Description

Robert Brown, 1822-24. 12 bay terrace comprising unified façade of 2-storey attics and basements, 3-bay classical townhouses with main-door and common stair flats behind; later ashlar attic additions; 3-bay return to William Street. Basement area to street including some vaulted cellars and retaining walls. Sandstone ashlar, droved to basement, channelled to raised ground floor. Entrance platts oversailing basements. Banded base course. Banded cill course to 1st floor, string course between windows. Corniced eaves course, balustraded with rectangular dormers to right. Timber 6-panel doors with rectangular fanlight above; geometric glazing to No. 9. Architraved, corniced and bracketed 1st floor window to centre at N corner block. Cast-iron balconies on scrolled brackets to first floor windows.

N (WILLIAM STREET) ELEVATION: 3 storeys, regular coursed rubble with long and short ashlar quoins (stone cills and lintels). Window to centre at ground 1st and 2nd floors.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: 4-storey. Regular coursed rubble with some long and short ashlar quoins. Advanced and recessed wall plane with some later additions. Ashlar rybats, lintels and sills to irregular fenestration.

Predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case, with some 12-pane and 6-over 9-pane timber sash and case windows. Cast-iron railings above ashlar coping stone edging basement recess to street; spear headed finials. Double pitch M-section roof. Wallhead stacks in corniced ashlar with modern clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Interest

The townhouses are an important surviving component of the original design for the Walker Estate by Robert Brown. Walker Street forms a key part of a fine classical grouping, tying together key residential components of the plan, linking Melville Crescent (see separate listing) with Coates Crescent (see separate listing) in addition to linking two important public spaces marked with significant public works of art, with the Gladstone Memorial in Coates Crescent (see separate listing) and Melville Memorial (see separate listing) in Melville Crescent. The terrace demonstrates well-detailed architectural treatment and a good example of the late Georgian style in which the Walker Estate was designed.

Walker Street was at the centre of land owned by Patrick Walker, which was developed to a plan drawn up by Robert Brown in 1813. Walker Street is a main axis through the development, and takes its name from Sir Patrick.

Robert Brown was an experienced architect, and by the time he was involved with the deigns for the Walker Estate he had already designed several other urban schemes, including between 1810 and 1830 laying out streets in Portobello on land belonging to the Marques of Abercorn. His other notable works include Newington and St. Leonard's church (now The Queen's Hall) and the rearrangement of the interiors for Yester House on behalf of the Marques of Tweeddale. Robert Brown worked on a number of smaller projects in the New Town but the cohesive planning of the Walker estate is amongst one of the best examples of his work. He was especially competent in the design of corner pavilions and parades of shops, as can be seen in his work at North West Circus Place (see separate listing).

(List description revised in 2009 as part of re-survey.)

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17568634

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

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)