32, 33, 34 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Robert Reid and William Sibbald, 1806-19, with porch addition by David Bryce, 1857. 44-bay near-symmetrical palace block with curved frontage, comprising 3-storey and basement linking block, with 4-bay 3rd floor at outer left, flanked by 4-storey and basement, 5-bay terminal pavilions. Polished ashlar sandstone; V-jointed rustication at principal floor; rock-faced rustication at basement. Band courses between basement and principal floor, principal floor and 1st floor; cill courses at 1st and 2nd floors; cornice and blocking course at 2nd floor, continued as cornice at terminal pavilions, cornice and blocking course at 3rd floor of terminal pavilions. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement. Some lowered 1st floor cills to central curved section. Mews in Northumberland Street Lane to rear, see below.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: predominantly panelled timber doors with plate glass rectangular fanlights every 3rd bay, with regular fenestration to all floors. No 30 (The Royal Scots Club) 7-bay with Bryce porch centred at principal floor; channelled, with windows in rectangular recesses at returns, doorpiece with consoled cornice, flanked by metal plaques reading 'The Royal Scots Club (The Royal Regiment) War Memorial Club', balustraded parapet; No 32 (The Caledonian Club) 4-storey and basement, 4-bay with tripartite doorpiece with glazed door surmounted by broken pediment, and plate glass rectangular fanlight in penultimate bay from left. Advanced E terminal pavilion comprising round-arched doorpiece centred at principal floor, with 4-panel timber door and radial semicircular fanlight, flanked by windows in round-arched recesses; regular fenestration to floors above, windows in bays at centre and outer left and right at 1st floor with consoled cornices and blind balustered aprons; regular fenestration at basement; wallhead tablet centred at 3rd floor.

S ELEVATION: advanced W terminal pavilion comprising round-arched doorpiece centred at principal floor, with 4-panel timber door and radial semicircular fanlight; windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays at principal floor, regular fenestration to floors above, windows in bays at centre and outer left and right at 1st floor with consoled cornices and blind balustered aprons; regular fenestration at basement; wallhead tablet centred at 3rd floor.

W ELEVATION: 4-storey and basement, 6-bay elevation, comprising 6-panel timber common stair door with 6-pane rectangular fanlight, in 3rd bay from left at principal floor; regular fenestration in remaining bays at principal floor and to floors above, with blind windows in bays 2nd and 3rd from right, at all floors; blind windows in bays to outer right at basement, with panelled timber door in 3rd bay from right Blind aprons to 1st floor windows. Adjoining terrace to N, see separate listing (3-7 Dundas Street).

E ELEVATION: 4-storey and basement, 4-bay elevation, becoming 2 Nelson Street, comprising 9-panel timber common stair door, with plate glass rectangular fanlight, to right at principal floor; regular fenestration to remaining bays at principal floor, and to floors above and basement, with blind windows in bays at principal floor, 3 bays to left at 1st floor, central bays at 2nd and 3rd floors, and in bays at basement. Blind aprons to 1st floor windows. Adjoining terrace to N, see separate listing (4-8 Nelson Street).

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows; window guards in bays at outer left at 1st floor of S elevation, window guards spanning 3 bays at Nos 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31, at 1st floor, window guard spanning 4 bays at No 32, at 1st floor; leaded lower panes to principal floor windows at Nos 30 and 31, with stained glass thistle and saltire/St Andrew motifs. Grey slate roofs. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Variety of stacks; coped with circular cans.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1997, but some evidence of working panelled shutters.

COACH HOUSE: 2-storey, 3-bay rubble coach house to rear of Nos 22-23 (Basil Paterson College); random rubble with droved long and short quoins; irregular fenestration, with later windows in former carriage door openings, at N.

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

MEWS:

NORTHUMBERLAND STREET SOUTH EAST LANE: earlier 19th century. Single storey and attic and 2-storey mews buildings, with raised wallhead to No 14. Coursed rubble, with polished ashlar dressings to No 14. Long and short quoins.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 2 single storey and attic mews to left, with slappings to ground, including 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber sliding garage doors in penultimate bay to left, with timber runner. Windows at 1st floor predominantly in piended dormerheads, breaking eaves.

NO 14: institutional hall-style building with recessed 2-leaf 4-panel timber door in quasi-Gibbsian doorpiece, centred at ground; window centred at 1st floor. Blind frieze and continuous cornice; blank wallhead tablet spanning elevation.

NO 6: 6-panel modern timber door to right at ground; modern garage door with stone lintel, to left. Window with projecting cill at 1st floor, velux window.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs. Cast-iron rainwater goods. 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. Abercromby Place was part of the first extension of the New Town promoted by the Town Council, Heriot's Hospital and the trustees of David Stewart (later George Winton), James Nisbet and Thomas Morison architects and Maxwell Gordon and John Morison, WS. It was planned by Reid and Sibbald in 1802. Building started in 1806 and was completed by 1819.

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