Building record MAB24235 - CONVENT AND CHAPEL OF ST MARGARET, 17 SPITAL, ABERDEEN

Former Episcopal convent of St Margaret of Scotland, dating from 1891 although only the chapel and one bay of the scheme to build this nunnery was completed.

Former Episcopal convent of St Margaret of Scotland, dating from 1891 although only the chapel and one bay of the scheme to build this nunnery was completed. A pair of adjacent townhouses (15-17 Spital) was adapted by Sir Ninian Cooper in the 1890s as part of the adjoining convent, but later converted back to self contained dwellings (2011). The plans for the convent were approved in 1891 although building was not complete until 1898. It is depicted on the OS 2nd edition map which shows the Chapel with adjoining St Margaret's Home. After restoration work in 1988 the Convent was closed in the early 21st century. The chapel is in Gothic style with a canted, buttressed and castellated apsidal chancel, and adjoining 2-storey, 2-bay convent wing. Built of squared and pinned granite rubble with polished ashlar dressings. The height of the chapel is accentuated by steeply falling ground at the East end and comprises full height buttresses flanking a 2-light traceried window high up over a decorative niche containing a statue of St Margaret, with further taller windows to the flanking angles faces. The interior is aisless, galleries and whitewashed with stencilled groin vaulting over the apsidal chapel and a stencilled timber wagon roof to the nave. The convent comprises two horizontally emphasised bays. The former townhouses are three-bay, single storey and attic, classically detailed and constructed from stugged granite ashlar with base and eaves courses. The central doors are below consoled canopies and have flanking windows. There are canted dormer windows with a bracketed eaves course to the outer bays and later tri-partite dormers to the centre, ashlar skews with moulded skewputts and harled two-storey gabled outshots to the rear. Number 15 has a tall single-storey infill block, probably a former Chapel, with a canted gable, large rectangular rooflight and two pointed-arch windows with coloured glass. There is a predominantly four-pane glazing pattern used in timber sash and case windows and the grey slate roof has cast iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers. A well-detailed interior retains decorative plasterwork, fireplaces and cast-iron balusters. A plaque on No. 17 commemorates the church architect Sir Ninian Comper (1864-1960).

Period Notes
Plans approved 1891, building not completed until 1898. Townhouses (15-17 Sptiall date from mide to late 19th C

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2013, PEOPLE AND PLACES ABERDEEN (Bibliographic reference). SAB8383.

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2016, OLD ABERDEEN TRAIL: A GUIDE TO OLD ABERDEEN (Bibliographic reference). SAB8368.

Record last edited

Oct 31 2024 12:53PM