Description

Robert Morham (adapting a design by David Cousin and John Lessels - see Notes). 1871-3. 4-storey, 2 bay, retail and residential tenement with unusual double-height, twin-gabled attic situated on sloping ground and forming part of a unified run on E side of Blackfriars Street. Squared and snecked rubble with sandstone ashlar dressings. Chamfered, long and short window margins. Shop to ground with 5-bay, shallow segmental-arched openings; timber door to far left bay. Heavy moulded attic cill course.

4-pane glazing to timber sash and case windows. Graded, grey Scottish slate. Broad coped ashlar stacks; clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Interest

Nos 5-9 Blackfriars Street is a good example of early City Improvement Act construction and integrated tenement design. The the tall, twin-gabled attic is an interpretation of the 17th century example at Gladstone's Land in Edinburgh's Lawnmarket. The irregular composition at attic level reflects the diversified roof-lines of the Canongate and Old Town in general and provides streetscape interest.

John Lessels (1809-1883), who came from a family of successful Edinburgh builder-architects, was appointed joint architect to the City Improvement Trust in 1866 along with David Cousin, the City Architect. In response to the Improvement Act of 1867, they laid out plans for St Mary Street, Blackfriars Street, Jeffrey Street and Chambers Street. The architecture 'reflected Cousin's transition from pure Italian Renaissance to a mid Victorian freestyle also evident in his later bank-houses' (Dictionary of Scottish Architects). The tenement blocks running from No 1 to No 29 Blackfriars Street were designed by David Cousin with John Lessels but not carried out. The design of Nos 5-9 was adapted by Robert Morham, the former principle assistant to Cousin. Morham was also responsible for the former Blackfriars United Presbyterian Church at Nos 17-2 Blackfriars Street (see separate listing). David Clunas, famed for his early experiments with mass-concrete construction, adapted the remaining blocks (see separate listings), following Cousin and Lessels design.

Formerly known as Blackfriars Wynd, the E side was demolished in 1867 under the Improvement Act, the roadway widened and subsequently renamed Blackfriars Street as part of the first wave of sanitary improvements within the Old Town. The 1867 Edinburgh Improvement Act involved the large-scale clearance, on health grounds, of 34 selected areas of the Old Town. The new buildings were intended for workers and artisans.

Part of B-Group comprising 1-67 (Odd Nos) Blackfriars Street (see separate listings). Category changed from C(S) to B (1992). List description revised as part of Edinburgh Holyrood Ward Resurvey (2007/08).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793449

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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