Description

James Simpson, 1892. 2-storey 13-bay office and warehouse block with domed corner feature and Renaissance details. Cream sandstone, polished ashlar front, rendered to rear. Base course; channelled ground floor; corbel course above ground floor; impost string course at ground and 1st floor; bracketted eaves cornice with blocking course; round-arched windows at ground floor with panelled aprons; stilted segmental-arched windows at 1st floor with moulded heads, divided by pilasters; roll-moulded doorways.

SW (FRONT) ELEVATION: chamfered corner bay to outer right, Venetian windows with moulded apron at ground floor, Bacchus head as keystone, foliate carving with thistles and shields to spandrels (RS & Co Ltd to left, Estd. 1846 to right), masque keystone; curved oriel at 1st floor with round-arched keystoned stepped tripartite on corbel carved with grapes and vine leaves, broken by keystone of window below, moulded spandrels above window; balustraded parapet with moulded dies, octagonal corner turret with keystoned bull?s-eye windows with bunches of grapes to spandrels to 5 faces divided by short scrolled and pedimented moulded pilasters, ogival finialled leaded cupola. Segmental-arched pend to right of centre with oriel at 1st floor detailed as above with carved acanthus leaves and grapes to corbel. Doorway with semi-circular plate glass fanlight; single window at 1st floor above. Segmental-arched tripartite doorway with pedimented pilasters to outer left bay, 2-leaf panelled door; oriel detailed similar to above at 1st floor. Single windows to remaining bays.

5 canted dormers.

NE (MARITIME LANE) ELEVATION: 4-bay with single windows and droved ashlar with cherry-caulking, 2 canted dormers. 4-storey 3-bay warehouse block with ashlar ground floor and stugged rubble above and loading doors and gable to centre bays (converted to offices) to outer right.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: stair projection with 2 tall transomed tripartite stair windows; 3-storey warehouse behind, SW elevation weather-boarded with single storey lean-to addition.

Timber sash and case windows with plate glass glazing, timber casements to warehouse. Slate roof; coped mutual stacks.

INTERIOR: ornate interior with grape and vine theme. Tripartite inner door with etched glass panels. Open-plan ground floor with fluted Corinthian columns, compartmental ceiling with ornate cornices, timber partitions with etched glass panels, safe with original door and fittings. Carved timber stair case, etched glass to stair windows and 17th century style plaster ceiling to stair hall. Principal room at 1st floor with compartmental ceiling and elaborate grape cornice. Smaller room with oval cupola, coved ceiling decorated with plaster garlands, doves and laurel wreaths.

Statement of Interest

Built for Robertson Sanderson & Co, wine merchants.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17812537

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

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)