Description

James Gillespie Graham, designed 1822. 17-bay concave classical tenement, comprising 3-storey and basement, 9-bay linking terrace, flanked by pair of advanced 4-storey and basement, 4-bay terminal pavilions. Symmetrical terrace with curved frontage. Polished ashlar sandstone; V-jointed rustication at principal floor. Base course; corniced frieze at impost level at principal floor of terminal pavilions; cill course at 1st and 2nd floors of central terrace; cornice and blocking course at 2nd floor of central terrace, and 3rd floor of terminal pavilions. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION, LINKING TERRACE: 3 3-bay houses, comprising panelled timber doors in bays to left; rectilinear rectangular fanlight at No 17, 2-pane rectangular fanlight at No 18, plate glass rectangular fanlight at No 19. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor, and to floors above. Architraved windows with cornices at 1st floor, architraved windows at 2nd floors. Flagged basement area.

TERMINAL PAVILIONS: pair of advanced 4-bay terminal pavilions. Doric pilasters flanking bays at 1st and 2nd floors, panelled pilasters flanking bays at 3rd floors. Panelled timber doors in bay to right of centre, with plate glass semicircular fanlights. Windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above. Flagged basement area.

GREAT STUART STREET RETURN TO N ELEVATION: 4-bay, becoming 8 Great Stuart Street (see separate listing).

21A AINSLIE PLACE RETURN TO TERMINAL PAVILION: 6-bay, comprising 4-bay return to No 20 Ainslie Place, with 2-bay return to left, becoming 21A Ainslie Place. 4-bay elevation comprising 4-panel timber door with plate glass semicircular fanlight in bay to left of centre; windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays at principal floor, regular fenestration to floors above. 2-bay elevation comprising regular fenestration to all floors; architraved windows with cornices at 1st floor, architraved windows at 2nd floor. Flagged basement area. Adjoining terrace to left (see separate listing, 6-11 Glenfinlas Street).

REAR ELEVATION: not seen, 1998.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows; anthemion and palmette windows guards in bays at 1st floor, except at Nos 17 and 21A, and in bays to left of centre at 8 Great Stuart Street. Grey slate M-roofs; 8-light box dormer spanning bays at No 19. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Broached ashlar ridge and wallhead stacks; corniced, with circular cans.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1998; evidence of working panelled shutters.

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

Statement of Interest

Part of the Edinburgh New Town A Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. The Moray Estate was designed for the 10th Earl of Moray (1771-1848). He inherited the 13 acre site from his father, after it was acquired from the Heriot Trust in 1782, and decided to feu the property for development in 1822. The complicated plan, with the crescent, oval and polygon of Randolph Crescent, Ainslie Place and Moray Place respectively, conjoins the New Town with the Second New Town. Building was completed in 1830-31.

William Burn was involved in the layout at sketch plan stage, but the executed elevations are pure Gillespie Graham. Dugald Stewart died at No 5 in 1828. William Blackwood lived at No 3 from 1830-34; Sir Charles Bell at No 6 from 1836-42; George Cranstoun, Lord Corehouse, at No 12 and Dean Ramsay at No 23.

No 21A was formerly 14 Glenfinlas Street.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17571379

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

• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)