Description

James Haldane, circa 1825-1830 and mid 19th century. 32-bay asymmetrical classical palace block of terraces houses, anta central and terminal pavilions adjoining Morrison Street at SW and Torphichen Street at NE. Polished sandstone ashlar, rusticated to ground floor of Nos 1-3; shopfronts (some 19th century with fluted pilasters, dentil cornices and ornamental carving) built out at ground floor to remaining Nos. Base course to Nos 2 and 3; band course between ground and 1st floors to Nos 2 and 3; giant pilasters to upper floors of central and terminal pavilions; cill course to 2nd floor of intervening bays; string course below cornice to central and terminal pavilions; cornice and blocking course, raised at central pavilion; ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement to Nos 1 and 2.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION:

4-bay pavilion at left adjoining Torphichen Street: timber panelled door with fanlight oversailing to No 1; windows to 2 bays to right at basement; ashlar steps from street at outer right; V-jointed rustication to openings at ground floor; 4-panelled timber doors at 2 bays to left, with large 2-pane semicircular fanlight to No 1 (bay to outer left) and rectangular 2-pane fanlight to No 2; window to bay to right; infilled round-arched doorway to bay to outer right, pierced by window; regular fenestration to upper floors; ornamental ironwork window-guards to 2nd floor windows.

9-bay link block to left: variety of shopfronts built out at ground floor, with round-arched hoodmould to entrance to No 4 at centre; windows to all bays upper floors, blocked at 2nd and 5th bays from right at 2nd floor; ironwork balconies to 6 bays to left at 1st floor.

6-bay central pavilion: steps up to part-glazed timber door with tripartite rectangular fanlight to No 6 set in V-jointed rusticated recessed section in bay to left at ground floor; shopfronts to bays to right; entrance to guest house at outer right (No 7B); regular fenestration to upper floors (penultimate bay to right at 2nd floor blocked); ornamental ironwork balconies to windows of 3 bays to left at 1st floor.

9-bay link block to right: shopfronts built out at ground floor, incorporating 4-panel timber entrance door with large rectangular fanlight to No 9 to left of centre; windows with ironwork balconies to all bays 1st floor; windows to 2nd floor (blocked 2nd and 5th bays from left) with ironwork balconies except at 3 bays to outer right.

4-bay pavilion to outer right (adjoining Morrison Street): Nos 11-14 Maitland Street West listed separately with Nos 272-278 Morrison Street.

SW AND NE ELEVATIONS: obscured by adjoining buildings.

SE ELEVATION: not seen 2000.

Variety of glazing patterns to timber sash and case windows, including original 12-pane glazing (to 1st floor of Nos 1-3), replacement 2 and 4-pane glazing and (to centrepiece) original lying-pane glazing. Grey slate roof. Coped skews. Coped ridge and mutual stacks, majority rendered; tall moulded cylindrical cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIORS: not seen 2000.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Edinburgh New Town A-Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. This almost symmetrical arrangement occupies an important site, flanking the main approach to the city from the west. It retains some noteworthy original features such as lying-pane glazing and crisp ground floor rustication. Nos 1 and 2 are absent from the 1853 OS Map (along with the adjoining No 2 Torphichen St - then St Cuthbert's Street) indicating that they were a later addition, and may even not have formed part of Haldane's scheme.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793671

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)