Description

Earlier 19th century, before 1833. Single storey symmetrical rectangular-plan classical villa with basement and recessed single bay wings. Polished sandstone ashlar; rubble to wings, sides and rear. Base course; eaves course; deeply overhanging eaves; architraved windows.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: steps up to pedimented doorcase supported by Doric columns with single pilasters behind; 4-panelled timber door with 3-pane fanlight; single aproned windows to flanking bays. Corniced wing to left, extends to rear; advanced window bay; steps down to iron gate with door behind to basement. Advanced window bay to corniced wing to right, continuous with wing of No 17. 2 windows to left of basement, 3 to right.

12-pane lying-pane sash and case windows to ground. Basement windows: 2-pane sash and case (left); 2 8-pane sash and case to either side of 16-pane sash and case (right). Grey slate piended roof with deep eaves. Coped wallhead stacks; tall octagonal cans.

INTERIOR: not seen 1996.

BOUNDARY WALLS: low coped boundary wall to street with pineapple finials to iron posts supporting 2 swagged iron chains; lattice ironwork gatepiers to pedestrian entrance; corniced piers flank coped and coursed rubble boundary walls to street.

Statement of Interest

One of the earliest buildings in Blacket Place, thought to be by Thomas Hamilton. Dr Benjamin Bell of Hunthill, an eminent Edinburgh surgeon and farmer, speculated on the potential for development in the lands of Newington. In 1806, aware of the demand for countrified dwellings near the city, he advertised his intention to sell 58 plots of land within his 8.5 acres. On his death in the same year his son George Bell, also a surgeon, inherited the land and, in 1825, commissioned James Gillespie Graham to design a plan for new streets within the grounds of Newington House, bounded by the back garden walls of Minto Street, Salisbury Road, East Mayfield and Dalkeith Road. Feus were offered for sale and Blacket Place began to take shape. Security was an important feature of the development, with Gothic gates, the octagonal piers of which survive, locked at night and single storey lodges at the entrances from Minto Street and Dalkeith Road.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793108

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

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)