Description

David Cousin, 1846, with extensions circa 1870. Main entrance on Dalkeith Road with Tudor style gatepiers, high enclosing wall and entrance lodge on right hand side within gates. Cemetery laid out along linear and curvilinear pattern with upper level cemetery divided below mid-point by long terrace wall of catacombs with step access to lower graveyard.

222 DALKEITH ROAD (LODGE): single storey and attic, 3-bay, Gothic lodge. Rectangular-plan with side canted bay and wing extension to left rear. Coursed, stugged yellow sandstone. Droved dressings; base course, hoodmoulds; eaves cornice, fleur-de-lys finials.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: gabled porch at centre with tall roll-moulded pointed arch supported on nook shafts with bell capitals; hoodmould; label stops. Blank escutcheon in gablehead. Flanking windows. Chamfered reveals to doorway, boarded 2-leaf door with leaded geometric fanlight; lancet window above door.

E AND W (SIDE) ELEVATIONS: canted bay window at centre ground; cornice and crenellated parapet; Tudor arched window at attic level; hoodmould label stops. Set back buttresses flanking bay to height of parapet; saw tooth coping.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: single storey wing outer left; gabled projecting bay in re-entrant angle; Tudor arched window in attic. Modern rendered, flat-roofed addition to centre left.

Plate glass sash and case windows. Grey fish-scale slates with ashlar ridge coping; ashlar coping to gables. Ridge chimney stack of

4 clustered stacks, corniced, diamond aligned stacks, gablehead stack.

CATACOMBS: facing SW below terrace, Romanesque style catacombs; linear plan of centre vault with link walls and end pavilions; stone stairs at each end with access to lower and upper graveyard. Stugged and squared sandstone with cherry caulking. Bracket cornice above round headed doors; string course; ashlar coping to parapet. Pilasters with angle nook-shafts.

SW ELEVATION: main vault advanced at centre; round-headed doorway supported on nook-shafts with cushion capitals; moulded archivolt; cast-iron gate and fanlight; rib vaulted interior.

Entrance between tall pilasters with arcading detail; piended caps. Wall runs to left and right; pilaster bay divisions; parapet with ashlar coping. Single bay pavilions at either end; round headed door (blind) at centre on nook-shafts with floral capitals; pilasters flanking; cushion capital angle nook-shaft. Arcaded detailing on caps. Parapet; shaped above door.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: high enclosing wall (approx 7-8 feet), sandstone rubble, originally rendered on elevation facing Dalkeith Road, Paired gatepiers to left and right of centre gate with low plinth and railings between piers. Coursed ashlar gatepiers; chamfered and droved arrises; cap supported on cornice; quatrefoil freize with crenellations above.

Statement of Interest

Newington Necropolis or Echobank Cemetery was developed by the Metropolitan Cemetery Association as a profit-making concern in 1846. This, along with Warriston, Dean, Rosebank, Dalry and Grange was part of the post 1830s 'Garden Cemetery Movement'. It was laid out by the architect David Cousin who had trained with W H Playfair. The prospectus produced by the company shows a design for a mortuary chapel, but no traces remain. There are some interesting Neo-classical monuments including obelisks, urns and wall monuments. Rev Dr James Begg (1808-83) the social reformer is buried in the cemetery and other monuments of note include a bronze medallion portrait if Wm Rhind Brown (1845-93) by Henry Snell Gamley, and a marble medallion by John S Rhind for John Anderson (d 1913). A large, plain granite war memorial is located in the lower graveyard to the SW.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata IDs Q17791429 Q17791438

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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