Edinburgh, Portgower Place, Edinburgh Academicals Cricket And Rugby Ground, Pavilion

NT27SW 3418 24252 74774

A two storey Pavilion with two W-facing gables and slated roof is situated on the W side of Portgower Place. The pavilion has a wooden balcony extension on the W elevation. The original building may still be incoprorated within the existing one, as old prints and photographs show the pavilion with two similar gables, particularly a photograph showing building in 1908. This image shows the building with an open balcony, dormer with clock and similar ground floor entrance as today with stairs to first floor. A further photograph of 1901 (Loose Ends 2007, Eduburgh Academy Magazine), shows a much simpler arrangement of the pavilion, the two gables and an open area to the front with what may be wooden pillars.. More recent alterations (c.1930's) are wooden covered balcony with semi-circular extension. At the rear of the building are two full height extensions, one for a stair with angled walls, the other is rectangular in plan.

The interior is much altered, especially the bar and recreation areas, probably undertaken in the 1970's, however a line of cast-iron pillars to the rear of front balcony area possibly indicate the limit of the original W elevation. The pillars have integral slots which formerly carried what may have been a temporary canopy for the balcony.

In the centrally positioned dormer is a complete clock dated 1900 made by the Edinburgh clock makers Jas. Ritchie & Son, operated by a system of counterweights on pulleys attached to the roof beams from which they are suspended, though at present the brass hands of the clock have been removed (and retained).

Immediately to the rear of the SE corner of the pavilion is a single storey pantiled 'cottage' (NT 24262 74762), formerly used as a toilet/store, but now derelict. The entrance -way to the toilet for the public visiting the ground is still discernable at the rear entrance of the pavilion. This building and the pavilion are depicted on the 1st edition (and subsequent editions) of the OS 25-inch scale map (Edinburghshire, 1856) and are thought to be contemporary with each other.

The pavilion and the pantiled cottage are scheduled to be demolished December 2007 to January 2008 under plans to extend the Raeburn House Hotel (Somerset Cottage) and a new one built about 93m-100m to the N.

The Raeburn Place ground was the site of the first Scotland v England Rugby International.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE), 20 November 2007

The pavilion has now been demolished.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), December 2008