West Lodge, Clyde Street School, Clyde Street East, Helensburgh

West Lodge, Clyde Street School, Clyde Street East, Helensburgh

This is a 2-storey school building in Scottish revival style, designed by A N Paterson and completed in 1903. It incorporates 17th century Renaissance details and is dominated by raised bell-cast roofs flanking a lower entrance block at the centre. The building is constructed in cream stugged, snecked sandstone with ashlar to the porches, rear arcade and dressings. It features base and string courses; ashlar mullioned and transomed windows; a cornice; and gabled bays with ashlar coped skews.

The north elevation on Clyde Street forms the main entrance frontage. An advanced block sits at the centre with a piended glazed roof, behind which is a gabled bay with a Venetian window. Two-storey end blocks flank either side, each crowned by a bell-cast roof. Lower entrance porches are set within re-entrant angles, and single-storey engaged octagonal wings project from each side. The central block contains two 4-light mullioned and transomed windows at ground level. Above these is a top-lit attic storey featuring a carved cartouche boldly inscribed "SCHOOL BOARD OF THE PARISH OF ROW". The Venetian window in the gabled bay behind has a round-headed central light flanked by bipartite windows, with a carved panel above the centre light dated 1903.

Each end block to the right and left is identical in composition. It has a small bipartite window at ground level and two tall narrow windows at first floor, each with 4 transoms. These are set beneath a raised bell-cast roof supported on a blind leaded arcaded plinth, with a bell-cast leaded apex topped by crocket finials. A porch is set in the re-entrant angle, featuring a chamfered angle and cornice surmounted by a saucer dome. Semi-circular pilastered doorways face north and west, each with a segmental-headed pediment, keystone and 2-leaf boarded folding doors. The west return of each end block contains two tall narrow transomed windows at first floor. The octagonal wings have a window in each bay, with an eaves/lintel course and finialled polygonal roofs.

The west side elevation comprises six slightly advanced bays to the right of a 2-bay return, with a wallhead stack in a re-entrant angle and an M-gabled roof. Each gabled bay contains three bays with windows to each.

The south or rear elevation features an advanced and gabled 4-bay central section with pilastered quoins. A 2-bay arcaded loggia occupies the centre with flanking doorways. Four windows light the first floor, and a full-height pilaster runs up the centre, surmounted by a pilastered niche within the gable and decorated pediment. A doorway appears on the right return, with windows at ground and first floor to the left, and a window at ground and three at first floor to the right.

The east side elevation is M-gabled. The left gabled bay has three windows at ground level, while the right has a window at first floor. The right gabled bay contains three windows at both ground and first floor. A stack breaks the left skew, and a wallhead stack sits in the re-entrant angle to the right. The return of the north wing and octagonal wing mirrors the west elevation.

Windows throughout are mostly 10-pane sash and case (with 6-pane lower sashes and 4-pane upper sashes). The roof is covered in grey or green slate with glazed panels to the central hall. Corniced ashlar stacks and original rainwater goods are retained.

The interior contains a striking 2-storey Glasgow-style galleried hall at the centre, arcaded at ground and first floor with inset windows and doorways to classrooms. An enamel glazed dado lines the walls, and a cast-iron balcony at first floor serves the circulation corridor. A fine hammerbeam roof, partly top-lit, spans the hall.

East Lodge

Also on the site is a single-storey, asymmetrical lodge built in matching materials. The west entrance elevation features a gabled doorcase breaking the eaves at the centre, with a roll-moulded surround to a stylised shouldered doorway flanked by 2-leaf panelled doors and a fanlight. Five closely spaced windows occupy the right side. A taller gable bay with chamfered angles contains three closely spaced windows with a taller transomed window at the centre. A semi-circular headed louvered window opens to the gablehead, with windows to the chamfered angles.

The side elevations are gabled with apex stacks. Each contains two transomed windows, and the south elevation features a slightly advanced chimney wall with scrolled skews. Windows are predominantly 12-pane sash and case. The roof is covered in grey slate with ashlar coped skews, block skewputts, and corniced sandstone stacks.

West Lodge (38 Clyde Street East)

This is a 2-storey, asymmetrical lodge in Scots Baronial style, built in the same materials with a string course and cill course to first floor windows.

The east entrance elevation has a canted single-storey entrance porch in a re-entrant angle at the centre. A moulded doorway set in a chamfered angle to the right holds a boarded door, with two small windows to the left and a half-piend slate roof. Windows appear at ground and first floor to the right and to the chamfered angle outer right. A circular tower occupies the outer left with a window at first floor to the northeast and a bell-cast slate roof with finial.

The north elevation on Clyde Street shows a taller lop-sided gable bay on the return to the north with a window to the right at ground and off-centre right at first floor.

The east or rear elevation is blank.

The south elevation features a lop-sided gable bay with a wallhead stack to the left. A slightly chamfered angle to the right contains bipartite windows at ground and first floor. The tower stands to the outer right, and a modern single-storey flat-roofed extension abuts to the left.

Windows are predominantly 12-pane sash and case. The roof is covered in grey slate with ashlar coped skews and scrolled skewputts. A rendered corniced stack stands at the centre, with a sandstone corniced wallhead stack to the south.

Boundary Features

The site is bounded by sandstone snecked rubble walls with bar cast-iron railings above. Gates of similar design feature curved panels above the gateways, inset with lettering: "Boys" on the right gateway and "Girls" on the left.