Description

W.H. Playfair, designed 1821. Built by J Dickson, 1824. Symmetrical, classical tenement range, on site with very steep drop to rear; single storey and basement to Blenheim Place and E elevations, 4/5 stories to rear. 15 bays to Blenheim Place, 5 bays to E elevation. Polished ashlar; droved ashlar (some painted) to basements to Blenheim Place elevation; coursed squared rubble with droved margins to rear. Dividing band between basement and ground floor; eaves course and cornice; blocking course. Greek Doric colonnade to E elevation; coupled pilasters dividing bays to Blenheim Place elevation. Predominantly regular fenestration.

N (BLENHEIM PLACE) ELEVATION: steps and entrance platts overarching basement recess to 5 doorways, each with 2-leaf timber-panelled door with letterbox fanlight (those at No. 6 and 9 divided into 5 oval lights) flanked to left and right by single window.

E ELEVATION: single central window to basement. Blank wall above with 6 engaged fluted Greek Doric columns.

S (REAR) ELEVATION: 2 shouldered doorways and dividing band between ground and 1st floor to right. 4-storey, 2-bay bowed section to left; 3 4-storey, single bay bowed sections to outer left. Fenestration predominantly regular in terms of position, but with varied forms and sizes.

GLAZING etc: predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows (some modern casements to rear). Flat roof. 5 corniced, rendered (random rubble to centre stack) stacks with circular cans, placed across width of roof at regular intervals, beginning at E wallhead.

BOUNDARY WALLS: to S elevation, high random rubble garden wall with stone copings; runs N to S from centre of rear elevation, plus short section from E to W; E elevation of wall has doorway with dressed margins at left, modern garage door and doorway inserted to right.

RAILINGS: to N elevation only; to edge of basement recesses and platts, stone copes (edging basement only) surmounted by cast iron railings and gates with circular design at top and spear-headed dog bars.

Statement of Interest

6-10 Blenheim Place is important for its streetscape value, as an example of the work of one of Scotland's leading early 18th century architects, and as a significant element of the Eastern New Town scheme. The form of the building is significant both as a successful solution to the use of a difficult site, and as an example of Playfair's consideration of the surrounding landscape in his architecture. The railings are important as their design is a distinctive element which Playfair repeated in several areas of the Calton scheme.

Blenheim Place is one of the most prestigious elements of the Calton Scheme for an Eastern New Town. The origins of this new town, which was to occupy the east end of Calton Hill and lands to the north of it on the ground between Easter Road and Leith Walk, lie in a 'joint plan for building' which three principal feuars (Heriot's Hospital, Trinity Hospital and Mr Allan of Hillside) entered into in 1811. In 1812 a competition was advertised for plans for laying out the grounds in question. Thirty-two plans were received, displayed and reported on by a variety of people, including eight architects. Eventually, it was decided that none of the plans was suitable. However, it was a more general report by William Stark (who died shortly after submitting it) which caught the attention of the Commissioners and formed the basis of the final scheme. Stark's central argument stressed the importance of planning around the natural contours and features of the land rather than imposing formal, symmetrical street plans upon it. After several years of little or no progress, in 1818 the Commissioners finally selected William Henry Playfair, a former pupil of Stark's, to plan a scheme following his master's Picturesque ideals.

The resulting scheme, presented to the Commissioners in 1819, preserved the view of and from Calton Hill by the creation of a limited development of three single sided terraces on the hill itself, and a huge radial street pattern on the land to the north. However, feuing of this lower land was slow, for a variety of reasons, and very little of Playfair's original vast scheme was built as intended.

Blenheim Place owes its unusual single storey appearance to a mixture of Picturesque sensibilities and economic concerns. The land on which it is built was owned by Heriots Hospital. On the opposite side of the road was land belonging to Mr Allan of Hillside, upon which Leopold Place was to be built. In 1821 Allan wrote to the Governors of Heriot's Hospital asking them to consider not building Blenheim Place, and offering to compensate them for the loss of feuing proceeds. Playfair reports that for sometime it was uncertain whether Blenheim Place would be built or not, but that eventually a compromise was reached and the Hospital decided to lower the height of the buildings. The precise reasons behind Allan's wish to prevent the construction of Blenheim Place are not recorded, but it is highly likely that he wished to preserve unbroken views of Calton Hill from Leopold Place. Playfair himself stressed the importance of the Hill as the prime factor in attracting people of high quality to the eastern new Town. By trying to protect this view from Leopold Place, Allan showed an appreciation of the value of the view and a desire to ensure it was preserved.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17572182

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)