Description

Edinburgh Co-operative Building Co Ltd, 1868-70. 4 terraced rows lying NE-SW divided NW-SE by Dalry Place, and single half row (Breadalbane Terrace) to SW; 'colonies' type housing similar to schemes established by the company at Glenogle Park, Abbeyhill and Leith Hermitage.

Each terrace 2-storey and attic (some slightly stepped with slope) comprising four 4-bay blocks; each block containing 4 houses, 2 up 2 down; lower houses entered by paired doors on NW, upper houses by paired doors accessed by single cantilevered platt and forestair on SE; regular fenestration, ground floor windows flanking forestairs narrower.

Simple architectural treatment; squared, snecked and stugged sandstone, bull-faced to gable ends; margin- drafts (some painted); shouldered windows to Dalry Road and one to each floor at centre of inner gable ends, 1st floor only of outer gables. Brick forestairs with outbuilding below, some stuccoed, stone steps; wrought- iron railings, twisted at Walker and Lewis Terraces.

Slated roofs with canted dormers on SE slopes; some canted dormers (presumably slightly later) and some modern, boxed-out dormers on NW slopes; most chimneyheads rebuilt and stuccoed flat skews.

4-pane timber sash and case windows, 2-pane at splayed sides of dormers, 4-panelled doors with rectangular fanlights, all largely retained.

RAILINGS AND GARDEN WALLS: each terrace with saddleback-coped dwarf-walled gardens (originally all with railings, many now missing) front and back, approached by cobbled footpaths opening off Dalry Place. Terraces closed to NE and SW by coped rubble wall. Good original pine cone finialled drying poles mostly survive.

EXCEPTIONS/ADDITIONS: Walker and Lewis built out as shops to Dalry Road; Nos 15-29 (Walker) completely modern, Nos 31-47 (Lewis) with substantial remains of Ionic pilastered and consoled treatment; gables with doors and multi-pane fanlights in shouldered openings at ground, Lewis's with extra window to right. Canted dormers also to NW slopes.

Shouldered panels to Dalry Road at centre of Walker and Lewis; former with inscription and masonic insignia, latter with beehive.

Boxed-out dormers to Douglas and Argyll (one each), Atholl and McLaren (2 each).

McLaren Terrace of 3 blocks only, that to NE a 2 house unit with stair hugging skewed gable.

Nos 9 and 10 Breadalbane Terrace with curved forestair.

Breadalbane Terrace adjoined by newer brick building at S corner.

S block of Lewis Terrace and 2 S blocks of Argyll Terrace stonecleaned back and front.

Statement of Interest

Plaque reads ERECTED BY THE EDINBURGH CO-OPERATIVE BUILDING COMPANY LIMITED JAMES COLVILLE MANAGER 1870. James Colville was a mason and so, in the absence of any other forthcoming name, may be considered to be the architect. Terraces were primarily built to house Caledonian Railway workers and are named after famous reformers, eg Bright and Cobden, and Scottish peers. They are neither as early or as large as the Glenogle development, but are unique among the colony developments for their pedestrian nature. Compare with similar but slightly later developments by the company in the area, at Shaftesbury Park and the Flower Colonies, Slateford Road. Dalry place was recently pedestrianised. Nos 17 and 18 Breadalbane Terrace (Breadalbane Cottage) were clearly built slightly later and have been much altered. They constitute a freestanding half-block. It should be noted that Richmond Terrace (running NW-SE, and listed separately below) is effectively a lower villa and upper tenement block; the villas accessed from the S, with gardens to N and S; the tenements accessed from the N. It is likely to have been built by the Co-operative.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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.

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