The Stables, 11 Northumberland Street South West Lane, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Robert Reid and William Sibbald, 1802-8. 59-bay near-symmetrical palace block, comprising 3-storey and basement, 9-bay advanced central pavilion, flanked by pair of predominantly 2-storey and basement 17-bay and 19-bay linking blocks, flanked in turn by pair of 3-storey and basement, 7-bay advanced terminal pavilions. Polished ashlar sandstone; V-jointed rustication at principal floor; rock-faced rustication at basement. Band course below principal and 1st floors; cill course at 2nd and 3rd floors; cornice and blocking course at 3rd floors. Windows corniced at 1st floors, corniced and consoled in centre bays of central and terminal pavilions, with blind balustraded aprons, at 1st floors. Central and terminal pavilions with 3 central bays advanced and pedimented, with circular recesses set into tympanum. Pediments to advanced central 3 bays of central and terminal pavilions; circular recesses at centres. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basements. Mews to rear in Northumberland Street South West Lane, see below.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION, CENTRAL PAVILION: comprising round-arched doorpiece in bay to left at principal floor, 6-panel door with plate glass semicircular fanlight; windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays; regular fenestration to floors above, and in bays 2nd and 3rd from outer left and right; bays to outer left and right advanced, with round-arched doorpieces at principal floor, 6-panel door with plate glass semicircular fanlights; regular fenestration to floors above. Cills lowered to 1st floor windows of No 11. Flagged basement area.

BLOCKS FLANKING CENTRAL PAVILION: 17-bay linking block to right (Nos 4-8) comprising 5 3-storey and basement houses, with additions to attics of Nos 4 and 6. Predominantly 3-bay, 4-bay to Nos 6 and 8. Irregularly spaced doors to houses, 6-panel doors with plate glass and radial rectangular fanlights; windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above. 19-bay linking block to left (No 12-17) comprising 6 predominantly 2-storey and basement houses; 3-storey and basement to No 13. Predominantly 3-bay, 4-bay to No 14. Irregularly spaced doors to houses, 6-panel doors with plate glass and radial rectangular fanlights; windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above. Carved stone plaque at No 17, reading 'The Home of ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 1857-1880. Flagged basement area with predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars; rooms under entrance platts to Nos 5 and 13.

TERMINAL PAVILIONS: E terminal pavilion (Nos 1-3) comprising 3 round-arched doorpieces centred at principal floor, 6-panel doors with radial semicircular fanlights; windows in remaining bays at principal floor, regular fenestration to floors above. W terminal pavilion (Nos 18 and 19) comprising round-arched doorpiece bay at principal floor; 6-panel doors flanking central bay, with radial semicircular fanlights; windows in remaining bays, window at centre in round-arched recess; regular fenestration to floors above. Flagged basement area, near-regular fenestration to bays; predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars; rooms under entrance platts to Nos 2, 3, 5, 7 and 13.

E (2 DUNDAS STREET) ELEVATION: 3-storey, attic, basement and sub-basement, 6-bay elevation, becoming 2 Dundas Street; comprising pedimented shop front to basement at outer right, with glazed door flanked by plate glass windows. Regular fenestration to floors above, with blind windows in 3 bays to left, in-filled in 3 bays to left at 2nd floor; pair of regularly spaced windows in gablehead; box dormer to outer right. Flagged basement area.

W (1, 1A, 1B AND 1C HOWE STREET) ELEVATION: 3-storey, attic, basement and sub-basement, 6-bay elevation, becoming 1, 1A, 1B and 1C Howe Street. Round-arched doorpiece in 3rd bay from right at principal floor; 6-panel door with radial semicircular fanlight; windows in remaining bays at principal floor and to floors above, with blind windows in bays to outer right at all floors, penultimate bay to right at principal floor, penultimate bay from left at 1st and 2nd floors, penultimate bays from right at 2nd floor; 2 pairs of windows regularly spaced at gablehead. 8-bay basement, with doors in bays 3rd from left and right; windows in remaining bays, blind window to outer right. Half-turn stairs accessing sub-basement at outer right. Flagged basement and sub-basement areas.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Pairs of box dormers at Nos 9, 10 and 12; polygonal piended dormers at Nos 11 and 18, pairs of polygonal piended dormers at Nos 14 and 15; 3 lead-roofed rectangular dormers to No 4, 4 lead-roofed rectangular dormers to No 6, pair of lead-roofed rectangular dormers flanking apex of pediment at Nos 18 and 19. Grey slate M-roofs. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Window guards to 1st floor windows of Nos 8, 12, 18 and 17; bracketed balconies spanning bays at 1st floors of Nos 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 15 and 18 to right and outer right. Variety of broached and polished ashlar ridge and gablehead stacks; coped with circular cans.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1997, but some evidence of working panelled shutters. Alterations to No 4 by A F Balfour Paul, 1911; to No 6 by Scott Morton & Co, 1909, to design by Robert S Lorimer, with Ionic screen to side hall, and oval ceilings; Ionic-columned chimneypiece to No 7; garlanded oval to entrance hall of No 8; pendentived ceiling and, Tuscan screen and arcaded landing to No 10; double entrance hall, with part groined and pendentived screens of columns, apsed stairwell and cupola on pendentives, Grecian oval ceiling to drawing room of No 14.

RAILINGS AND LAMPS: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed balusters and urn finials. Cast-iron lamps with glass globes.

MEWS:

NORTHUMBERLAND STREET SOUTH WEST LANE: earlier 19th century. 2 rows of predominantly 2-storey mews buildings. Coursed rubble with some droved ashlar dressings.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: predominantly 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors, in segmental-arched slapping at No 13; some modern garage doors and modern pedestrian doors. Cart opening blocked with tripartite window at No 5. Variety of windows at attic, including bipartite windows, and vertically-boarded timber infilled loading windows. Coursed rubble double garage opposite No 5, comprising S principal elevation with 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber doors with timber lintel, to left; folding vertically-boarded timber doors with stone lintel, to right; infilled loading window centred at attic; blank W elevation.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Ashlar and rendered ridge stacks; coped, with circular cans. Coped skews.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Second New Town A Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. Nos 13 and 14 are traditionally said to be the first houses built in the Second New Town.

Although Heriot Row's profile has been considerably altered by various additions, the overall sense of the terraces' low roofline has not been lost, and it still retains its original grandeur, increased by its outlook onto the private Queen Street Gardens.

The writer Henry Mackenzie lived at No 6.

Statutory address updated (2015). Previously listed as, '1-19 (Inclusive nos) Heriot Row, and 2 Dundas Street, and 1, 1A, 1B and 1C Howe Street, including railings and lamps with Northumberland Street South West Lane (Nos 5, 6, 7, 8, 8B, 9, 9B, 11, 11A, 11B, 12, 18, 22, 26 and 27).

External Links

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.