Description

James Adam, 1794, with later alterations; principal elevation windows by John Jerdan, 1934. 3-bay, 2-storey and basement symmetrical former Gothick chapel, now used as commercial premises. Polished ashlar sandstone. Base course; band course between basement and principal floor; string course at principal floor and between 1st floor and blocking course; corniced blocking course. Ashlar steps and entrance platt oversailing basement.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced centre bay, breaking eaves as square tower, with classical/Egyptian doorpiece centred at principal floor, comprising 2-leaf panelled timber door, with diamond-glazing to upper panels, flanked by pairs of engaged hexagonal columns with stylised acanthus capitals, supporting corniced architrave with paterae, surmounted by corniced frieze with relief panels with geometric strapwork decoration. Window above, and pair of windows flanking doorpiece with keystone motifs; centre window with moulded chamfer.

LANTERN: polished ashlar octagonal lantern behind principal elevation, with string course; cornice and panelled Adamesque blocking course; moulded chamfer pointed-arch clerestory windows centred in each bay.

E ELEVATION: adjoining building, see separate listing (7, 7A York Place).

W ELEVATION: adjoining building, see separate listing (1-3A York Place).

INTERIOR: not seen, 1998. Greatly altered but arcade and rib vaulting of octagon remaining.

Geometric-pattern metal casement windows to principal elevation; multi-pane windows to central octagon. Grey slate roofs; octagonal tower roof surmounted by ball finial.

RAILINGS AND LAMPS: ashlar copes, surmounted by cast-iron railings with finials. Pair of railing-mounted cast-iron lamps, with glass globes.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Edinburgh New Town A Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. Feuing in York Place began in 1793, after Lord Alva sold land to the north east of St Andrew Square to the city.

St George's Chapel, very similar to George Dance's St Bartholomew-the-Less (1789, replaced 1823), London, originally had a castellated Gothick principal elevation. The slightly advanced entrance bay was flanked by narrow bays, flanked in turn by canted bays. The square tower of the entrance bay had a decorative parapet, with corner bartizans. Above the doorpiece was a tripartite lancet window and hoodmould; the narrow bays comprised lancets with hoodmoulds with quatrefoils above; the pointed-arch windows in the outer bays had Y-tracery, and moulded chamfering. In the 1930s the chapel was converted for use as a shop, losing its Gothick appearance, with only the doorpiece and lantern surviving, although even the lantern windows' tracery has been replaced. The neighbouring building to the east, No 7, was built by Adam as the manse for St George's.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17570503

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.

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