5 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

James Gillespie Graham, designed 1822. 3-storey, attic and basement, 26-bay classical terrace with concave curved frontage, comprising 18-bay linking terrace flanked by advanced 4-bay terminal pavilions. Polished ashlar sandstone; V-jointed rustication at principal floor; broached ashlar sandstone at basement. Band courses between basement and principal floor, and principal and 1st floor; string course at impost level of terminal pavilions; cill course at 2nd floor; cornice at 2nd floor; cornice and blocking course at attic. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION, LINKING TERRACE: 4-panel former 2-leaf timber doors and variety of plate-glass, rectilinear and 4-pane rectangular fanlights in every 3rd bay from right at principal floor; windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays at principal floor, regular fenestration to floors above; architraved windows with cornices at 1st floor, architraved windows at 2nd floor. Flagged basement area.

W ELEVATION, TERMINAL PAVILIONS: pair of 4-bay terminal pavilions; Doric pilasters flanking bays at 1st and 2nd floors, panelled pilasters flanking bays at 3rd floor. Terminal pavilion to right (No 1) comprising door with plate glass semicircular fanlight in bay to right of centre at principal floor; regular fenestration to remaining bays at principal floor and to floors above and basement; terminal pavilion to left (No 8) comprising panelled timber door with fanlight in bay regular fenestration to remaining bays at principal floor, and to floors above and basement. Flagged basement area with predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars.

SW (RANDOLPH PLACE) ELEVATION: 5-bay, becoming 1 Randolph Place (see separate listing).

NW (GREAT STUART STREET) ELEVATION: 4-bay, becoming 20 Great Stuart Street (see separate listing).

INTERIORS: not seen, 1998; evidence of working panelled shutters.

RAILINGS: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with decorative balusters and finials.

MEWS:

2 AND 3-9 (ODD NOS) RANDOLPH LANE: earlier 19th century. 2 storey, single mews building and row of 4 mews buildings. Predominantly coursed rubble; broached ashlar dressings; raised cills.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION:

NO 2: partly obscured by adjoining buildings, comprising modern 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber door in former segmental-arched gateway, to right at ground; bipartite casement window to right at 1st floor; rear and side elevation not seen, 1998, but recessed single story wall to right, with opening.

NO 3: 3-bay, comprising modern iron staircase to pedestrian entrance at 1st floor of S gable, not seen; pair of segmental-arched openings to left at ground with 2-leaf, 16-panel timber garage doors, upper centre panels glazed, upper outer panels louvred; 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors to right at ground, with timber infilled upper panels and stone lintel; irregular fenestration in bays at 1st floor, with square-headed dormer breaking eaves at outer left.

NO 5: 4-bay, comprising 3 openings at ground; modern, vertically-boarded garage door at centre, flanked by 2-leaf panelled timber garage door to left, and 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage door with pair of square glazed upper panels, to right; 4-panel timber pedestrian door with plate glass rectangular fanlight, to outer right at ground; 3 windows irregularly spaced at 1st floor.

NO 7: 3-bay, comprising pair of segmental-arched openings at ground with 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors with pairs of square glazed upper panels; panelled timber door to outer right at ground; window to right at 1st floor, bipartite gabletted dormerhead breaking eaves at left at 1st floor.

NO 9: 3-bay, on corner site, comprising opening with 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors, with stone lintel, to left at ground. Modern multi-pane canted bow with panelled base, in former opening to right at ground; 3 irregularly spaced windows at 1st floor, including gabletted dormerhead breaking eaves to left. Single bay return to right comprising modern vertically-boarded timber pedestrian door centred at ground, window centred at 1st floor. Adjoining mews building to right, see separate listing (8-20 Great Stuart Street).

Predominantly timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs, with some modern skylights. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Broached ashlar ridge, wallhead and gablehead stacks; corniced, with circular cans.

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. The Moray Estate was designed for the 10th Earl of Moray (1771-1848). He inherited the 13 acre site from his father, after it was acquired from the Heriot Trust in 1782, and decided to feu the property in 1822. The complicated plan, with the crescent, oval and polygon of Randolph Crescent, Ainslie Place and Moray Place respectively, conjoins the New Town with the Second New Town. Building was completed in 1830-31.

External Links

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