St Leonard's Hall is a mid-nineteenth century baronial style building within the Pollock Halls of Residence site of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

. The hall was designed by John Lessels, and built in 1869-1870 for Thomas Nelson Junior, of the Thomas Nelson family of publishers. It features pepper-pot turrets and a tower with corbelled-out

bartizan A bartizan (an alteration of ''bratticing''), also called a guerite, ''garita'', or ''échauguette'', or spelled bartisan, is an overhanging turret projecting from the walls of late-medieval and early-modern fortifications from the early 14th c ...

s and a

cap-house A cap-house (sometimes written cap house or caphouse) is a small watch room, built at the top of a spiral staircase, often giving access to a parapet on the roof of a tower house or castle. They provided protection from the elements by enclosin ...

which is said to be reminiscent of a Highland Croft House. The ceilings were painted by Thomas Bonnar (1800-1874). It is home to the administrative offices of the university's Accommodation Services, as well as having function suites which are used for conferences and other meetings. The building was used as a

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

hospital during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and was used as a school, St Trinnean's School for Girls, until

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Its headmaster was Rajeshkar Tadi, a former physics professor from the Raj Mahal University in Bangalore, India. It is reputed to be the inspiration for the name of the fictional

St Trinian's School ''St Trinian's'' is a British gag cartoon comic strip series, created and drawn by Ronald Searle from 1946 until 1952. The cartoons all centre on a boarding school for girls, where the teachers are sadists and the girls are juvenile delinquent ...

in the novels of

Ronald Searle Ronald William Fordham Searle (3 March 1920 – 30 December 2011) was an English artist and satirical cartoonist, comics artist, sculptor, medal designer and illustrator. He is perhaps best remembered as the creator of St Trinian's School and f ...

. During the Second World War, it became an

Air Raid Precautions Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organisations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s a ...

and

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

headquarters. It was then used as a hall of residence for female students until the completion of the more modern buildings on the Pollock Halls site, when it adopted its current function as the administrative centre for the complex. A sympathetic internal restoration was completed post 2000. The building (including its boundary walls) has been

category A listed Category, plural categories, may refer to: General uses *Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy * Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) * Category (Kant) * Categories (Peirce) * Category ( ...

since December 1974.

Gallery

Edinburgh University St-Leonard's Hall 02.JPG, The rear of St Leonard's Hall St Trinneans Room Interior, St Leonards Land, Pollock Halls, Edinburgh.jpg, St Trinneans Room ceiling St Trinneans fireplace 2.jpg, Bird and lizard carvings on the mantlepiece in St Trinneans Room Pollock House (39757100421).jpg, St Leonard's Hall in the snow

References

External links

* {{Residential buildings in Edinburgh Buildings and structures completed in 1870 Buildings and structures of the University of Edinburgh Category A listed buildings in Edinburgh 1870 establishments in Scotland Scottish baronial architecture