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Latitude: 55.9485 / 55°56'54"N
Longitude: -3.1945 / 3°11'40"W
OS Eastings: 325498
OS Northings: 673474
OS Grid: NT254734
Mapcode National: GBR 8NH.D3
Mapcode Global: WH6SL.WRZ5
Plus Code: 9C7RWRX4+C5
Entry Name: 40-46 Victoria Street, Edinburgh
Listing Name: 38-46 (Even Nos) Victoria Street
Listing Date: 14 December 1970
Category: B
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 370409
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB29873
Building Class: Cultural
Also known as: Edinburgh, 40 - 46 Victoria Street
ID on this website: 200370409
George Smith, 1843. 10-bay curved terrace of 5 3-storey 2-bay shops, stepped with incline of street. Painted ashlar. Pavement and railings of Victoria Terrace (separately listed) above. Base course, boldly dentilled cornices to shops; eaves cornice and blocking course. Most shop-fronts altered in later 19th century, with plate glass and inset glazed doors. Tabbed surrounds to upper windows.
Plate glass in timber sash and case windows to upper floors.
No 40 was formerly Robert Cresser, Brush Shop, founded in 1873, and has original fixtures and fittings both for selling and for manufacturing brushes. Victoria Street and Terrace were part of Thomas Hamilton's plan for the new Southern and Western Approaches to the city. The plan was first proposed in an article in the Scots Magazine in 1817 (attributed to Hamilton) proposing the formation of 'a Communication between the N and S sides of the City of Edinburgh by means of a bridge entering the Lawnmarket nearly opposite Bank Street.' Hamilton and William Burn produced a 'Report relative to the proposed approaches' in 1824, of which a plan appeared in 'The Scotsman' (27th November 1824). Hamilton and Burn went to London in 1825 to gain support for an Act of Parliament, and the City Improvement Act was passed in 1827. Hamilton was appointed architect to the Commissioners for the Improvement Act, and carried out the 2 major town planning initiatives for which they were responsible - the W approach - King's Bridge and Johnstone Terrace, and the S approach - George IV Bridge, and the link to the Grassmarket - Victoria Street. Hamilton was replaced as architect to the Commissioners in 1834 by George Smith, and the buildings on the N side of Victoria Street were designed by Smith.
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