The former Cockpen school and schoolhouse retain Gothic details, varied classroom windows and a strongly gabled profile while continuing in early-years use.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1835, with later additions and alterations
- Architect / designer
- Architect and builder not recorded in the designation
- Type
- Former parish school and schoolhouse
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB44138)
- OS grid reference
- NT 31578 64560
Architecture and continuing use
Stugged sandstone forms an asymmetrical two-storey group with a low wing and rear porch. A principal doorway has a raised surround carried on Gothic consoles, and a full-height gable contains a tripartite pointed window. Dormer gables, many-pane sashes and a surviving outbuilding preserve the mixed domestic and educational character.
Its story
A school in Cockpen is documented from the seventeenth century, but the present premises were erected in 1835 and opened the following year. Later additions adapted the complex. Midlothian Council’s current childcare directory identifies Start Bright Nursery at 1B Cockpen Road.
Why it is included
The building provides a rare direct continuity from nineteenth-century parish education to present early learning, supported by both designation and current council evidence.
What to notice
- Gothic consoles supporting the entrance cornice.
- The pointed tripartite window in the tall gable.
- The small historic outbuilding within the boundary walls.
Reading the surroundings
This is an active childcare setting. Safeguarding and privacy take priority: do not photograph children, enter the grounds or obstruct arrivals and collections.
Timeline
- 1696 Cockpen’s parish school tradition was formally initiated.
- 1835–1836 The present school premises were erected and opened.
- 7 March 1997 The school group was listed at Category B.
- 2026 Council records confirm continuing nursery use at this address.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The statutory address uses Sherwood Crescent, while the current nursery directory uses 1B Cockpen Road; the mapped designation point anchors the building identity.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Cockpen School House, LB44138 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and significance.
- Midlothian Council: Start Bright Nursery, Bonnyrigg — Current local-authority directory entry confirming nursery use at 1B Cockpen Road.
- Trove search: Cockpen School House — National collection search for site records, surveys, photographs and archive material.
Location
OS grid reference NT 31578 64560 · Location confidence: High for the current national designation point; public text separately states access, component-identity and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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