45-49 Great King Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Robert Reid and William Sibbald, 1814-23. 3-storey and basement, 59-bay (9-bay central pavilion, flanked by 18-bay blocks, flanked in turn by 7-bay terminal pavilions) classical palace block terrace, with 3-storey, attic and basement central and terminal pavilions; double main door tenements to central and terminal pavilions, single houses in between. Sandstone ashlar principal elevation, with polished V-jointed rustication to principal floor, broached ashlar to upper floors, rock-faced rustication to basement. Continual cornice, returned and terminated at corners; blocking course to central and terminal pavilions, with wallhead panels at centre; cill course to 1st and 2nd floors. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement. Mews to rear in Northumberland Street North West Lane, see below.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION, CENTRAL PAVILION: 9-bay, comprising advanced 3-bay centrepiece with Ionic pilasters between bays at 1st and 2nd floors; bays to outer left and right advanced, flanked by Ionic pilasters at 1st and 2nd floors. Blind balustraded aprons to centrepiece and bays to outer left and right at 1st floor. Windows in round-arched panels at ground. Flush panelled doors in left bay of centrepiece, and in bays to outer left and right, with semicircular fanlights, plate glass to centre and left, radial to right. Central and outer windows at 1st floor pedimented with consoles; windows flanking centre corniced with consoles. Semicircular window centred at attic. Flagged basement area, with rubble walls and predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars.

BLOCKS FLANKING CENTRAL PAVILION: 2 linking blocks of 6 3-bay houses, mirrored to either side of central pavilion. Flush panelled doors with variety of rectangular fanlights; to E of central pavilion with door in bay to right at ground, with door in bay to left at ground, to W of central pavilion. 1st floor cills lowered at No 16 (earlier 19th century) with contemporary cast-iron balcony. Regular fenestration to floors above. Flagged basement area, with rubble walls and predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars.

TERMINAL PAVILIONS: 7-bay near-mirrored pair of pavilions, each comprising 3-bay centrepiece with Ionic pilasters dividing bays at 1st and 2nd floors; blind balustrade aprons at 1st floor; windows pedimented with consoles in centre bay at 1st floor, corniced with consoles in flanking bays; flush panelled doors with plate glass and umbrella semicircular fanlights to pavilion at W, plate glass and radial semicircular fanlights to pavilion at E; Ionic pilasters flanking central 3 bays at 1st and 2nd floors. Terminal pavilion to left comprising common stair door centred at ground, flanked by doors, flanked in turn by windows in bays to left and right in round-arched panels; regular fenestration in bays to floors above. Terminal pavilion to right comprising door converted to window at right; windows in bays to left, blind windows in bays to right, in round-arched panels; regular fenestration in bays to floors above, with blind window in penultimate bay to right at 1st floor. Semicircular windows centred at attic. Flagged basement area with predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars.

HOWE STREET RETURN TO W TERMINAL PAVILION: 7-bay block, with central 3 bays advanced, becoming 39 and 39A Howe Street; comprising 4-panel timber door with rectangular fanlight in penultimate bay from right at principal floor; windows in remaining bays at principal floor and to floors above. Ionic pilasters flanking central 3 bays at 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. Corniced wallhead tablet spanning central 3 bays. Cast-iron window guards to 1st floor aprons and 3rd floor windows, except in penultimate bay from right. Flagged basement area.

DUNDAS STREET RETURN TO E TERMINAL PAVILION: 4-bay block (grouped 1, 2, 1), becoming 38-50 Dundas Street; comprising doors in centre bays, with radial, semicircular fanlight to right, rectangular fanlight to left; shop entrances in outer bays, door with rectangular fanlight and window to right, to outer right, door with rectangular fanlight and window to left, to outer left. Large shouldered wallhead stack to right of centre.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows, with some plate glass and 4-pane. Grey slate M-roof. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Predominantly broached ashlar stacks including several restored stacks, some rendered; coped with circular cans. Ashlar skew copes.

INTERIORS: ceiling of oval design to No 53. Tudor fan vault with pendant, and 4-centred archway to hall at No 77.

RAILINGS AND LAMPS: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed balusters and urn finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes.

MEWS:

1A, 3, 5 AND GIFFORD MEWS:

NOS 3 AND 5: pair of mews buildings, with S principal elevation; No 5 (Kingfisher Gallery) 3-bay, comprising modern glazed door centred at ground, flanked by window and small-pane light to left and outer left; cement rendered infill and modern glazed door to right, in former carriage opening, with stone lintel; windows in bays at attic, velux windows. No 3, 5-bay, adjoining No 5 to right, comprising modern door in penultimate bay from right at ground, modern garage doors in remaining bays at ground, cement rendered lintel; window to left at attic, timber gabled dormerheaded window breaking eaves, to right at attic, timber barge boards. Much altered mews building adjoining to right.

N0 1A: single storey piended roof mews building comprising predominantly blank S principal elevation, 4-panel timber door with plate glass fanlight, at right.

?GIFFORD MEWS?: 2-storey 3-bay mews building with S principal elevation, comprising 6-panel timber door with 5-pane fanlight, centred at ground, flanked by 2-leaf vertically-boarded garage doors to right, with stone lintel; window to left and in bays at 1st floor. Round-arched vertically.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Second New Town A Group 45-89 Great King Street makes up one quarter of the four near-identical palace blocks of the Second New Town?s central avenue; a significant part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. Great King Street, feued by the Heriot Trust, was part of the first extension of the New Town planned by Reid and Sibbald. It was advertised to feu in 1810; some feus having been taken by 1812, but late in 1813 the roadway was still not made. Building finally started in 1817. Sir William Hamilton spent his last years at No 16; Sir William Allan RA lived at No 72; William Henry Playfair lived at No 63; Rev Edward Irving lived at No 60.

This imposing street would have appeared even more dramatic when he tree at either end were young enough for the view to extend to include London Street to the east and the Royal Circus to the west.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing
Wikidata IDs Q17569641 Q17569707 Q17569711

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