Cargilfield School, 37 Barnton Avenue West, Cramond, Edinburgh

Cargilfield School, 37 Barnton Avenue West, Cramond, Edinburgh

This is a large educational complex centred on a Grade B listed building of circa 1899, designed by the architects John More Dick Peddie and Sir George Washington Browne. The original structure is a near-symmetrical Queen Anne style school of two storeys with attic, arranged in a U-plan with advanced two-storey and attic outer wings to the rear (serving as headmaster's houses). Later additions of single and two-storey elements have been added to the front.

The main building employs harled and tile-hung walls with timber boarding to gableheads and red brick detailing to ground and first floor openings. A red sandstone base course runs beneath, with timber dentils under the boarded gables. Chimneys are of stepped and corniced red brick. Windows include segmental-arched tripartite lights, large Venetian windows, and pedimented tile-hung tripartite box-dormers. The roof is of red clay tile with large red brick apex and wallhead stacks to the north, east and west, and a ridge stack to the south at centre.

The north (entrance) elevation presents an asymmetrical composition with the original central block flanked by later additions. To the right is a flat-roofed canted bay at ground level in a re-entrant angle, with a modern two-leaf entry at centre topped by a plate glass bipartite fanlight and flanking bipartite windows. A ten-bay flat-roofed extension extends to the right. A rectangular-plan two-storey five-bay red brick north wing has its ground floor partially obstructed; the first floor features tripartite windows in all bays with conical-capped ridge ventilators in the bays left and right of centre. To the left is a piended two-storey two-bay recessed block (headmaster's house) with a segmental-arched hoodmould above a timber panelled door in the central bay and a quadripartite fanlight above.

The south (rear) elevation is near-symmetrical in arrangement, grouped as 2-1-3-3-1-2. A segmental-arched entry at ground level, offset to the right of centre, comprises a timber panelled and glazed door with multi-paned fanlight and segmental-arched hoodmould. Segmental-arched tripartite windows appear at ground and first floors in two bays to the left and a single bay to the right of the entry, with tripartite box-dormers aligned above and projecting cornices with pediments at centre. To the right of the entry is an advanced bay with segmental-arched tripartite windows at ground and first floors and a Venetian attic window centred in the apex, with raised keystone and architraved surround flanked by plain wooden panels. An advanced double-gabled two-storey two-bay block to the outer right features canted Venetian windows to both floors in all bays and a segmental-arched single dormer at centre. A double-gabled three-bay advanced section to the left of centre has bipartite windows at ground and first floors in the outer bays, three-light canted attic windows above, and single windows in the central bay at all floors, with a large single (stair) window in the recessed bay to the left topped by a tripartite box-dormer. An advanced two-storey two-bay gabled block to the outer left features canted Venetian windows to both floors in the outer-right bay and a Venetian window at ground in the outer-left bay with a tripartite window above and tripartite box-dormer.

Windows throughout include multi-paned leaded lights to the Venetian openings in the outer wings, and a variety of timber casement, nine- and twelve-pane timber sash and case windows to remaining openings. Projecting string courses and stepped cornices feature throughout, with some circular terracotta cans.

The chapel, dating to circa 1922, is a single-storey six-bay harled structure that encloses the courtyard to the north. It features a red brick base course, leaded windows, and a swept red clay-tile roof. The courtyard (chapel) elevation displays a canted bay at ground centred in a stepped gable above, with a two-leaf timber panelled and glazed door set in the east facet and a bipartite fanlight above. Double bipartite windows appear at ground in bays to the outer left and right, with a bipartite window in the bay to the outer right. A projecting half-engaged octagonal altar is centred in the east gable, with two single windows facing the courtyard.

The interior of the main building remains relatively unchanged despite minor alterations circa 1993 by Simpson & Brown architects. A dog-leg stair comprises stone treads, a timber handrail, and decorative cast-iron uprights, with timber boarded dado and skirting boards. Original six-light round-arched fanlights run along internal corridors, and original two-leaf timber panelled doors remain throughout. The chapel interior features barley-sugar-columned pews, altar rail and pulpit, a brass lectern, timber panelling, and a decorative timber organ case. A round arch with detached Doric columns leads to the apse. A swimming pool, now hidden and covered by a gymnasium floor, is located within the building.

The detached nursery block at the rear is a single-storey four-bay asymmetrical structure of whitewashed harl with a projecting base course and long and short red-brick surrounds to windows, featuring an overhanging eaves. A timber panelled door is offset to the left of centre with an original tripartite fanlight above. Bipartite windows appear in the bay to the left of entry, a single window in the bay to the right, and a bipartite window in the bay to the outer right. The west (side) elevation comprises six bays with a boarded timber door at centre and replacement fanlight, single windows in two bays to the right of entry, and a large bipartite window in an advanced bell-cast bay to the outer left. Predominantly four- and twelve-pane timber sash and case windows are employed, with various velux insertions. The roof is of red clay tile bell-cast with red pantile detailing.

The cricket pavilion, dated 1929, is a single-storey with attic, three-bay boarded timber structure on a red brick (partly rendered) base course. It features a surrounding timber-railed verandah with regularly disposed timber bracketed columns set off-ground on metal supports. Original timber panelled doors flank the centre, with bipartite windows in bays to the outer left and right. A bell-cast attic storey (score-board) appears at centre, with a piended square-plan tower at centre containing a clock in the west facet. Original timber sash and case windows are retained, and the roof is of red clay tile bell-cast piended form.

The boundary walls consist of a random rubble grey sandstone wall to Gamekeeper's Road with coped top, and a random rubble wall to Barnton Avenue West with round-arched coping. Squared and snecked yellow sandstone gatepiers with ogival pyramidal caps flank the main entry on Barnton Avenue West. These piers feature projecting cornices and ogival pyramidal caps, with decorative wrought-iron gates of curvilinear foliate detailing, dated 1927 and made by Jamieson & Arnott.