Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

William Ramage, 1862. Three-storey and basement, 13-bay, E-plan Italianate former mental hospital. Tooled coursed granite finely finished to margins. Base course; recessed cills to ground floor, projecting cills to remainder; long and short ashlar quoins; eaves course; overhanging eaves.

Southeast (principal) elevation: near-symmetrical; three-bay gabled entrance block, stepped forward; quadripartite square-plan columned, flat-roofed porch advanced to ground floor, stone steps to central panelled timber door with letterbox fanlight, flanked to left and right by single windows; regular fenestration to first and second floors. Regular fenestration to basement, ground, first and second floors of flanking bays to left and right. Four-storey, square-plan Italianate towers recessed behind penultimate bays to left and right, round-arched windows to each elevation with impost and keystone details, weathervane to apex. Bays to outer left and right stepped forward, three windowed bow through ground and first floors, two windows to attic floor of bay to left, upper floor removed of bay to right, blind windows to inside returns.

Northeast elevation: asymmetrical; eight-bay; regular fenestration to three bays to left, timber door with letterbox fanlight flanked to left and right by canted windows at ground floor to left; regular fenestration to first floor; second floor cills only surviving, remainder flat roofed; coped wall adjoining to outer left with lean-to timber ancillary structure, doorway to rear of building.

Northwest elevation: near-symmetrical; 13-bay; regular fenestration; four-bay block advanced to centre; flanked to left and right by three-bay blocks; flat-roofed blocks advanced to flanking bays, with tower behind, windows to inside returns; single bay block to outer right with metal fire escape; block to outer left blank, second floor removed.

Southwest elevation: near-symmetrical; ten-bay, doorway near-centre of ground floor, flanked to left and right by canted windows spanning two bays, regular fenestration to remainder; semi-circular coped wall advanced to outer left, with lean-to shelter to right return.

Predominantly twelve-pane and nine-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof with lead ridge. Coped granite ridge and wallhead stacks with octagonal cans. Cast iron rainwater goods.

Interior: simple, which much of original cornicing, panelling, doors and skirting boards surviving.

Statement of Special Interest

B-Group with John Forbes of Newe Obelisk and 32 Westburn Road (Asylum Lodge).

The lunatic asylum in Aberdeen was established at Cornhill in 1800, so that the mentally ill patients could be treated separately from other patients. Archibald Simpson designed the main asylum building in the early 19th century, which has since been replaced and engulfed by later additions. The number of patients steadily increased. Clerkseat House (now demolished) was built in 1852 as the residence of the Physician Superintendent, Dr Jamieson, but it soon had to be used to accommodate patients.

In 1861 Elmhill was purchased and in 1862 Elmhill House was built for £10,866, to accommodate patients paying higher rates. Dr Jamieson, was one of the first doctors to lecture on mental diseases, and rather than punishment, advocated fresh air, exercise, baths and work as treatment.

The east part of Elmhill House was damaged by a bomb during the war and has not been replaced.

The building was converted into flats around 2004.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2019. Previously listed as 'Cornhill Road, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Elmhill House'.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.