Description

Probably William Sibbald, earlier 19th century. 2-storey, attic and basement, 6-bay classical terrace. Polished ashlar sandstone, V-jointed rustication at principal floor; rockfaced rustication at basement. Base course; band courses between basement and principal floor, principal and 1st floors; panelled frieze at impost level at principal floor of Nos 39 and 41; cill course at 1st floor; blind aprons in bays at 1st floor of Nos 39-43; cornice and blocking course at 1st floor. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced 6-bay terminal pavilion to right (Nos 39 and 41) comprising pair of 6-panel timber doors flanked by semi-engaged Doric columns supporting lintel, surmounted by radial semicircular fanlights, centred at principal floor; windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays at principal floor, regular fenestration to floors above and basement, with foliate pendant carvings in recessed round-arched panels between penultimate bays from outer left and right and bays at outer left and right at principal floor; foliate swags surmounted by patera between penultimate bays from outer left and right and bays at outer left and right at 1st floor; central curvilinear-fluted wallhead panel. 6-panel timber door with umbrella rectangular fanlight to left (No 43) with window at 1st floor. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above and basement. Flagged basement area.

W (YORK LANE) ELEVATION: random rubble gable, chamfered at NW corner; pairs of windows at centre and right of centre at principal and 1st floor, window centred at attic. Coped random rubble wall to right, returned at rear elevation.

E ELEVATION: adjoining terrace, see separate listing (45-57A Albany Street).

REAR ELEVATION: not seen, 1998.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof. Pair of box dormers, polygonal to right, at No 39; pair of slate-hung bow-fronted dormers at No 41. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered gablehead stack and variety of corniced and coped broached ashlar ridge stacks, with circular cans. Coped skews.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1998.

RAILINGS: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed and urn finials.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Edinburgh New Town A Group. The building of Albany Street started in 1801. It did not form part of Reid and Sibbald's first extension of the New Town, but was incorporated into it, Abercromby Place and Heriot Row being laid out on the same axis. Considerable difficulty was encountered in clearing feuars from the north-western area, for which Bonnar did not prepare a feu plan until February 1815.

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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