Description

John Chesser, 1874. 3-storey over basement terrace of townhouses in Free Renaissance style with prominent 2-storey, 4-light canted, balustraded bays; set into ground falling to NE. Sandstone ashlar; droved at basement. Entrance platts oversailing basement. Banded base course; banded cill courses at 1st and 2nd floors (moulded to canted bays). Corniced eaves course. Round arched surrounds to main doorways, keystoned and corniced with moulded console brackets; semicircular fanlight over, narrow sidelights. Moulded architraved windows to canted bay at ground and 1st floors. Moulded bracketed and corniced 1st floor windows with advanced bracketed cills. Moulded architraved windows at 2nd floor (tripartite above canted bay) with advanced bracketed cills. Later rectangular tile hung dormer to No. 2

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Pitched roof; grey slates. Corniced ashlar gable end and ridge stacks; modern clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Cast-iron railings edging basement area to street.

INTERIOR: characterised by highly decorative classical scheme with intricate cornices. Large entrance vestibules with deep cornice and tiled floors, predominantly timber stairs with carved newel posts, topped by large cupolas with decorative plasterwork beneath. Highly decorative plasterwork and some large marble fire surrounds to ground and 1st floor drawing rooms. Later conversion to flats throughout terrace (2009).

Statement of Interest

Learmonth Terrace is a prominent and boldly detailed classical crescent with prominent canted bays making a significant contribution to the streetscape. Numbers 1 -3a form the end of the terrace, and use the sloping corner site well. The terrace is part of the continued development of the West End of Edinburgh in the later 19th century after the completion of the nearby Dean Bridge (see separate listing).

The terrace was built by John Chesser for Colonel Learmonth as part of his wider development of lands in this area. Learmonth had played a major part in the funding of the nearby Dean Bridge (see separate listing). The construction of the bridge placed his land on what became a main thoroughfare into and out of the City of Edinburgh and made his developments much more valuable. Learmonth was also the Lord Provost of Edinburgh during this period. Unlike the earlier phases of the New Town the terraces of the Dean estate were exclusively of individual affluent family houses with lavish Victorian detailing. Changing social circumstances in the 20th century have led to a degree of alteration and adaptation.

John Chesser began his career as a master of works on the Ravesby Estate in Lincolnshire, before replacing his father in the same post on the Dalmeny estate. By 1852 he was working for David Cousin in the office of the superintendant of works in Edinburgh, and through this office he may have secured his post as superintendant of works for Heriots Hospital. By the time he came to design Learmonth Terrace his free Renaissance style was fully developed. Many of his terraces are characterised by the use of large bay windows, and particularly by the combination of rectangular and canted storeys.

List description revised as part of resurvey (2009).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17811251

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

• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
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  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)