Building record MAB39160 - INGLIS MEMORIAL HALL, EDZELL

Memorial hall and library in Scots Baronial style, designed by C and L Ower, and built 1897-8, gifted to Edzell by the local philanthropist Lt Col Robert William Inglis in memory of his parents.

Memorial hall and library in Scots Baronial style, designed by C and L Ower, and built 1897-8, gifted to Edzell by the local philanthropist Lt Col Robert William Inglis in memory of his parents. Rectangular in plan, the building is 2-storey, 3-bay, constructed of red sandstone ashlar, with a base course, band courses, well-detailed Scots Baronial features including cornices, crow-step gables, a crenellated parapet and corner bartizan parapets. There is a prominent, central, 5-stage clock tower on the west principal elevation and multi-pane window openings with stone transoms and mullions on the south, west and north sides, together with bay and bowed bay types. The halls to the rear of the building (east) have piended roofs with ridge ventilation lantern and triangular ventilation openings. The decorative interior retains the original room layout, containing two public halls, a separate library and a number of other rooms. The entrance hall has decorative glazed tiles to the walls and a tesserae tiled floor. The main hall has a timber gallery and stage, segmental arches to ceiling divide bays, clerestorey windows to the north and panelled timber doors throughout. A number of the rooms have simple cornicing, high skirtings and decorative timber fire surrounds, with stained glass throughout depicting flora, fauna, family crests and some with Scots mottos. The stained glass windows are by the Glasgow firm, Wm Meikle and Sons. The Library to the left of the entrance is a rectangular room with a tight iron spiral staircase to the right leading to a bracketted iron mezzanine level with a metal railing and to the upper floor. The Library retains its original fittings and fixtures, with integral timber bookcases, timber panelling with a part-glazed timber screen with door, integral timber and glass and includes a rare example of a working Cotgreave Indicator. These indicators were introduced because initially the public were not allowed open access to the books. People chose a book from a catalogue and the Indicator showed whether the book was in stock, or had been taken out. They were phased out gradually as the public were allowed direct access to the books. The original book donation of around 6000 books which Lt Col Robert William Inglis gave to the library is still intact and retained within the library. The boundary wall to the west is a low, coped ashlar wall with pairs of rounded gatepiers to the north and south. The gatepiers have a base courses, pyramidal caps and are surmounted by lamp standards. The south, east and north boundary is a taller coped wall.

Period Notes
Built 1897-8. Listed 15/01/1980

GIFFORD, J, 2012, THE BUILDINGS OF SCOTLAND: DUNDEE AND ANGUS, p.445 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2631.

Record last edited

Jun 11 2019 11:56AM