1804 or 1805. James Brown and Esk Mills are important in the history of papermaking in Scotland. In 1826 Brown patented a method for bleaching paper, he introduced mechanical papermaking machines from 1832 and he patented a design for suction boxes for these machines in 1836.

Mill owners often established recreational facilities for their workers as was the case at Esk Mill from 1926. By 1938 Kirkhill School was used for the recreational centre and social hall for the mill workers with the grounds to the rear used as tennis courts, a bowling green and a putting green.

Minor text updates made to Statement of Special Interest (non-statutory information) in 2016.

References

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