Robin Chapel, Thistle Foundation, Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh

Robin Chapel, Thistle Foundation, Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh

Robin Chapel was designed by John F Matthew and built between 1949 and 1952. It is a Scottish Arts and Crafts chapel built in commemoration of Robin Tudsbery. The building is constructed of squared and coursed rough-faced sandstone rubble from Doddington, Northumberland, with a bold, roll-moulded eaves course. Round-arched openings are a distinctive feature throughout.

The west elevation presents a wide gable end with a 3-bay arcaded loggia at ground level, featuring round columns and block imposts with sunburst voussoirs. Fine 2-leaf timber doors lead into the chapel, with a carved inscription to the lintel. Above stands a cross window in the gablehead with sunburst dressings. A decorative wrought-iron weathervane with a robin motif, made by Thomas J G Beveridge, crowns the gable.

The east elevation is a narrow gable end with a tall round-arched window. The south elevation comprises 6 bays: 3 advanced bays to the left with a low wallhead and swept-down roof containing 2 round-arched windows, and 3 main bays to the right with high round-arched windows. The north elevation also has 6 bays, with a high round-arched window to the wide outer left bay. A D-plan tower rises in the penultimate bay to the left, featuring narrow slit windows to the stairs and a door with a decorative wrought-iron balcony below the wallhead on both north and south sides. The tower has a semi-conical roof with crowsteps to the inner gable. A covered walkway abuts the west end bays of the north and south elevations, continuing into a covered porch with Ballachulish slate roofing and stone ridges.

The interior features a barrel-vaulted nave with an aisle. A side chapel opens to the nave through a screen of 3 round arches on square stone pillars, with a gallery above the narthex. The Communion Table is set upon a raised plinth. Panelled dado and wainscot line the walls, the latter with pie-crust coping, while heavy cornice at wallhead is carved with terminating angels. The flooring is San Stephano marble in two shades. A winding stone stair to the tower is entered through a vestry door and overlooks the chapel through a round-arched opening with a balustrade.

The altar serves both as altar and Communion Table, crafted in Botticino and San Stephano marbles on a green slate base with a panelled face carved with the prayer of King Henry VI. Fine wrought-iron door and church furniture by James Finnegan of Charles Henshaw's firm include hinges, handles, a balustrade over the vestry, and a fine Eagle Lectern. All woodwork is in figured oak with fine carvings by Thomas Good of Edinburgh, including animal figures on pew ends flanking the reading desk, figures to the sides of the Minister's desk, and a rose and thistle frieze to the choir stalls.

The pillars have corbels carved on one side with heraldic badges and low relief friezes depicting nature or hunting scenes, all by Maxwell Allen of Edinburgh. A font in the side chapel is fashioned from rose aurore marble, a replica of that in the Old Church of Chelsea. The barrel ceiling features carved oak bosses disguising ventilators, decorated with carved initials surrounded by natural foliage. A fine wrought-iron candelabra is also present.

The stained glass scheme is a unified work by Sadie McLellan, created between 1951 and 1954. The east window shows a youthful figure regarding the Deity above a battlefield grave. The west window is in the form of a crucifix. The remaining 9 windows depict scenes from the life of the Christian in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

The entrance gates and gatepiers consist of 2-leaf wrought-iron gates closing the entrance drive, with thistle motifs at the centre of each gate. The railed gatepiers are crowned with sprays of thistles. These are almost certainly the work of Thomas J G Beveridge.