Royal Cornhill Hospital Lodge, 32, Westburn Road, Aberdeen

William Ramage, circa 1855. Single storey, 3-bay, T-plan lodge with later additions to W. Tooled coursed granite ashlar, finely finished to margins. Battered base course; recessed cills; strip quoins; overhanging eaves on oversized timber brackets.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; gabled entrance bay advanced to centre of ground floor, round-arched doorway reached by 4 stone steps with radial voussoirs, keystone and impost details, panelled timber door with boarded timber fanlight, tall single pane windows flanking to left and right, windows to left and right returns; window to flanking bays to left and right.

N ELEVATION: gabled; symmetrical; window corniced with consoles set in advanced plane to centre, flanked to left and right by impost detail.

W ELEVATION: obscured by flat-roofed harled 20th century addition.

S ELEVATION: gabled; symmetrical; window corniced with consoles set in advanced plane to centre, flanked to left and right by impost detail; harled 20th century addition adjoining to left.

Predominantly 4-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof with lead ridge. Coped paired granite gablehead stacks linked by arch to W, circular can. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen 1999.

B-Group with John Forbes of Newe Obelisk and Elmhill House. 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. 32 Westburn Road, a neat virtually unaltered lodge, was built at the new approach to the hospital from the S, however the entrance is now from the W. (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)

21 February 2019: Local planners advise that the gate lodge is disused, boarded up and deteriorating. For Investigation.

25 March 2019: External inspection finds this building vacant and disused but in overall Fair condition. The roof and timber elements are in need of repair and there are signs of lack of maintenance throughout. Move to At Risk.