Results 1 to 2 of 2
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    465
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 37 Times in 26 Posts

    Arrow Keil School - Helenslee House - Dumbarton - Aug 09

    Visited here and almost didnt return - the flooring is pretty dodgy at parts!!

    The building Helenslee House was planned in 1852 and constructed 1855-56 and was designed by JT Rocheard. The main building was enlarged 1866-67 by Dr Peter Denny who employed the Architect John Honeyman (later to form Honeyman Keppie Mackintosh). It was built for Peter Denny, the son of the shipbuilder William Denny. Denny shipbuilders were worldwide renown for their ship model testing tank which now forms part of the Scottish Maritime Museum This was the first commercial ship model testing tank built in the world and it retains many original features today: a water tank as long as a football pitch, clay moulding beds for casting wax model ship hulls and the original Victorian machinery used for shaping models.

    Keil School took a lease on Helenslee House in 1925, and went on to purchase it - Keil School, opened on 29 November 1915 as Kintyre Technical College, Keil House, Southend, near Campbelltown in Argyll. After a fire destroyed the original building in Southend it was re-located and opened here in Helenslee House.

    In 1941, due to the school's high vulnerability during the Clydeside Blitz, including the destruction of nearby industrial centres such as Clydebank (only 16 buildings were left undamaged) and conflagrations at the Bowling Oil Refinery and the Tate & Lyle Sugar Refinery at Greenock, the school had to be evacuated and relocated in the safer surroundings of Balinakill House, Kintyre for the duration of the war. At this time it was deemed safe to house Polish refugees at the house whom many of stayed on and lived in the local town after the war.

    Keil School was an independent secondary school with boarding and day pupils for around 200 pupils. It was an all-boys school up until 1978, when it became co-educational with the initial introduction of girls – in 1978 there was one girl – the headmasters daughter.

    In 1980 Helenslee House was listed as a Category B building.

    Keil School closed in July 2000. At its closure, when it had 54 boarders and 120 day pupils.


    Main building with its grand pillared entrance – there used to be a hall on the right but it has been demo’d



    Through the main pillared doors the reception hall was at one time quite breath taking with its arches



    and mosaic floors



    the main hall used to be lined with pictures of the school rugby teams throughout the years and large wooden ornate plaques that had the individual names of the headmasters and the head boys




    to the right of the main hall a large staircase circled up to the first floor, painted green in the school colour. To the left of this pic was the long walk down to the headmasters office


    and next to the stairs were some ornate windows adding to the grandeur of the main hall and staircase





    a lot of the old fireplaces have been removed but quite a few remain





    In the teachers ( masters ) common room


    this was once a beautiful ornate ceiling in the school library


    this was the stairwell up to the tower rooms which sadly have been destroyed by fire


    This used to be the shower room for the day pupils when they came inform rugby practice – judging by the colour of the curtains I would hazard a guess in the latter days these were used for the female contingent


    main power breakers




    some surviving books


    old magazines never to be read again


    this isn’t chav graff this is old pupils “was here” signatures – I was pleased to find the old coat cupboard that had a tradition of signatures was still intact with loads of old names





    ta for looking
    My Flickr

    The treasure we take is captured in images not bags

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Glasgow
    Posts
    465
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 37 Times in 26 Posts

    Default Re: Keil School - Helenslee House - Dumbarton - Aug 09

    Quote Originally Posted by Zenith View Post
    Some nice shots there, good to see new locations. The floors don't look that bad

    well the square tower bit has no roof and the 2nd and 3rd floors are now on the first - its dodgy up there with the odd hole here and there in the floor - not as bad as Ruchill though.
    My Flickr

    The treasure we take is captured in images not bags

Similar Threads

  1. Archived: Westbrook House Preparatory School -2011
    By skeletonkey in forum Other Sites
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 18-06-2011, 07:08 PM
  2. Archived: Westbrook House School - Folkestone - June 2011
    By nelly in forum Other Sites
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 16-06-2011, 11:19 PM
  3. Archived: Fylde Farm School & Dales House Secure Unit - Poulton le Fylde May '11
    By Satsukisan in forum Other Sites
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 03-05-2011, 10:39 PM
  4. Archived: Clarehill Convent Church - Dumbarton - Nov 08
    By skin in forum Other Sites
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 17-11-2008, 09:22 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •