Description

James Gowans, circa 1890. Double villa; 2-storey, 4-bay square-plan with extension torear; yellow sandstone, squared and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings; raised droved ashlar quoins; band courses above ground floor and at wallhead eaves; chamfered reveals; heavily coped triangular dormerheads, ashlar block brackets.

NW (FRONT) ELEVATION: mirrored about centre; advanced cenrtal bays with panelled entrance doors flanked by narrow side-lights, rectangular plate glass fanlights; ornamental stone brackets to linked hoodmould arching over doors; 2 windows breaking eaves at 1st floor; central wallhead stack corbelled at 1st floor from triangular corbel; 2-storey canted windows breaking eaves in outer bays with pyramidal roofs.

SE (REAR) ELEVATION: 2 windows in inner bays at ground floor; 2 windows above breaking eaves; central wallhead stack; 2-bay, 1 1/2 storey T-plan extension with splayed corners facing main block, 1 window per bay, narrow windows under eaves above, hipped roof.

SW AND NE ELEVATION: identical 3-bay elevations, 1 window per bay at each floor, 1st floor windows breaking eaves; 2 wallhead stacks corbelled at 1st floor from triangular corbel flanking central dormerhead, stacks linked by dormer with stone front, ashlar mullioned bipartite window to front, single windows to sides. Timber sash and case windows, 12-pane upper sashes, some upper sashes with small-pane border (formerly stained glass insets?), 2-pane lower sashes; small rectangular panes of coloured glass in sidelights to doors; piend and platform roof, green salte, lead flashings, 2 polygonal cupolas in platford, 4 corniced wallhead stacks (see above), ornamental cans (some altered); moulded cast-iron eaves gutters.

INTERIORS: not seen in 1992.

Coped rubble boundary wall to SW and NW, stepping down towards the front, some decorative cast-iron railings and gate remain at No 157.

Statement of Interest

The pair show remarkable similarities in composition and detailing to the block of model dwellings Gowans designed for the 1886 Edinburgh International Exhibition, as illustrated in his pamphlet MODEL DWELLING HOUSES (Edinburgh, 1885, 1886). Some confusion exists as to the buildings' date. Although allegedly dating from 1889, which is when they first appear on the PO map, they are not shown on the 1893/4 issue of the OS maps.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17806274

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)