Rosslynlee Hospital, Roslin

Rosslynlee Hospital is a former psychiatric hospital designed by W L Moffat in 1871, with substantial additions by R R Anderson between 1899 and 1900. The original building was a two-storey, E-plan symmetrical asylum featuring two evenly spaced full-height, three-light canted bay windows on its south-west (garden) elevation. Anderson's extensive additions transformed it into a complex, near-symmetrical-plan psychiatric hospital.

The alterations included a two-storey, five-bay symmetrical recreation and dining hall positioned between the original canted bays on the south-west elevation. Flanking this central hall are three-storey (with basement to the north) seven-bay asymmetrical ward additions. Glazed links connect these to further rectangular-plan ward blocks on the outer left and right.

The original core is built of snecked cream sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings. Architectural details include a base course, a band course between ground and first floors, an eaves course with bracketed overhanging eaves, long and short margins to windows, and block cills. The additions are constructed in variegated pink sandstone ashlar, also with polished ashlar dressings.

The recreation hall features a base course, a cornice between floors, a cill course at first floor level, an eaves course, bracketed overhanging eaves, tabbed and keystoned margins to segmental windows at ground floor and round-arched windows at first floor, raised long and short quoins, and a decorative polygonal, louvered and domed central ventilator. The ward blocks have a base course, a band course (which continues as a hood mould over the stair window) between ground and first floors, bracketed overhanging eaves, long and short margins to openings, and long and short quoins.

The north-east (entrance) elevation is an asymmetrical eleven-bay composition with a seven-bay recessed block at the centre and an irregular three-bay doctor's house to the outer left. The centrepiece is a large doorpiece comprising panelled pilasters and floriate brackets supporting a dentilled cornice, with narrow lights flanking a timber panelled door and a window at first floor above. There is a window at each floor in each of the three bays flanking the entrance. To the penultimate right is a slightly advanced bay with a tripartite window at ground floor and a single window at first floor above. A window lights a flat-roofed single-storey bay to the outer right.

The three-bay doctor's house to the outer left has its bays grouped two-one. The advanced two-bay group on the left features an architraved doorpiece with bracketed cornice at ground floor in the right-hand bay, with a window at first floor above. There is a window at each floor in the outer left bay. A small polygonal conservatory projects to the south-east. A tripartite window appears at each floor in the recessed bay to the right.

The south-west (garden) elevation is an extensive thirty-four-bay composition, grouped seven-eleven-five-eleven-seven.

The five-bay recreation hall at the centre has on its south-west (principal) elevation a part-glazed two-leaf door at ground floor in the central bay with a window at first floor above, and a window at each floor in each flanking bay. The south-east and north-west (side) elevations are four-bay (five-bay at ground floor) compositions, each with a window at each floor in each bay and a steel fire escape to the first floor window at outer right.

The eleven-bay group recessed to the left has windows at each floor in a three-bay canted group offset to the left of centre. A timber door with small-pane fanlight is set in a flat-roofed projection at ground floor to the left, with a window at first floor above. There is a window at each floor in the penultimate bay to the left, and a bipartite window at each floor in the outer left bay. Windows at each floor appear in the three bays to the right. A bipartite window at ground floor (with single window at first floor above) occupies the penultimate bay to the right, while a window at each floor lights the outer right bay.

The eleven-bay group recessed to the right mirrors this arrangement with windows at each floor in a three-bay canted group offset to the right of centre. A timber door with small-pane fanlight is set in a flat-roofed projection at ground floor to the right, with a window at first floor above. There is a window at each floor in the bay to the penultimate right, and a bipartite window at each floor in the outer right bay. Windows at each floor appear in the three bays to the left. A bipartite window at ground floor (with single window at first floor above) occupies the penultimate bay to the left, while a window at each floor lights the outer left bay.

The seven-bay ward to the south has its bays grouped one-two-three-one on the south-west (principal) elevation. An advanced two-bay block left of centre has a window at each floor, as does the bay to the outer left. A three-light canted bay at ground floor occupies the central bay of a recessed three-bay group right of centre, with a window at each floor above. There is a window at each floor in the bay to the left. The stair bay to the right has a window between floors with a small window set to the right at second floor above. An advanced bay to the outer right has a window, offset to left, at each floor.

The seven-bay ward to the north has its bays grouped one-three-two-one on the south-west (principal) elevation. An advanced two-bay block right of centre has a window at each floor, as does the bay to the outer right. A three-light canted bay to basement and ground floor occupies the centre of a recessed three-bay group left of centre, with a window at each floor above. There is a window at each floor in the bay to the right. The stair bay to the left has a window between floors. The bay to the left has a timber basement door, offset to right, with a window at each floor above.

Regularly fenestrated single-storey rectangular-plan wards at the extreme north and south are connected to the main complex by glazed walkway links.

Windows are predominantly twenty- and twenty-four-pane timber sash and case windows to the south-west; two- and four-pane timber sash and case windows to the north-east; and aluminium-framed windows to the extreme north and south wards. The roof is grey slate with tall ashlar corniced stacks and predominantly cast-iron rainwater goods.

The interior of the recreation and dining hall is notable. The recreation hall at first floor has a timber stage at the north-east end, with the main hall marked out as a games court. Fluted Ionic pilasters flank the stage, and two free-standing fluted Ionic columns on square-plan plinths separate the stage from the court area. Timber access stairs flank the stage. A segmental-arched recess with decorative floriate plasterwork occupies the back wall of the stage. Decorative pierced steel covers conceal light-dimmer machinery. A round-arched stained glass window, flanked by slim Corinthian columns, lights the backstage area. There are architraved timber panelled doors and a boarded dado around the court. A decorative modillioned cornice with egg and dart border runs around the hall, and the ceiling field above the court is demarked by decorative reed and ribbon and fruit-basket plasterwork.

The dining hall at ground floor has a plain coffered ceiling with brackets to beams at the south-west end, a glazed projection or serving area at the north-east end, and free-standing columns running from south-east to north-west across the centre of the hall.

The doctor's house (Heggarty House) has a fine encaustic tiled vestibule. Some shutters are extant. A fine wrought- and cast-iron banister with timber handrail adorns the stair. Egg and dart cornices feature in the principal downstairs rooms. There are architraved timber panelled doors and timber skirting boards throughout.

Ashlar square-plan gatepiers are sited adjacent to the gate lodge to the east of the hospital, with a string course below the cornice and large ball finials.

The gate lodge dates to the later 19th century. It is a two-storey, three-bay rectangular-plan asymmetrical building sited to the east of the hospital, built of stugged and snecked cream sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings. Features include a base course, a band course between floors, and overhanging eaves. A small rectangular-plan piended-roofed outbuilding stands to the rear.

The north-west (principal) elevation has a pilastered doorpiece with bracketed cornice at ground floor in the central bay, with a deep-set timber panelled door with rectangular fanlight and a window at first floor above. There is a window at each floor in the bay to the left. An advanced bay to the right has a three-light canted window at ground floor and a window at first floor above.

The south-west (side) elevation has a centred window at ground floor, with a window offset to left and right at first floor above.

Windows are twelve-pane timber sash and case. The roof is grey slate and piended, with a tall coped wallhead stack to the south-west elevation and cast-iron rainwater goods. The interior was not seen in 1997.

Staff accommodation comprises later 19th century farm buildings to the south-east of the hospital, converted in 1920 by A Murray Hardie, with later double garages to the right. The buildings are of stugged and snecked cream sandstone ashlar.

A pair of single storey and attic four-bay cottages (each divided in two) has a modern part-glazed door in each central bay, a window in each flanking bay, and two evenly disposed pitched-roofed dormers above. Windows are fifteen-pane timber sash and case. The roof is grey slate and platform, with corniced ashlar gablehead stacks.

A further single storey and attic three-bay farm building with an adjacent five-bay cart shed and hayloft features a piended-roofed boarded entrance porch at ground floor in the central bay. Each flanking bay has a window with a pitched-roofed dormer breaking the eaves above. Windows are six- and twelve-pane timber sash and case. The roof is grey slate with corniced ashlar ridge stacks above the gables and cast-iron rainwater goods.

The cart shed has a centred (blocked) door at ground floor. Each bay to the left has a window (blocked) at ground floor with a pitched-roofed dormer window (blocked) breaking the eaves above. Each bay to the right has a segmental cart arch with a small louvered opening. The interiors were not seen in 1997.

Decorative iron railings run along the north-east boundary.