Description

Thomas Brown, 1816-18, incorporating earlier fabric. 2-storey 3-bay symmetrical classical house with single storey pavilions, vaulted 16th century basement. Cream sandstone, polished ashlar to ground floor with droved ashlar to 1st floor and pavilions, coursed and squared rubble to rear and sides. Base course; rusticated ground floor; band course above ground floor; moulded cill course at 1st floor; 1st floor windows architraved with console brackets and pediments; paired Ionic angle pilasters; entablature and blocking course.

E (FRONT) ELEVATION: fluted Greek Doric porch to centre with paired columns and piers behind, dentilled cornice and balustraded parapet, segmental-arched tripartite doorpiece with 2-leaf panelled door, radial astragals to fanlight; at 1st floor above large tripartite window with Ionic columnar mullions and large semi-circular fanlight with radial astragals, paired Ionic columns flanking carrying frieze with gilded inscription 'REBUILT IN 1816, JOHN HAY Esq MASTER', pediment above with arms of Trinity House. Outer bays with single windows to ground and 1st floor. Single storey 3-bay flat-roofed pavilions (to right roofless) with slightly advanced bay to centre with blind round-arched niche, solid parapet bearing blank panel above, small (blocked) windows with blank ashlar panels above flanking, balustraded parapet above.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: 2-storey 5-sided canted stair projection to centre with half-piend roof and single window to central face; 2 tall windows flanking in outer bays.

S ELEVATION: blank; pavilion at ground floor with stone dated 1555 and inscribed embedded in end wall; eaves band and short central wallhead stack.

N ELEVATION: as S elevation (minus 16th century stone).

12-pane timber sash and case windows. Black slate piend and platform roof with lead flashings, 2 wallhead stacks (see above). Ornamental gutterheads.

INTERIOR: vestibule with wall chart fittings; broad tripartite inner door with marbled and gilded Doric columns and elaborate segmental-arched fanlight. Master's room to right with black marble chimney piece with cast-iron surround with unusual relief castings (allegedly moved from previous building). Geometric Imperial staircase with stained glass war memorial window (J R Cook, 1933). Whole of 1st floor taken up by Convening Room, elaborate deeply cut painted plaster ceiling, frieze and ceiling on nautical theme; unusual painted murals to corners; black marble fireplace; fluted and carved surround to Venetian window.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATES, GATEPIERS AND RAILINGS: tall rubble boundary walls with flat ashlar coping enclosing courtyard, depressed-arched doorway to S with re-used pediment with anchor, inscription (re-cut 1883) and dated 1570, decorative cast-iron cage gatepiers, decorative 2-leaf gates, simple wrought-iron railings.

Statement of Interest

Trinity House was built at the cost of £2500 by the incorporation of mariners and shipmasters. It replaced the earlier mariners' hospital of 1555, of which the vaults survive under the present building. Trinity House is remarkable for the complete survival of its original furniture, fittings and decorative schemes as well as the extensive collection of related memorabilia. All records of the incorporation including detailed accounts for all building and interior work survive too and are held at Trinity House.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Trinity House of Leith at Wikipedia
• Trinity House of Leith official website
• Wikidata Q7842854

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)